County Commission

Approval was given last week by county commissioners to Westside Recycling and Disposal to allow drop-off of e-waste items on Saturdays. The action took place during last week’s county commission meeting. No budget amendment was necessary but the action appeared before commissioners because the matter was a change to the contract between the two parties. According to the amended agreement, …

A month after supporting a tentative agreement, St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners made official its agreements with nine county unions. Commissioners approved the three-year proposals, which had already been ratified by the respective unions. In all, the nine unions represent more than 100 employees; nearly two-thirds of whom work for the sheriff’s department. County administrator Teresa Doehring noted that …

St. Joseph County’s board of commissioners is expected to approve a budget of nearly $18 million for its 2019 fiscal year. The preliminary budget was at the center of a public hearing during Tuesday’s final county commission meeting of the year. Officially $17,949,839, the proposed 2019 budget represents a 5 percent decrease from the county’s 2018 amended budget of nearly …

E-911 Central Dispatch will soon have a new communications tower toward the south end of the county. St. Joseph County commissioners this week approved a request from agency director Dennis Brandenburg to enter into a land-lease agreement with the St. Joseph County Conservation and Sportsman’s Club. Brandenburg said central dispatch would like to erect the tower and access drive on …

Reappointments to three different panels were made Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Sturgis-area resident Tracey Parker will serve three more years as an at-large representative on the Animal Control Advisory Board, along with Cathi Abbs of Sturgis. Abbs also will serve in the capacity of at-large member. The nine-member board still has one vacancy to fill. …

An unprecedented run ended Tuesday, as St. Joseph County commissioner John Dobberteen attended his last meeting as an elected member of the board. His 20-year tenure on the county board is believed to be the longest in the county’s history. It will officially end Dec. 31, but Tuesday was the board’s final meeting of 2018. A 59-year-old Sturgis resident, Dobberteen …

A number of people were reappointed to various boards and committees following action Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Linda Leensvaart was reappointed to a two-year term to the county’s 911 Advisory Board. Her term will expire at the end of 2020. Meanwhile, Three Rivers-area resident Eric Shafer was reappointed to a three-year term to the St. …

Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners this week reluctantly accepted a grant from Michigan’s Indigent Defense Commission. During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners approved a motion netting the county $266,000 from the state source. The discontent came from the fact the county is obliged to satisfy terms of the agreement, which amounts to $414,000. The grant is retroactive to …

Thirteen employees were recognized Tuesday for their milestone years of service to St. Joseph County. County commissioners staged their annual recognition ceremony, which was capped by an emotional tribute to sheriff Brad Balk by commission chairman Dennis Allen. The recipients were 10-year honorees Betty Persons, Commission On Aging senior center coordinator; Tim Hochstetler, building and grounds director; and Joseph Bingaman, …

Three grants were renewed for another year following approval last week by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. The first was a state grant for $173,000 to Community Corrections for a variety of programs and administration-related expenses. Next, commissioners OK’d an agreement making Emergency Management eligible for any number of grants in the 2019 fiscal year. The action is …