From the Thursday, June 2 Calhoun County Board of Commissioners Meeting
This meeting included a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth, which was newly added as a County holiday and is explained below. On the consent agenda, Commissioners approved the appointment of Sheriff Steve Hinkley to the Summit Pointe Board. Click here for the meeting agenda and video
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In new business, the Board approved,
- the annual administrative services agreements with the Native American Heritage Fund and FireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Board, continuing the support of County Administration for these board to distribute to local governments revenues from the net win amounts from FireKeepers Casino, owned by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi
- 2022 Summer and Winter Property Tax Levy Resolutions
- a bid award for contracted Leroy Township Local Road Improvements
- an MDOT contract for a federally funded project for traffic signal modernization and pavement markings at 6 1/2 Mile Rd and Harper Village Dr in Emmett Township
- an MDOT contract for a federal aid project for road improvements on Michigan Ave and 22 1/2 Mile Rd in Marengo Township
- a bid award for contracted countywide paving in 2022
- updates and additions to county financial policies based on updated federal guidance
- an amended lease agreement for the Public Defender's Office in the Toeller Building
- an amended lease agreement for the Consolidated Dispatch Authority in the Marshall County Building
- a contract for new clinical medical records software for the Public Health Department
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A message from Calhoun County Administrator/Controller Kelli Scott
After years of planning with property owners and the City of Albion and grants from the Michigan DNR, Albion College, and the Kalamazoo River Recreational Foundation, there will be a name unveiling event for the County's newest park located in Albion. The 65-acre park was developed into a trailhead and recreational use area, which formally establishes the intersection of the Iron Belle Trail, the Great Lake to Lake Trail, and the North Country Trail. The property includes 38 acres of restored native prairie habitat, and over 20 acres of woodland habitat.
The name for the park will be revealed at an event beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 4 at the park, which is located at 10750 28 Mile Rd. in Albion. After the unveiling, a 2-mile group walk will take place from the county park trailhead to Victory Park and back. To find out the name after this weekend, check out the Calhoun County Parks Facebook Page.
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Highlights from a few boards, committees, and events:
The Calhoun County Public Safety Information Alliance Board met on May 20. This board oversees the jointly purchased law enforcement records management system, or RMS, shared by the City of Battle Creek, County Sheriff, Emmett Township, City of Marshall, and Kellogg Community College. The RMS Board voted to set the 2022 annual dues for each agency, accepted new members due to staffing changes, and heard updates from the County’s Information Technology staff on the ongoing status of various enhancements to the software.
A Calhoun County Planning Commission meeting was held on Monday, May 23. Communications to the commission included a notice of intent to prepare a master plan from St. Joseph County and a notice of availability for public comment for Jackson County's Master Plan. Membership appointments were discussed, and then the Commission supported a zoning map and ordinance update from Marengo Township.
The FireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Board met on June 2. At this meeting, the Board approved its 2021 audit and the disbursement of Tier I , or administrative, costs. Hearings were held for applications for Tier II funds, which are reimbursement request for actual specific cost increases identified by local municipalities as being related to the operation of the FireKeepers Casino Hotel or the NHBP Tribal Reservation in Athens. The FLRSB approved all requests received totaling approximately $270,000, from Emmett Township, the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office, and the Calhoun County Courts.
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Information about Juneteenth:
The Calhoun County Board of Commissioners recently approved adding Juneteenth (June 19) to the list of recognized holidays. This year, observed on Monday, June 20, County and Court offices will be closed. Public Safety and all emergency response services will continue.
What is Juneteenth?
It was on June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, that Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas and informed enslaved people that they were free. Celebrations took place on that day and annually since to mark the end of slavery in America and celebrate progress of African American people. This day became known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, or Juneteenth. Despite ongoing obstacles toward true emancipation, public Juneteenth celebrations are opportunities to tell positive stories about African American history, celebrate Black soldiers and workers, chart a path forward for their communities, and create an enduring cultural legacy for Black Americans.
Juneteenth is our country’s second independence day. It was primarily celebrated in Texas, long before officially established as a state holiday in 1979. Numerous other states have celebrated, especially after the country’s Great Migration in the early 1900s. Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday in 2021.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture has a dedicated website about Juneteenth. It states that the day is “time to gather as a family, reflect on the past, and look to the futureIt includes a Juneteenth reading list, recipes, and informative Youtube videos. https://nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth
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