[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6510564,"mediaKeyId","5374248-cec386a0c5e04d44db3f7e04b5509e93","parentId",5374248,"title","Committee adopts $3.5M capital improvement priority list; elevators, HVAC, security on early list","audioSeconds",1147,"startMs",6083000,"endMs",7230000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5374248-cec386a0c5e04d44db3f7e04b5509e93&start=6083&end=7230","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5374248-cec386a0c5e04d44db3f7e04b5509e93/thumbnail_6083000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6510564/Eaton-County/Michigan/Committee-adopts-35M-capital-improvement-priority-list-elevators-HVAC-security-on-early-list","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510564-c1b7a62d62064873f0c88e343b4d4141/orig.mp4?Expires=1771208081&Signature=jqJ8iOGfRagGQRzWE7vKSMJjSk8OZHYRIW3A9gFcD3HnapV6U1yuZ~T6gvW9yKfZSoaxzXeS7KOvrvNconjRIlIZ7G78w12Zbi-StH6R9lZrg-1P3P3RyBiRCwtCw3CRzHbypoOR45nRmPf79QJucp-VqkKlRwNeT5MO8O1o8PhLpVl9SPUamBwm8VovyrGZuBWbyNKoVtU1-R4PH0S2ReEhbw6NDHjmMyiGy92a0C0sIPoScRybRL4IurW4gVTBvPa1IVbToRlmk5AaTfhXYkhUd0RrqhyBn7egv~Ml6W7sUBVohGASpKdW8T5TQ7Jhmy5xS1uSi5W1lduX4o5Pjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Eaton County","date","2025-07-12T03:58:53Z","article","The Ways and Means Committee voted to adopt a prioritization list for the first tranche of Eaton County’s capital improvement bond proceeds, roughly $3.5 million available under the current authorization. Chad Powers, capital improvements staff, presented a recommended list of projects and said the county will bid projects competitively.

Top priorities identified for the first three years of funding included repairs to courthouse concrete, drives and sidewalks; modernization of several elevators (the newest county elevator dates from 1993); replacement or modernization of the door monitoring/alarm system; feasibility work on battery backup or generator systems that could integrate with the county’s solar arrays; and replacement of an aging courthouse air‑handler system.

Powers told commissioners that elevator modernization typically replaces the car interior, controls and mechanical systems, and that state elevator code changes anticipated in 2027–28 will require significant upgrades. ‘‘Once we have everything ready to go, then we’ll schedule shutdowns and do them with minimal impact to operations,’’ he said. Powers said bids will be invited so the county can compare contractors and procurement options.

Commissioners asked about scope and grant opportunities. Powers said he would research potential grant funding for elevator or ADA work and coordinate with county staff, including 9‑1‑1, to ensure system compatibility. Several commissioners noted the importance of investing in facilities to reduce future maintenance costs and to maintain operations during outages.

The committee approved a motion to adopt the prioritization list as presented, with the understanding the list can be amended if the county secures supplemental funds or grant opportunities. Committee members also discussed the project timeline and asked staff to prepare rough cost estimates and procurement schedules.

Ending: Staff will prepare estimates and bid packages for early projects and return to the committee with refined costs and timing; the committee retained the option to pursue a second bond tranche at the end of the three‑year period.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","7-11-2025 Ways & Means Committee","oneSentenceSummary","The committee adopted a prioritization list for the first tranche of capital improvement bond funds (approximately $3.5 million) and directed staff to begin planning bidding and project sequencing; priorities include concrete repairs, elevator modernizations, door monitoring (alarm) systems, and feasibility work on backup power and HVAC upgrades.","taxTitle","Eaton County, Michigan","taxId",53092,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6510568,"County reports roughly $6.8M interest reduction from drain financing, outlines homeowner relief plans",416,3718000,4134000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5374248-cec386a0c5e04d44db3f7e04b5509e93&start=3718&end=4134","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5374248-cec386a0c5e04d44db3f7e04b5509e93/thumbnail_3718000.jpg","/articles/6510568/Eaton-County/Michigan/County-reports-roughly-68M-interest-reduction-from-drain-financing-outlines-homeowner-relief-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510568-20f808537c0c631b33c8b17a8926697f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771208081&Signature=jhqYpmpiTHae5MLJkEGeFiQhKtV4VRbbNHO5Go0Rqlsq3Up9MYAIjTfyGkq8f~OJr~R9K9DdvtfC7yxtOKYDUv2oN~Fh2GTqHX2jpPF4Mrl9rHonLu8TRloCUFWQYdquusuh0CD1LiDOADGzQKf-c0ty9oLP5jz4rscf3uHsgoG7M9ZZgWGqDJDenwev0b5LrVihr7IzwCGlt94iLV9ncBQfkzhmn6V5TbQqYsLhoqvDAfh9dTyQg-SiqCQ1SxXNZ9KrOvBPUlNylHsg2eBnGbIh9YNuf~quC6vnllXfkhAREYf-jVibsxrd2ec4d6N808W5pRFIBiRkbtjiScQYmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County staff presented a final analysis of the Bank intercounty drain financing and said several county actions reduced the county’s share of interest and annual payments.

Deputy Administrator/Human Resources Director Ben and finance staff explained the county allocated $3.3 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to the project, secured a state grant of approximately $5.0 million and arranged a county bond offering rather than bonding through the drainage district. Staff said those steps together lowered projected interest on the project by about $6.8 million and reduced the county’s annual payment by roughly $392,000.

Ben and finance staff outlined the components staff attributed to the savings:
- ARPA allocation: $3.3 million applied to the project.
- State grant: $5.0 million secured (staff said about $493,000 of that reduced the county’s assessment directly).
- Direct county bond issuance and shorter amortization period (20 years vs. 30 years) reduced interest costs and shortened payoff, producing estimated savings in interest and annual payments.
- A GIS review and recalculation trimmed the county’s apportionment from a proposed rate above 24 percent to 21 percent, representing a principal decrease on county assessment by roughly $2.0 million.

Staff estimated a total interest reduction of about $6.8 million and a reduction in annual payment of about $392,000; they cautioned these are estimates and that final distributions depend on project costs and any future appropriations.

Homeowner relief and prepaid assessments: Commissioners asked whether future appropriations or grants would benefit homeowners who prepaid assessments. Finance Director Melissa said the county would ask the assessment administrator (Spicer) for a parcel‑level breakdown so that any future appropriation intended to provide relief could be applied proportionally to all owners, including those who prepaid; that approach could require issuing checks to prepaid homeowners.

Construction status and timing: Staff said construction activity in the district is underway. Commissioners expressed sympathy for homeowners facing large assessments and said they would continue to pursue relief from state appropriations if available.

Why it matters: The drain project affects property assessments and household costs in parts of Eaton County. Staff said the county’s financing choices reduced interest and payment load for county taxpayers but acknowledged many homeowners in the drainage district still face significant assessments.

Next steps: Staff will continue to track construction and project costs, work with Spicer to get parcel‑level breakdowns if additional appropriations arrive, and coordinate with state legislative staff on potential relief appropriations.","County staff told commissioners that financing choices, a state grant and an ARPA allocation reduced the Bank intercounty drain project’s interest burden by an estimated $6.8 million and lowered annual payments by roughly $392,000; staff said they are pursuing ways to return appropriations to homeowners who prepaid assessments.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6510573,"Communications director flags 225,000‑user web traffic, proposes county AI and social‑media policies",964,278000,1242000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5374248-cec386a0c5e04d44db3f7e04b5509e93&start=278&end=1242","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5374248-cec386a0c5e04d44db3f7e04b5509e93/thumbnail_278000.jpg","/articles/6510573/Eaton-County/Michigan/Communications-director-flags-225000user-web-traffic-proposes-county-AI-and-socialmedia-policies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510573-cadfbf16861c1e91264072643d4dd126/orig.mp4?Expires=1771208081&Signature=fcld8I-F9hwRduRUKWSAsBEciJdz7VLPnifq6dSG-56vTnq8TBsEaL827~NEDoHh6erydUIdlpm4O5eFUTXUsaIFvm7YH8JYtpPGWQ-7MWBGc1t-YeLAVtHIGQlf3Dk9SZVVccZAk52xtXL6lgJ0GBXwNQA67O2T~0h5qCxVU4UEmULMs7IdX5LYX6Z-JgCOkSsPAUhWpWH8bbY4V0hVZQxtVDamfAXvC1BUGqdA-K6~ImPhN1Pzm-x0LEBSvjopQuofXA2i8G0Cpz2OYN7xh5CXzfBr95c7U72X-tj-k4GdOHL64aXKQGARgnvOvtKcWgUA9JC1x0WzIw4pVhXgeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Logan Bailey, Eaton County’s communications director, told the Ways and Means Committee the county website recorded roughly 225,000 users in the first half of the year, with 63 percent new users and about 20,000 sessions identified as bots. Bailey said site problems such as JavaScript errors and ‘‘quickbacks’’ (users returning immediately after a failed page load) show a need to improve accessibility and mobile usability.

Bailey said he notified the county’s vendor, CivicPlus, about the errors and is pursuing steps to reduce scraping and other suspicious traffic. ‘‘My position is more than a website babysitter,’’ Bailey said, adding that site monitoring, accessibility and transparency must continue whether or not he remains in the role.

Bailey also previewed four policy proposals he will circulate for commissioner review in coming weeks: a county AI use policy, a social‑media policy designed to help with FOIA and record retention, traditional media procedures including designated spokespersons and media‑training guidance, and an advertising policy to govern promotional spending tied to county messaging.

Commissioners questioned how to measure communications impact beyond website analytics. Bailey pointed to newsletter reach, social‑media reach, and traditional media placements as additional metrics and said he is pursuing ways to better quantify those channels. Commissioners also pressed security and vendor questions: Commissioner Barber asked whether the hosting vendor could better identify AI scraping; Bailey said CivicPlus can help diagnose code errors but may be limited in identifying all scraping sources.

Why it matters: County communications affect residents’ ability to find services and pay bills online. Bailey told commissioners that mobile usage is increasing and mobile usability should be a top priority.

Details Bailey provided:
- First half users: about 225,000; 63 percent new users; 37 percent returning users.
- Bot sessions flagged: about 20,000 sessions.
- Quickbacks: 17 percent of sessions, indicating users rapidly leave pages when they cannot find content.

Next steps: Bailey said he will circulate draft policies on AI, social media, traditional media and advertising for committee review in the next month. He will also continue discussions with CivicPlus about site errors and mobile improvements.

Ending: Commissioners thanked Bailey for the report and indicated interest in the forthcoming draft policies and in better measures of communications impact.","Communications Director Logan Bailey reported website analytics showing 225,000 users in the first half of the year, about 20,000 bot sessions, and rising mobile usage, and told commissioners he will bring draft county policies on AI use, social media, traditional media and advertising for review.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6510579,"Ways and Means authorizes Delta contract review, approves pension amortization extension",4996,1408000,6404000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5374248-cec386a0c5e04d44db3f7e04b5509e93&start=1408&end=6404","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5374248-cec386a0c5e04d44db3f7e04b5509e93/thumbnail_1408000.jpg","/articles/6510579/Eaton-County/Michigan/Ways-and-Means-authorizes-Delta-contract-review-approves-pension-amortization-extension","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510579-374b4ea31afcc2fda30c630dabd4660c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771208081&Signature=IzxrsX-lJpNLhm-02SXIaln2vpDSbG96i8hGvPwLITKZIZnMa~EnAiMotx0XG1~wJ9TMobSvd3v6EXQAULk-35bZyrvj1cAtVlyMvCjs2VKmDXaTLRvNM-N~zmaMjeK9RLGbt2w5TxfNUnc1-q8IsZCONa67IWd6y5-IazHpwCInHl~4m2ZqajRhz2JcQz8fv2BAKvcMQnUyyJScBquoncmXMMYwZ-i6gffRTHCgqIiRqFPOPDlwjuaqH10Y5RbsJc3KWbq4tl-wMr7NZJnI7bGoDEkmX4cZgvxVmbWLl2UytMw7ruJrkcdynyIKGX8c-a~Osa-SrQAWcPe9nDre5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Eaton County Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday authorized county administration to review and, if acceptable, finalize a proposed contract with Delta Township and approved an amortization-extension (reamortization) plan for most county pension groups aimed at lowering near-term pension costs.

County Deputy Administrator and Human Resources Director Ben (first name on record) told commissioners the financial projection in staff materials was based on a $2.2 million one‑time injection into the county pension fund. He said Delta Township was then considering a $2.0 million commitment and the county would provide roughly $1.0 million in the scenario staff modeled. ‘‘If we make a $3,000,000 injection today, it will immediately adjust that,’’ Ben said, adding the injection targets sheriff’s office pension groups that support services under the proposed Delta contract.

The committee unanimously approved a motion to send the Delta contract back to county administration for final review and to authorize follow-up steps if the terms presented to the full board are acceptable. Commissioners also passed an action to pursue a five‑year extension to the amortization schedule for eligible pension groups; staff said that change would lower required contributions in the first year by approximately $800,000 under the modeling shown to the committee.

Why it matters: The Delta contract and pension changes are linked. Staff said the contract includes a one‑time contribution and an ongoing administrative fee; a portion of that fee would be set aside for pension funds. That combination, staff said, could reduce the county’s long‑term pension burden and lower the personnel cost of any contracted public safety presence in Delta Township. Commissioners asked how the contract would protect the county if Delta could not meet its commitments; Ben said the contract contains a three‑year provision and other mechanisms to adjust staffing levels if funding falls short.

Key details from staff presentations:
- The MERS (Municipal Employees’ Retirement System of Michigan) valuation in the packet showed a funded ratio of about 60 percent, down marginally from the prior year because of smoothing of prior market losses. Ben described how smoothing spreads losses over multiple years and said additional one‑time funding and amortization changes would change future required contributions.
- Staff said all but three county pension groups qualified for a five‑year amortization extension under the actuaries’ tests used in the report. The proposed implementation date was October 1.
- The Delta contract, as described to the committee, would include a one‑time contribution and a commitment that 5 percent of the contract’s administrative fee would be directed into specified pension groups during the contract term.

What commissioners asked: Commissioners asked how the county would be protected if Delta Township later could not afford the contract and whether planned county positions to support out‑county coverage would remain open if the contract did not proceed. Ben said the agreement contains renegotiation points and a three‑year provision; he also noted that filling deputy positions takes time because of academy and field‑training timelines.

What passed on motions: The committee voted to authorize county administration to evaluate and move forward with the Delta contract if final terms are acceptable, and it voted to move a reamortization (amortization‑extension) proposal to the full board for approval. Both motions passed by voice vote.

Next steps: Staff said a finalized contract would be presented to the full board and then to Delta Township’s board. If the county adopts the amortization extension and receives Delta funding as modeled, staff said the combined effect would be a near‑term reduction in required pension contributions and a lower personnel cost for the sheriff’s office components tied to the contract.

Ending: The committee scheduled full‑board consideration of the contract and the reamortization request next week; commissioners who want to see the final contract were urged to review the packet once it is circulated prior to that meeting.","The Eaton County Ways and Means Committee authorized county administration to proceed with final review of a proposed contract with Delta Township and voted to extend pension amortization for most county retirement groups after staff said the moves would reduce near-term pension costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee adopts $3.5M capital improvement priority list; elevators, HVAC, security on early list

County reports roughly $6.8M interest reduction from drain financing, outlines homeowner relief plans

Communications director flags 225,000‑user web traffic, proposes county AI and social‑media policies

Ways and Means authorizes Delta contract review, approves pension amortization extension