County Commission

Four reappointments to the St. Joseph County Planning Commission were made by the county commission last week. Returning to the planning commission to serve three-year terms are Gregg Dohm of Sturgis, Three Rivers-area residents Robert Horton and Rick Shaffer, and county commission board representative Kathy Pangle, a Mendon resident. Their terms begin Jan. 1.

St. Joseph County’s board of commissioners Tuesday approved a resolution calling for a hiring freeze. The mandate affects general-fund positions and takes effect immediately, according to commission chairman Allen Balog. He said it will remain in place as long as necessary and will be reviewed for continuation annually during the board’s budget process. In addition, the county is offering for …

St. Joseph County Administrator Pat Yoder ended his career Tuesday on a high note, receiving numerous accolades from members of the county commission. The 67-year-old Yoder announced three months ago he would be retiring at the end of 2017. Instead, Tuesday was his last day and consequently his final county commission meeting, as well. Yoder conceded he was intentionally tight-lipped …

The task of converting the former Three Rivers Inn from a hotel to senior housing and Commission On Aging headquarters is progressing well. Tim Stoll, COA director, addressed county commissioners Tuesday with an update on the plan. Stoll said assessments regarding the building and its potential re-design are ongoing. Stoll said the COA is working on a community-wide meeting for …

St. Joseph County’s board of commissioners voted Tuesday to oppose the passage and enactment of a measure recently fielded by the State Senate. The target of the unanimous opposition was Bill 386, which centered on the process for collecting delinquent property taxes. It passed before the Senate – and included the endorsement of State Sen. John Proos – earlier this …

The law firm representing St. Joseph County’s board of commissioners has filed a complaint for declaratory judgment against the city of Three Rivers. Troy-based Abbott Nicholson filed the paperwork Monday in St. Joseph County Circuit Court. The issue centers on the current validity of a contract between the county and the city, and whether Three Rivers has breached its terms …

Nominations and appointments involving a total of 12 people were made by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners this week. Deb Davis, Joe Heivilin, Al Balog, Barb Fisher, Charles Thompson and Jim MacTavish were nominated to the Commission on Aging Board. Commissioners appointed Cathi Abbs and Kay Decker to the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Board. Richard Anderson …

St. Joseph County’s board of commissioners appears to be in store for a short meeting this evening. The only item of new business is the potential appointment of Theodore Brown as deputy medical examiner. Other items on the agenda include board nominations and appointments to Commission on Aging, Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse, the county Planning Commission, Workforce Development …

Members of the Constantine Village Council earlier this month adopted a statement on civility. The statement was originally approved by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. The statement was drafted by Bob Wertkins, a professor at Western Michigan University, and was amended by public policy committees from both the Sturgis and Three Rivers chambers of commerce to make it …

St. Joseph County Commissioners have agreed to revert to an earlier start time for their twice-a-month meetings. During Tuesday’s meeting, the decision was made to move the 6 p.m. start time to 5 o’clock. The 6 p.m. time was established in January in an attempt to gauge whether the later start time would encourage greater public participation. Board chairman Allen …