Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Everyone, it's Tuesday, September 9th, and I'd like to call the study session to order if I could please. Madame Clerk, could you call the role? Yes, Mr. Chair. Commissioner Bear, present. Commissioner Walls, here. Commissioner Kennedy, here. Commissioner Duckham, Commissioner Pleski, Commissioner Willis here, Commissioner Williams pres. Commissioner Snell here. Chair Shotwell, yes.

Public comment guidelines for each individual. State their name. You will have three minutes to address the board. You may only address the board once under this public comment opportunity and may not yield your time to others. Board members will not debate or answer questions at this time. Any public comment? Seeing none, moving on to the amendments of the August 5th study session. Entertain a motion.

I have a motion and I have a support. Any questions, comments, corrections? Seeing or hearing none, all in favor, please say I. I. Those opposed. We have a rare item at this time. We have a consent agenda at study session. This is unfinished business from Tuesday night that we can complete at this time. I'll entertain a motion for the consent agenda.

I have a motion and support. Question. Commissioner Baird. I would like to pull item B, health department August schools electronic health record contract out of consent so we can consider it separately. Yes, we will. Thank you.

We shall move it to item nine. Oh, I'm sorry. We'll move it to uh I guess we will move it to uh 6B. Be the safest location for it. We'll deal with it there. Any other items for removal? Madam clerk, could you call the role? Yes, Mr. Chair.

Commissioner Walls. Yes. Commissioner Kennedy. Yes. Commissioner. Ha. Sorry. Commissioner Willis. Yes. Commissioner Williams. Yes. Commissioner Snell. Yes. Chair Shaw. Yes. Can I vote? Commissioner Bear? Yes. Motion passes.

Thank you. We're at item 6A 2026 27 budget presentation and public hearing. agree. Okay. Um so I am here to um present our proposed budget for the 26 27 year. Um just um just before we get started just a little things I just kind of want to remind you. Um this presentation is presented at a very high level. Um and it's intentionally just done for presentation purposes. If there's anything within the budget presentation that you want detail on, please contact the administrator's office, we'll get that for you. Um, so I want to I want everyone to feel comfortable with what you're seeing and what we're presenting and and if you have any questions, I want to make sure that they're all answered. So move so we go on to um on slide two, our strategic priorities. This is um the key performance areas that we based our budget on. It's kind of like our framework and and um and then on page three the general fund expenditure history. So we have actual expenditures presented from 2018 to 2024 and then we have our budgeted expenditures from 25 to 27. One thing I just want to bring out uh point out is that we only we have a 2 and a half% increase from 25 to 26 um for this budget. And then

and then on page four on our 2626 revenues. So our general fund budget we're at 53 million um close to 54 million. Um the taxes is our largest revenue source at 62%. Um and this is expected. Um it's been this this way for u multiple budget years. Um there any questions on this page at all before I move on? All right. So on the next page on our expenditures type, um our wages and benefits are at 54%. Um and again these percentages are very similar to prior year's budgets also. There hasn't been a major deviation from the um expenditures by type. Any questions on this slide at all?

Commissioner Bear. Thank you, Chairman. Um our reserves where does I don't see our reserves itemized in either the uh revenues or the expenses. Our reserves are on our balance sheet. So the re reserves do not show up in revenues and expenditures. They're on our balance sheet. The re the reserves appear where? They're on our balance sheet. The reserves are not in our revenues and expenditures.

Can I Can we have a that balance sheet posted so I can get a copy of it or the citizens can get a copy of it? Sure, we can do that. Basically what I can show you is what our reserves were at beginning and then what our reserves are expected to be. Okay. Can you also tell me how often is money put into or taken out of the reserve account?

It's at the year end whenever we're done with a year end. So um if our if we had more revenues than expenditures, our reserves would increase. If our expenditures were higher than our revenues, then our res reserves would decrease. So it's a closing account on the balance sheet. So it's suggested once a year. Yes. Yes. Okay. Then can you tell me what it is today? 11 millionish, 12 millionish, something like that. 11 million. Yeah, 11 12 million something. Thank you. Right off the top of my head, but that's in that ballpark. Okay.

On the next slide, there's a couple of slides that will actually show where we're expecting to be at at the end of 26 that I'll show you. Okay. Thank you, sir. Just one quick question for you. Could you give me uh an example, maybe one or two examples of what other expenses might be? I'm happy to. So we have mileage, travel, professional development, maintenance, utilities, things like that.

Okay. So on page six, we had just another way of looking at the um expenditures and looking at a stacked line um bar graph. Um again our increase is two and a half percent and as you can see the um categories are very similar to each other in the amount of the percentages of the budget. And then on on slide seven we kind of look at at the expenditures by group. The largest one being public safety at 28%. And again, these percentages by group are very similar or exactly the same percentages as they were in the prior years. There's very little deviation between how much the budget is designated to a certain group. And then the next few slides kind of breaks down who which departments are within the uh for example on page eight, these departments are within the public safety department. Slide nine lists the general government.

Mr.

Thank you, chairman. Page seven, the pie chart shows the public safety at 28% of the budget. page 16. By far, the public safety budget is greater than any other budget. To me, it's difficult for me to correlate page 16 and page seven on the size of the public safety budget. It looks like it's much greater than 28%. Um, I haven't added up all the other dollar amounts because there's no specific dollar amounts listed. Um, so I'm just a little confused between those two.

Well, public safety on the PI chart is at $15 million. the line grow at 15.2. So on the on page on 16, it's at 15.2. And then this is actually too if you also think about it, the on page 16, we're breaking out all the individual departments on here and and then but on by the group, we have those individual departments within a group. And you're not you're not wrong in the sense of public safety, we have it as one total. We did not on the on the on the on p on the graph on 16, we didn't break out public safety by sheriff, jail, road patrol like we did the other departments. And I guess to be consistent, we could have done that, but it just for presentation purposes, it just was just easier to kind of grump this public safety together. But that's the difference.

Okay. So then on page 10 is is a breakdown of the judicial. And then 11, board commissioners, you're less than 1% of our budget. Social services will be our medical examiner and veterans is 2%. And then the other is appropriation and non-departmental type expenditures. And then retired benefits. So we get to page 14. This is the detail of the general fund. All the different departments of the general fund. Revenue on one side and expenditures on the other side. And then page two, there is a total that shows you based on the actual and different budgets of the general fund expenditures. Are there any questions on these two pages? All right, Commissioner Bear. Thank you, Chairman. Remember in last year's budget graphs, there was about four or five pages of breakdown from different different specific funds. Uh there were building improvement funds, uh jail maintenance fund, and all those that five pages of funds. Um I don't see in here. We might get you giving us that later.

Yeah, probably. Yes. I'm going to I'm going to explain how they all work together at the different graphs. Yes. And when will we get that? In a couple of slides. In a couple of slides. Thank you.

Yep. So on page 17 shows our organizational chart. Um this budget is built with 686.16 FTEES. And then page 18, um Tony, this is what I was also mentioning earlier. This kind of tells you where our budget is leaving us. Um the board policy requires our be eight our 18 to 24% of prior year annual expenditures. Um so that's kind of gives you the range. So our projected fund balance at the end of 26 is 11.5 million or 23%. is what we're projecting it to be. Okay. So, if we go ahead and go to page 20, Tony, this is I think maybe what you're referring to. The this is also this is all listing all of our different funds. This is actually the expenditure side. Um, as you can see, fund 101, the general fund is the first one. Those numbers there will tie back out to slide 15 in total.

Do you see that? I just want to make sure before we move forward. Yes. I'm looking at page 20. Okay. So 20 it says 101 general fund. Mhm. It has the expenditures there at the top. Those are the totals that actually match page 15 for the general fund. Yes, I I didn't bring my packet from last year. it it would work the same way from last year.

But I definitely remember there were two pages of different funds that were revenues, three or more pages of funds that were expenditures. And the one fund that I remember from last year was the uh jail maintenance fund. And I don't see that here anywhere. I guess I would need to see what you're referring to from last year because I'm presenting the same information in the same format as last year. So, I would be I'd be interested to see that. If you could send that to the administrator's office, what you're what you're referring to from last year, I'd be happy to answer your questions. Okay. I I still have those copies. I'll pull them. Perfect. That's perfect.

Thank you. Okay. So on page 20 again, this is all of the different funds starting with the general fund. We've kind of already went through the detail and the different ways of presenting the numbers and then the rest of it goes from all the other different funds that have budgets. Go ahead, Corey. I think this is more for the administrator looking at 27. We're anticipating that much of a drop in uh going to roads. It's going it's going from 26 of 44 million down to 31 million and some change in 27. I'd be happy to help you.

Okay. Okay. Um so for 27 with our road department, they don't have they don't know what to expect for federal aid yet for 27. So all they're doing for 27 is just projecting what they know. It's very possible definitely when summer comes around this time they'll know more information and that's whenever their budget will be u more accurate for what will happen in 27. It's just unknown. So in layman's terms there's probably some money out there we're just not going to account for because we don't know for sure exactly. Okay. It's the federal dollar. It's the federal aid.

Yeah. They haven't released Okay. Thank you. The other thing also that comes into play in JC Dot is the fact that we're going to be complete with Blackman. Is that correct? Yes. This year. So, yeah. So, the other thing is you've got that reduction also, unless another township steps up and wants their roads done.

All right. Um if there are any questions on page 20, we can move on and look at the on page 21 shows the detail of um JC DOT. And let's just see if we were Yeah. Um so if you look on if you look at um federal, this is their revenues here and see for 26 we have 10 10.8 million and they're only putting 1.2 million right now because that they really just don't know. and just looking comparing 26 to 27. That's the biggest difference. And then the next page is there is JC Dots expenditures broken down by different line items. And then 23A we have our capital budgets. Um let's go over here. So on our on 25 it kind of breaks down the different things. So in our public improvement fund um lists the different projects they're expecting to come out of the public improvement fund and then that we have the technology equipment fund 850,000 there and then transportation fund is budgeting some equipment for the next year for 26. Any questions on this at all? Okay. And then 26 is our um the different mill rate report um the tax rate requests that we're using to base our budget off of and 27. Thank you. So any other questions?

On page 25, every one of these capital projects listed are millillage funded.

Um, no. Uh, let's see here. Let me look. Um, the sheriff vehicles are not GIS. So, she the sheriff vehicles, GIS, NIT, those are general fund dollars. Um, let's see here. And then transportation of course would not be mulled dollars. So the parks and um department on aging would be and then if you on page 24 Tony it kind of shows you also where the which where it's coming from the revenue sources. So we have department on aging millillage and parks millillage are the only millillage is using capital Okay, thank you.

Okay,

further questions,

any public comment?

Am I correct? This is the public hearing part still. It's the public hearing part of the budget. Well, since I seen it more public, I think it's important just that somebody says something on record. Um, uh, this is the first I've seen of this. Um, and I'm pretty happy with things. Uh, I guess I'll start by saying, you know, everybody knows that there's a lot of things going on. Grab the mic. It'll pick you up.

Oh, okay. As I mess with it. Um, everybody knows that there's a lot of chaos going on in the world and a lot of uncertainty, whether it be in the country or internationally. Um, and I always think that that's an opportunity. Um, I don't know why, but I've always thrived in chaos. Um, and when we're talking about capital, capital doesn't go away. Wealth looks for a place to land. wealth looks for a place to grow and be safe while the other places burn to the ground. Um Michigan and Jackson County is so primed for the future because not just because of our you know the fresh water that we have which is going to be a a very important commodity commodity in the future but we have a lot of agriculture land that equates to food which is going to be become in the future and then it becomes lifestyle and quality of life. So, I'm glad that that was in the um the key uh areas. So, back to Capitol wants a place to land. Um if everybody's familiar with what Columbia Township has been doing, the word is that we've built 75 homes in the last year. I think it's a little bit more than that. Plus, we've grown out of businesses. Um in the city of Jackson, the MLK corridor is improving. Um, Blackman Township, Leone Township has grown in the last couple of years. And speaking of that, it usually does take two years to see any kind of an e economic impact. So these houses being built, the taxes are going to be paid on them next year. And then that's going to be a continuation. It's going to just grow our tax base. We are very, very healthy. Those people are even going to bring their kids and those kids are going to be going to those schools. And now schools are going to have a little bit of uh foundation for some more funding. Um, so my point to that was I'm I personally

and I think us as a a Jackson County, we need to be very open and flexible to the budget and how things are going to have to be spent. And I don't like the adage it takes you have to spend money to make money, but that's almost what it's going to take. We we are going to have to have the people to support the people that we want to grow this community over the next five years. Um um I guess I've kind of said everything that that I want to say other than um I think the the drain commissioner um I haven't spent a whole lot of time with him, but over the last couple years I've tried to get to a few meetings with him and see how he operates and he I think he's a very smart man and he goes up against some very powerful entities who have a lot of accountants and lawyers. um and he does a great job, but uh I would just like to give him a little bit more support. Um oh, and and speaking of that, because uh um and I'm kind of going to skip a little bit, but I'm on the region 2 planning commission and for the last couple of years, we've we've been trying to promote outdoor recreation and and that being Michigan and Jackson's strong point. Uh, and having said that, I've kind of whispered to some people, we need to be taking ads out in places like California and New York, um, in LA or Manhattan and say, "Come to Jackson County, Michigan, and start showing things." But anyway, I digress. So, uh, I guess lastly I'll say is, um, because Commissioner Commissioner Snell and I was together, I can't remember if it was yesterday or the day before, but I suggested, um, just because I love I love doing things like this. I said, you know, we ought to tabletop a emergency exercise where if all departments had to cut their budgets by 25%, what would happen?

And we just kind of kicked it around. So, the reason I'm even saying that is because I like the way that uh the 27 um federal projections are are numbered like that because it's it's better to prepare for the worst and know you're probably going to get something more than that. But, and I will leave it there. So, thanks everybody. Oh, James Minn, Columbia Township. Sorry. Any commissioner comments? The uh budget presentation and public hearing are now closed. We're going to move on with administrator controller. You'll please take item 6B, health department, August schools electronic health record question system contract. Tony Bear, you had a question.

Yes. Thank you. the uh the cover letter from the health department. It's $55,200 and it's funded, it appears totally through the child and adolescent healthc care renovation allocation. But when I look at the attachment or the additional documents from the August schools Concord community well school wellness program there there's no group of numbers on this attached document that I can make add up to that 55,200. Is this the correct document? the cost estimate for this.

Yeah. Are you looking at the invoice that was attached? Yes.

Yes. So, we entered into a contract initially, a one-year contract this past April um just to ensure that the platform was something that would be usable and successful for the um the ladies out at Concord Schools. So, what you're looking at is that contract, that one-year contract we entered in into April, it was 17,000 um 17,000 and some change. And then we're hoping to extend that contract by five years using the renovation funds. So, that will start next April and then go for five years. So the costs from Concord school company or whatever this is, those costs that total up to this 55,200 uh are going to be a different scope of work than this.

No, it's the same. The invoice, the one that you're looking at was an invoice for the first year, which was 17,000. The 55,000 will be an additional five years under that electronic record. Um, and it's a 20% discount. So, that could be where you're seeing some disgruntles. Okay. Does that make sense? Thank you. Okay. Further questions. Make a motion to approve. I have a motion to approve and I have a support. Any further questions? Hearing none. All in favor?

I. Those opposed? Duly carried. Moved by Beard, supported by Kennedy. Item 7A, CDGB, presentation and resolution 925 21.

Good morning everyone. I'm Debbie Kelly. I'm the vice president at Accelerate Jackson County. And on behalf of the county as well as AJC, um I have um I'm pleased to present the CDBG application for the homeowner rehabilitation as well as the application supplement for your review this morning and ultimately your approval. Um, a second part that goes handinhand with the application is the authorizing resolution which is also included in your packet this morning as well as including the public hearing documentation from July 22nd. You'll recall that meeting. Um, so those are all in your packet this morning, but basically what I kind of want to review with everyone um the role of Jackson County. Your role this morning is of course to review and comment on the final draft that you have before you. If there's any questions, concern, changes that we need to make before we have the county administrator sign it, which um we can do after this morning. Um the grant application is due September 17th, so we have a little wiggle room to make any changes if necessary. Um and then ultimately we'll apply for the grant. Um, the county will conduct the RFP process to select the third-party administrator. And I'm very excited that we anticipate and we have our fingers crossed that the community action agency will be selected as our third party administrator. And I'm very pleased and honored to have Miss Toby Barry with me this morning, the executive director of Community Action Agency. Um, and Toby Toby and I um collaborated together along with Mike and Deborah from the administrator's office to make sure we had a really good application to present to you this morning. Um, I do want to address a couple of concerns that I've heard. Um, so on your application supplement, um, on page three, there's a timeline that's

included. This timeline is our best guess for when these things are going to happen. Ultimately, our start date is when the grant starts, which is October 1st of 2025. And then the grant term is a 2-year term, which would end September 30th of 2027. Now, the one concern that I'm aware of is the date that we have for the environmental review conducted by the third party administrator, which the start date is November 1st, end date November 30th. There's really two different levels for the environmental review process. The first one has to be conducted before any funds are released. So, that first tier is kind of like a general countywide picture of the environmental review process. and that when submitted that will then release the funds. So the second part um where it says sites and participants selected which we're anticipating January one. Now keep in mind these aren't set in stone. We have some wiggle room on these. Um that's when the homeowners are selected. Um then um whoever the thirdparty administrator is at that time, they will then do a what's what's called a tier 2 environmental review which is specific to that area where that home is located. Um with that you have the supplement, the application, you have the public hearing documentation, you have the authorizing resolution in front of you this morning. Are there any questions, concerns, changes, feedback?

Commissioner Bear.

Thank you, Chairman. I'll start off with the schedule on page three of the supplement that you were just discussing, the dates. And so the the selection of the sites, selection of the homes to have work done in them, that selection will begin January 1, 2026. But yet the third item, environmental review conducted is supposed to be completed by November 30th, 2025. Well, the environmental review is of the selected sites. So they if you don't select the sites till January of 2026, how can you complete the re environmental review of those sites by November 30, 2025?

Um, as I explained, we it's a two-tier process. So the first step of the environment review it's has to be done to even release the funds before we can select any sites. It's to release the funds. So that it's a two-tier process. So when the sites are selected there'll be that second tier that will be done by the third party administrator with more specific. So the first tier is like a bird's eye view of Jackson County and once we submit that then that releases the funds and then the third party administrator um will be selecting the eligible um grantees and then when they're selected say the home is in Michigan center for example then the tier 2 environmental review will be focused on that homeowner.

Am I explaining that correctly? So the so the Toby come upstairs. The tier one environmental review is an environmental review of the entire Jackson County. Yeah, I'll have Toby explain it.

Good morning. Uh I'm Toby Barry, the CEO of Community Action Agency. The Tier One Environmental covers everything that we can check off for Jackson County, right? We we aren't in a coastal area, so I can check that off. Uh we don't have an aqua fire that we have to check. I can check that off. So, there are certain things in our county that are very specific that we don't have to worry about. Um, while the Grand River is fantastic, it is not a scenic river as posted by the environmental EPA. So, I don't have to worry about wild and scenic rivers, right? So, all of those things can be checked off in your phase one environmental. That then goes to MISTA and they release your funds. The phase two environmental is what we call sight specific. And so once we've identified a site, there are certain things that we have to look at. Uh noise abatement. Is the property next to a um train track? Is that going to be an issue? Are there certain things that we have to do related to that? Um lead. Lead is a big big one. Historic preservation. All of those things are very specific to one site that I can't say every house in Jackson County is not historic, right? I have to do that site by sight. So that's the phase two and that's what happens when someone applies. We go in and do an environmental a phase two environmental on each site site specific versus what we can kind of check off in the phase one. We don't have to worry about that anymore. And so your sightsp specific list is different than your phase one list. And in your phase one list, you will say this particular item will need to be addressed in a phase 2 environmental.

Does that answer your question?

Thank you. That was very helpful. My second question is also rel relative to the community action agency. Um throughout this document, the community action agency or sometimes referred to as the third party reviewer, some parts of the document says that it has the tone that maybe community action agency will be selected. Other parts say, yeah, it's already a done deal. We're selecting community action agency. So the the tenor of of Jackson or community action agency is not consistent through the department. Sometimes it's a well maybe

and other times it's a oh of course for sure sure. So I would just like to see a consistency there. Sure. So that the reviewers of this document, the people that are going to grant this to us, they see a a consistent pattern.

I think the one area where we're identified specifically is related to um client outreach. So regardless of who you select as your thirdparty administrator, Community Action Agency works with the population that this grant affects. And so regardless of who the third party administrator is, we would work with them to identify households that might need assistance because we are also running rehabilitation programs. And so there might be people that we can't assist for whatever reason, but that might be eligible for CDBG. So we would refer them and assist people with their applications, those types of things. That's just the work that we do regardless of who your thirdparty administrator is. I believe that's the only place that we are identified by name. In other places, uh it just says third party administrator and that's basically because we you have to follow that procurement procurement process before you identify who that third party administrator will be. So my response to that is that we will apply once that RFP is out and you all can decide who's the best choice.

Okay. Well, you are mentioned on page three or you are mentioned on page five. I got some other highlights. So, you are mentioned more than once and I certainly hope that you win this RFP. That would be good for our county. So, thank you for the explanation. Further questions? If if I may, um, Commissioner Bear, when we're done, can you point out so I can make sure the language does complement throughout the document. Will you point those areas out to me just so I can make sure? Thank you. Sorry about that. Commissioner Snell,

I'd like to move the approval of the grant application with any changes needed towards CAA's participation. We have a motion and support on the floor. Further questions? Repeat the motion. The uh Commissioner Snell made a motion to approve the TDGB resolution with the modifications that are complimentary to the document to go forward. Thank you. We have a motion and support and support. Any further questions? Commissioner Willis. Just full disclosure, Mr. Chair, I am a board member for Community Action Agency. So once we get that sir,

we have a we're not we're not voting on this yet, sir. Sir, we're just forwarding it to Tuesday night. No, we're not voting on whether to hire CA. We're not voting on whether to hire. We just wanted to be fully close. Yeah. Yes, sir. Yeah. So, you can vote on this. You get to vote on this one. Yes, sir. Further questions or comments? Madam clerk, could you call the role, please? Yes, chair. Commissioner Kennedy, yes. Commissioner Willis, yes. Commissioner Williams, yes. Commissioner Schnell, yes. Commissioner Bayer, is this vote on the resolution? Yes, sir. Yes. Commissioner Walls?

Yes. Chair Shotwell? Yes. Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you, Deb. Absolutely. Thank you. We've arrived at public comment. Each individual will state their name and have two minutes to address the board. You may only address the board once under this public comment opportunity and may not yield your time to others. Board members will not debate nor answer questions at this time. Any public comment? Seeing none, we do not have a close session. Is that correct?

Commissioner comments. Any commissioner comments? Well, I do I'd like to congratulate uh Deborah Kavitzky on her appointment by the Supreme Court uh to the review committee. I really appreciate that and I look forward to uh you representing all of the state of Michigan and the citizens of Jackson County. Thank you. With that, entertain a motion to adjurnn. All in favor? Those opposed? Duly carried.