Update from Kelli Scott for Feb. 21
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On Friday, Feb. 15, Commissioner Derek King and I attended a
"Home for Opportunity Tour"
on behalf of our county government, with leaders from the State's Talent and Economic Development Department. This event was the first stop on a state-wide tour sanctioned by Governor Whitmer to address skills gaps that challenge employers and our workforce. The meeting included local employers and educators to discuss in-demand professional trades, and to tour the newly renovated Kellogg Community College Regional Manufacturing Technology Center. Read the
State's press release about the event
.
Union leadership and County administration
met Monday, Feb. 11 for a round-table discussion and to share updates that are important in fostering positive labor relations. Human Resources Director Kim Archambault provided an update on the upcoming relocation of our CareHere! Employee Health and Wellness Center, implications of Michigan's new Paid Sick Leave Law and successful benefit plan shifts that are shown within the County's 2019 Open Enrollment Data.
Our county-wide
transit study
kicked off on Tuesday, Feb. 12, in a meeting with the consulting company, Foursquare. At that meeting we discussed the role of the steering committee, tasks and approach over the course of this project, and next steps. Public engagement will include pop-up events in April, as well as a website and online survey. Stay tuned for updates in the coming months.
The
Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Committee
met on Wednesday, Feb. 13. To open the February meeting, the committee watched a clip from the History Channel about the
Harlem Hellfighters
, which was an African American infantry unit in WWI. Director Aaron Edlefson provided an update about the allocation of grant funds. There were nine applications for veterans relief, and four were approved.
In community involvement,
The
Michigan Municipal Services Authority
, a state-wide organization that provides shared services solutions for governments, met Thursday, Feb. 14. This was my first meeting as chair after being appointed by the governor late last year. In new business, we approved five resolutions, including an auditor engagement letter, FY 2018-2019 General Appropriations Act Amendment and an amendment to our agreement with Segal Consulting, which assists the MMSA with employee benefits related programs. The MMSA is also the entity that distributes payments to local governments to reimburse for personal property tax losses, a service that was transferred last year from the state department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
On Tuesday, Feb. 19, the
Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance
Board of Directors met. In addition to hearing updates from committees ranging from the tourism committee to the Youngish Professionals committee, new business included the acceptance of our June 30, 2018 financial audit, approval of a new electronic voting policy, and the engagement of Blu Fish Consulting from Marshall to help with MAEDA branding guidelines.
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From the Board of Commissioners
At this week's Board of Commissioners meeting, the board approved the
Northeast Marshall Neighborhood Improvement Authority's Development and Tax Increment Financing Plan
, which will provide for public improvements for residential development projects planned within the City. The financing would then be partially paid back over time by a 65 percent tax capture from the County on just the increased taxable value from the new development. Tom Tarkiewicz and Jon Bartlett provided
this presentation
. For more information about how this effort impacts the County, please read
Kelli Scott's update
from the Feb. 7 Board of Commissioners Meeting.
One item of new business was the approval of a new
State recycling infrastructure grant
. This grant will allow the County parks to have recycling containers available for the public to use for free, and disposal will be managed on an ongoing basis thanks to the grant. The grant application includes interesting information about the success of the County's recycling program. For instance, at the staffed recycling centers in Albion and Marshall, 50.78 tons of Old Corrugated Cardboard was collected in 2018. At the landfill, 279 cars visited in the month of December 2018, with 251 of those coming from the zip code 49224.
In other new business, the Board:
- Approved the 2019 remonumentation contracts with six surveyors and the required County Representative for the program
- Awarded a cold patch materials bid for the Road Departments within both Calhoun and Jackson Counties
- Approved a parking lot repair bid award, which will allow for repairs and resurfacing of lots at all of the county-owned buildings within 2019, as planned within our Capital Improvement Program budget
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Battle Creek boil water advisory
The boil water advisory in the City of Battle Creek was lifted around 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 20. The advisory was a precautionary measure after a contractor struck a water main near the city's Verona Pumping Station, which could allow contamination to enter the water system. After numerous tests, no bacteria was present in the water system and customers can use tap water again.
Read the City's press release
, which includes information about water discoloration.
The County's Public Health Department, which works directly with restaurants and other food establishments, assisted with the implementation of the Emergency Action Plan that all restaurants receive. With the ending of the advisory, the CCPHD is assisting restaurants with recovering and re-opening.
The incident temporarily impacted operations within the County's Justice Center and Toeller Building in Battle Creek but no office closures were necessary and we are thankful that the incident was addressed as quickly as it was.
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