Calhoun County Board of Commissioners Report

From the Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 Calhoun County Board of Commissioners Meeting

At the Jan. 18, 2024 meeting, which was the annual organizational session for 2024, Commissioners voted to reelect Vice Chair Steve Frisbie for the one-year term ending December 31, 2024. On the consent agenda, the Board approved their 2024 Meeting Schedule, Blue Cross Blue Shield Employee Health Insurance Claims Administration Agreement Renewal Documents, and revisions to Policy #340 Employee Benefits (Non-Union).

To view the agenda or meeting recording, visit the Agendas page of the website.

In new business, Commissioners approved:

the appointment of Katherine (Kate) Ambrose as the County’s new Corporation Counsel, beginning Feb. 2
the 2024 agreement for MSU Extension Services
an amended administrative services agreement with the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority
an amended administrative services agreement with the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority
an amended agreement for inmate medical services with YesCare

A message from Calhoun County Administrator/Controller Kelli Scott

Happy Holidays!

This time of year we celebrate successes from the prior year and highlight exciting projects the community will see during the current year. The Jan.19 Battle Creek Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Business Community event and an upcoming episode of our podcast “Inside Calhoun County” with Richard Piet will feature things to look forward to from the County, a provided by our courts, elected officials and department heads. Additionally on Feb. 2, I'll be joining leadership from each city in the County for the State of the Community presentation at the Kool Family Center in Battle Creek.

Some of the major initiatives we’re talking about can also be seen on Facebook and other channels. Have you seen the photos of the construction on the Youth Center? Construction began in 2023 and will be complete in late 2024. Follow along on this page on the Youth Center's website.

An exciting facilities project that's now complete is the installation of solar panels on County buildings. Our partner Veregy shared drone photos of the Toeller Building and Justice Center now topped off with solar panels that are already generating energy to power the buildings, increasing energy efficiencies and saving the County significant electricity costs for years to come.

Another share this week from the Sheriff’s Office was the announcement of the new Special Deputy K9 dog Nico. After the retirement of K9 Rocket in 2023, this new member of the Sheriff’s family will carry the torch in explosives detection and suspect tracking. We're proud to welcome K9 Nico to the team.

Please follow along by listening to the podcast or joining us at the State of the Community on Feb. 2 for more about what to expect in 2024.

The Senior Millage Allocation Committee (SMAC) met on Friday, Jan. 5. SMAC members heard from Communications Director Lucy Blair about the broadband initiative and potential for a marketing plan for the Senior Services Office. Then in new business, the Committee approved a mini grant for the Lee Township’s Tuesday Senior Social events.

A Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Committee meeting took place on Wednesday, Jan. 10. At this meeting, the Committee discussed recommendations for new members to the Committee, as well as a summary of the 2023 WMU scholarship endowment. Three applications for Veterans Relief Funds were approved totaling $2,069.12.

A Calhoun County Broadband Task Force meeting took place on Tuesday, Jan. 16. This was the first quarterly meeting of 2024. At this meeting, County staff shared information about the upcoming state map challenges that homeowners can participate in to determine whether they are actually receiving broadband service at adequate speeds, which is 100/20 (download/upload) megabits per second (Mbps) according to the latest guidelines being used to determine expansion funding eligibility. More information will be released about this when the challenge process is confirmed by the state. Then, homeowners especially in rural areas will be asked to engage on whether they have had trouble receiving reliable internet service in order to firm up our data as we prepare for the next grant opportunity.

Inside Calhoun County Podcast

Hear from Treasurer Brian Wensauer and Deputy Treasurer Melinda Weaver in the latest episode of the podcast, Inside Calhoun County. Learn more about the numerous responsibilities of the County Treasurer in this 15-minute episode. Subscribe on your favorite podcast service or find all episodes at calhouncountymi.gov/podcast or or

Questions or comments? Please contact our Communications Director. If you were forwarded this email, sign up to receive future emails.