County Commission

St. Joseph County commissioners appear open to the idea of requesting the deed on a property being considered for senior housing and a new Commission On Aging headquarters. In response to a report presented by COA director Tim Stoll during Wednesday’s executive committee meeting, commissioners agreed that pursuing the former Three Rivers Inn hotel would be a worthwhile endeavor. The …

Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners will consider the purchase of a new laptop computer for the prosecutor’s office as one of its five items of new business this evening. Other items before the five-member panel include accepting the sheriff’s department annual report, an employee handbook revision related to ID cards and the purchase of property for …

St. Joseph County’s board of commissioners pledged $140,000 to Southwest Michigan First, more than four months after the agency’s contract with the county expired. Tuesday’s funding agreement ends a lengthy impasse during which county officials not only debated the merits of the economic-development benefits from Southwest Michigan First, but also at a time when they began intensifying their scrutiny on …

Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners appear to have a quick meeting before them this evening. Just one item of new business – the annual equalization report presented by Tony Meyaard and Josh Simmons – appears on the agenda. The meeting takes place at 6 p.m. in the third-floor commissioners’ room at the county courthouse.

Nominations and appointments to different boards were made Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. The Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Board received three new members: John Dobberteen, Don Eaton and Janet Bermingham. Meanwhile, Sturgis resident Tim Carmichael was reappointed. Additionally, the county’s Transportation Authority Board appointees were Allen Balog, Charles Thompson, Bruce Zakrzewski, Connie Stoppenbach, Kelli Tackett, Marvin Schneider and …

St. Joseph County commissioners are prepared to take the unprecedented step of offering funds toward the restoration of what is generally considered the worst road in the county. During Wednesday’s executive committee meeting, commissioners agreed to consider a $50,000 allocation toward improving a six-mile stretch of Constantine Road. Commission chairman Allen Balog said the county board has never provided general-fund …

The debate over the start time for St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meetings will be settled later this year. At the request of Commissioner John Dobberteen, the issue of a 5 p.m. start versus a 6 p.m. call to order will be revisited in June. The new-look county commission – a five-member board that starting Jan. 1 featured three …

The start of county commission meetings from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. has not resulted in greater attendance. Commissioners during their executive committee meeting Wednesday were provided attendance details by board chairman Allen Balog. The commission for years had met at 5 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the month. With three new members joining the five-person board at …

Remodeling the courts building and upgrading the kitchen at the county jail were identified Wednesday as the highest priorities by county commissioners. During a work session following their executive committee meeting, commissioners reviewed five projects that have been on the drawing board for years but are currently in a holding pattern. After an hour of discussion, commissioners agreed the courthouse …

An agreement for services between the St. Joseph County Jail and Covered Bridge Healthcare was approved this week. Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners acted Tuesday on the proposal after a thorough discussion with Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite at last week’s executive committee meeting. Details of the agreement include the employment of a physician to serve as the …