Calhoun County Board of Commissioners Report

From the Thursday, Oct. 6 Calhoun County Board of Commissioners Meeting

On the consent agenda, Commissioners approved an annual state-ordered Probate Judge salary increase, appointments to the Summit Pointe Board and Calhoun County Department of Health & Human Services (Medical Care Facility) Board, and an MDOT performance resolution for municipalities. Visit the County website for the meeting's agenda and video recording.

In new business, the Board approved,

the PA2 Alcohol Tax budget for Fiscal Year 2023
a year-end adjustment to the Public Health Department's FY2022 budget
a staffing allocation change for the Prosecutor's Office
a Memorandum of Understanding with Eaton County for emergency alerting, as recommended by the County’s Emergency Manager and the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority

A message from Calhoun County Administrator/Controller Kelli Scott

Over the past two weeks the County held our workplace United Way fundraising campaign. Every year, a group of dedicated County employees volunteer to coordinate this effort, rallying employees to give to our local United Way agencies as they choose and are able to. I appreciate our campaign leaders adding some elements of fun into the mix, including cookouts in Battle Creek and Marshall made possible through special donations, and cooking and grilling efforts from our county commissioners, elected officials and department heads. We are always thankful for the opportunity to offer events where employees can socialize, while promoting a good cause. Thank you to everyone who pledged and participated this year. This year 82 employees donated to raise more than $18,000—an increase from last year—for the three United Way organizations serving Calhoun County!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Nationally recognized, October is an opportunity for everyone to consider the impacts of breast cancer. One in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. The important statistic is that with intentional early detection, 65% of breast cancer instances are diagnosed at a localized stage, and then the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%. The National Breast Cancer Foundation provides tons of resources so that you can understand and check for breast cancer. Check out this website for Breast Cancer Awareness Month for more information and ways to share this awareness with people in your life.

Highlights from a few boards, committees, and events:

A Calhoun County Board of Public Health meeting was held on Monday, Sept. 19. There was a presentation by Clinic Supervisor Vivian Holdcraft about immunizations and the refugee health assessment program. The Public Health Department team also provided updates about the national accreditation process and COVID-19 in our community.

Since the last Board of Commissioners meeting, three trainings were held about the Rave Panic Button for employees in the Marshall County Building. Hosted by Aaron Edlfeson on behalf of the Risk Management Committee, the training explained how our Rave Panic Button helps employees and visitors in various emergency situations within and around our buildings. There's also a staff assist function that allows employees to communicate internally about non-emergency situations. This training will be ongoing in county buildings through the end of the year.

A Joint Information Center for the COVID-19 Emergency Response group was held on Wednesday, Sept. 21, and streamed live on the City of Battle Creek's Youtube Channel. Health Officer Eric Pessell and Medical Director Dr. William Nettleton discussed the current state of COVID-19 in Calhoun, shared how the Public Health Department is working with schools on COVID-19, and answered questions that have come up recently.

Watch the recording.

A joint meeting of the County’s Board of Commissioners and Internal Budget Committees was held on Friday, Sept. 23. At this meeting, Administrator/Controller Kelli Scott and Finance Director Megan Banning shared the status of the 2023 General Fund budgeting process, and plans for evaluating and recommending an American Rescue Plan Act appropriation to the Board of Commissioners in November.

A special meeting of the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority was held on Monday, Sept. 26, at which the board approved a contract with Motorola for a network system and radios. Click here to read the press release.

A Calhoun County Planning Commission meeting was held on Sept. 26, as well. At this meeting, the Commission discussed three township planning and zoning proposals—one from Newton Township for a PA 116 application and two from Marshall Township regarding its master plan update and an amendment to its zoning text about solar developments.

The final meeting in 2022 for the Native American Heritage Fund Board, was held on Friday, Sept. 30. At this meeting, the Board approved allocating most of this year’s remaining unspent revenue payment from the state to Clinton Community Schools, which had received a prior year NAHF grant to rebrand its mascot and expressed the need for additional funding this year. Learn more at nahfund.com.

A Calhoun County Broadband Task Force meeting was held on Thursday, Oct. 6. The objective for this meeting was for County administrators to set the stage for more formalized actions and meeting structure starting in 2023, which will be critical to work with our community to implement internet deployment plans, expected soon from our contractors, CTC Technology & Energy.

Finally, a Calhoun County Parks and Recreation Commission meeting was held the afternoon on Thursday, Oct. 6. In the department report by Assistant Community Development Director Doug Ferrall, information was shared about the proposed 2023 parks budget, an Ott Preserve grant, the upcoming 2022 8k/20k Trail Race, and an itinerary for an upcoming parks tour.

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