[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-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",[32,74,85,97],{"_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":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6517568,"mediaKeyId","5408854-32dc374675b7283ac9b4f5ff38c2096d","parentId",5408854,"title","Votes at a glance: Committee forwards insurance renewal, conservation easement and several administrative items to full board","audioSeconds",1494,"startMs",2744000,"endMs",4238000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5408854-32dc374675b7283ac9b4f5ff38c2096d&start=2744&end=4238","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5408854-32dc374675b7283ac9b4f5ff38c2096d/thumbnail_2744000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6517568/Barry-County/Michigan/Votes-at-a-glance-Committee-forwards-insurance-renewal-conservation-easement-and-several-administrative-items-to-full-board","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517568-315688783c0153d930df6ae55878f4d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775394955&Signature=Lqnt3WzbVOnOqkNE6QveZct7u0VxevWpxOvC0LCYUqThU~9jLVPgfgGg7YkvgWFohx3CCBP09SvdoIrn~DHcSWW3TPBU~r8cxSNkt4vb~yCO~UvIBdEmUVGEeepaIBIQAVxUTrhD5i94VIEwb6hL9EpVt~~vnJsu~WhyFcIxQwaHy58j~Lf3Qttvhj0AXFddsuEQd2xM07qA8yUWKaH1m-vg8L-ZSpmPdUjd~260OK4LMXCCaFLNpSBKDgdnPqkPIn0TZwBw7mZcIRrUG4nSfzL-SaBMW2S-DuNtsOK~yh0sX4bV-P2iX5wno06DuRme3PNwu5OLAZD9SbL7Mcv5jQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-16T02:15:43Z","article","The Barry County Committee of the Whole on July 15 made multiple recommendations to the full Board of Commissioners. Key motions and outcomes recorded during the meeting included the following.

- Renewal of county insurance coverage with the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority for July 1, 2025–July 1, 2026. The motion (moved by Commissioner Hatfield, supported by Commissioner Getty) to recommend approval and authorize the county’s member representative carried. The agenda motion specified an amount of $510,963; the MMRMA presenter provided a premium figure of $510,009.63 and discussed a member distribution of roughly $210,000.

- Conservation easement for Bailey Nature Preserve with the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. The motion (moved by Commissioner Tennyson/Toonerson, supported by Commissioner Hatfield) recommending approval to sign the easement carried. Staff described carve-outs allowing limited infrastructure (about 50,000 square feet) for trails, a vault toilet, parking and small structures aligned with the parks master plan.

- Disposal of multiple county vehicles by private sale or scrap. The committee (motion by Commissioner Bassett, supported by Commissioner Getty) recommended that the board approve disposal of specified surplus vehicles; staff said the county would advertise private sale and scrap remaining items if unsold.

- Appointment of an officer delegate and alternate to the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) annual meeting. The committee recommended appointing Eric Zuska as officer delegate and Marcia Bassett as officer alternate to attend the October 2025 MERS meeting at Grand Traverse Resort, and approved payment of expenses for the delegate and alternate (motion by Commissioner Hatfield, supported by Commissioner Smelker).

- Appointment of a deputy medical examiner. The committee recommended appointing Dr. Nicholas Kostelecki (transcribed as doctor Nicholas Kalecki/Kalecki in places) as a deputy medical examiner for Barry County; the motion was moved by Commissioner Smelker and supported by Commissioner Hatfield and carried.

- Appointment of Jerry Wilson to the Barry County Community Mental Health Authority Board for a three-year term beginning April 1, 2025. The committee recommended the appointment (motion by Commissioner Bassett, supported by Commissioner Campbell) after interviewing the applicant.

Several motions were carried by voice vote; explicit roll-call tallies were not recorded in the public transcript. Each recommendation will be forwarded to the full Barry County Board of Commissioners for final action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee of the Whole 7/15/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Committee of the Whole recommended several routine and substantive actions to the full Barry County Board of Commissioners, including insurance renewal, a conservation easement on Bailey Nature Preserve and administrative appointments and disposals.","taxTitle","Barry County, Michigan","taxId",52020,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":46,"_47":79,"_49":80,"_51":81,"_53":82,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":83,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":84,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6517573,"Committee recommends appointment of Jerry Wilson to Barry County Community Mental Health board after interview",3203,1035000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5408854-32dc374675b7283ac9b4f5ff38c2096d&start=1035&end=4238","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5408854-32dc374675b7283ac9b4f5ff38c2096d/thumbnail_1035000.jpg","/articles/6517573/Barry-County/Michigan/Committee-recommends-appointment-of-Jerry-Wilson-to-Barry-County-Community-Mental-Health-board-after-interview","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517573-5604ede70f70a2ba2cf2aecc9525fec0/orig.mp4?Expires=1775394955&Signature=dwQWCEdXxf28IJurJ004A8PV4y8ieHBAaoIjiMVx8fY6HHuXsVanyCfJK0w1R6k3x4CbOttaaGU-SC27Xa11fVvKKw7QsIzOL7Pq~Wg9WRAvZxJNHQeKHfBt~JM2vVavSz7ahJ7pRmYhjdti7whS-NJAa-nnloTyBYhoBa5nDU5VMUQL04FcPKlzthkPsgKiJA7srhFqpKmMr5GQeitAi-4lSwNP3dSGpEpq5nJiG5QpCsazwb8Iin5amxcx-8bWbXBSEzquJ-nV95tPv8CcJJfSpNyIyZwOVqR~8iqehFNMaD05XDem7jpdF333bD4puAAr3jvaNdEe-XnMLw3YwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Following a public interview, the Barry County Committee of the Whole voted July 15 to recommend appointing Jerry Wilson to the Barry County Community Mental Health Authority Board for a three-year term beginning April 1, 2025, and expiring March 31, 2028.

Wilson told commissioners he holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in social work and a Ph.D. in higher education administration, and that he has about 45 years of experience in mental health administration. He described forming a mental health foundation in Cass County in 1991 that operates group homes and mental-health facilities and said the foundation owns three group homes, two commercial buildings used for mental-health services and has “assets of about 2 and a half million.”

Commissioners asked about Wilson’s familiarity with current state-level changes in mental-health funding and policy. Wilson said he has been out of direct administration “for a while” and was not current on recent funding mechanism changes, but he emphasized he did not come to the board with a personal agenda and said his intent was to support county mental-health services.

Commissioners generally praised Wilson’s experience. Commissioner Bassett asked about current state issues; Commissioner Colton and others asked about the main challenges in mental-health work; Wilson cited funding, external regulation and public attitudes toward mental illness and substance-use disorders. Commissioner Hatfield asked whether Wilson understood the difference between board policy roles and administrative duties; Wilson said he did.

The motion to appoint Wilson — moved by Commissioner Bassett and supported by Commissioner Campbell — was read into the record and the committee voted in favor. The committee will forward the recommendation to the full Board of Commissioners for final appointment.","After interviewing Jerry Wilson, the committee voted to recommend his appointment to the Barry County Community Mental Health Authority Board for a three-year term starting April 1, 2025.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6517578,"Committee recommends conservation easement on Bailey Nature Preserve with Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy",736,2824000,3560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5408854-32dc374675b7283ac9b4f5ff38c2096d&start=2824&end=3560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5408854-32dc374675b7283ac9b4f5ff38c2096d/thumbnail_2824000.jpg","/articles/6517578/Barry-County/Michigan/Committee-recommends-conservation-easement-on-Bailey-Nature-Preserve-with-Southwest-Michigan-Land-Conservancy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517578-18cdbc0fd846d6397612716d4c7f9426/orig.mp4?Expires=1775394955&Signature=bPJihmQgrWGEmnpQtfmThncaRUQYWfJgFLSSbazd28sK-vd7J8I2NdmZQgjBiyo9uQZti55u2JAR64Yzwt0g1T8IMJNci6AiNmGmxOZxT5DcWJWJoEShbngYXMO0NVLj4-p08-3xjtJnv90tNFi3Pddq5PwNy6FMsIQjHTUd5lDZ4ZNb6oHLwtMtkUu269X6M1hciBJt6vHpKOFRH4~aeyF1ecrBdMhqlsa87L-k0aDSbgR3bIi5aaLHIpAL3WM~f9jFv06FtFCdsvkqEz0gKszoZJ-mBb6Ff1rwIDS0YUJugCb9nSRRPQ4e2wHzh0-24LjiaTertS5VgtI3nhxoMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Barry County commissioners at their July 15 Committee of the Whole meeting voted to recommend that the county sign a conservation easement on the Bailey Nature Preserve with the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy.

Dan Patton, parks staff, described the easement as the culmination of discussions that began during earlier negotiations over ownership of the preserve. Patton said the donor family asked that the property be protected regardless of future public ownership, and the easement is intended to preserve the property’s natural state in perpetuity.

Patton said the easement restricts activities such as logging and construction of ball diamonds or organized athletic fields, but county staff and the conservancy negotiated “carve-outs” to allow limited park infrastructure. He told commissioners the easement allows up to roughly 50,000 square feet of developed area for uses tied to the county’s master plan, for example a vault toilet, parking, trails, small pavilions and docks for nonmotorized boats.

Commissioners asked whether the easement would prevent future changes if the county’s needs evolve. Patton replied that conservation easements run in perpetuity and that the county and Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy had worked to include specific allowances within the easement that would permit the county to maintain and operate the preserve as a passive-recreation park. Patton said county staff worked with the conservancy to ensure the easement aligned with the parks master plan and noted the county had previously accepted the parcel with the donor’s expectation that it be protected.

The motion — moved by Commissioner Tennyson (Toonerson in the meeting record) and supported by Commissioner Hatfield — recommended that the board of commissioners approve signing the conservation easement. The committee voted in favor and the motion carried.

Patton told the board the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy and county parks staff will remain partners on the site and that the donor family has been kept informed and supports the easement and the carve-outs described during the meeting.","The committee voted to recommend that the county sign a conservation easement with the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy to protect the Bailey Nature Preserve in perpetuity, with carve-outs for limited park infrastructure.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6517583,"Barry County committee recommends renewal of county insurance pool coverage; presenter cites modest premium increase and member distribution",984,1813000,2797000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5408854-32dc374675b7283ac9b4f5ff38c2096d&start=1813&end=2797","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5408854-32dc374675b7283ac9b4f5ff38c2096d/thumbnail_1813000.jpg","/articles/6517583/Barry-County/Michigan/Barry-County-committee-recommends-renewal-of-county-insurance-pool-coverage-presenter-cites-modest-premium-increase-and-member-distribution","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517583-618083de333933c0ab16b65329e27760/orig.mp4?Expires=1775394955&Signature=aq7GFOIJ8Ih05~xpZ7OFcfPm0YNFISZXbU9id1vi3HW0y~saJ-c2-vOQg5XbxYhOar5Eu5AGmB8tPs32NascR8SjNRypVyKF~MOIw3OFNfojvmA9dJ9OJ8OXbv9XOwCDFxCxBmKdiVBXd6g9duu-Wn5ZHlH5IdeNqk-kv1N5KajtGoKBGU4gYlIxkPUrvdOnefPKz1Ktpix0z~3gg8bVVTtueMXg9mtALj87rr9JVSDkRif4wfm9h7iYb8-m0wJuBR0tfavam1Ekq~s4EOzJ-U~0W18J~tK0E0EuvzCGMz3dsazRs32Am3PNo23mmWJeWxzxQo6oBQdEjy3Q78RVeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Barry County commissioners at their July 15 Committee of the Whole meeting voted to recommend renewal of the county’s liability, vehicle-physical-damage, property and crime insurance through the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA) for the period July 1, 2025, through July 1, 2026.

Craig Manser of IBEX Insurance, presenting the renewal on behalf of MMRMA, told commissioners the county’s premium rose about 3.8% this year. Manser said the county’s premium increased “from $492,442 to $510,009.63,” an increase he described as “actually pretty good” compared with regional experience.

Manser also described MMRMA’s member distribution process. He told the board the pool returns excess net assets to members after reserving for claims, reinsurance and known liabilities; he described Barry County’s distribution this year as roughly $210,000. Manser said MMRMA earmarks part of its funds for grants and training programs — the Risk Avoidance Program (RAP) and Certification and Accreditation Program (CAP) — and noted the pool recently increased available grant funding to $2.5 million per year.

Commissioners asked for details about underlying values and vehicle counts used in the appraisal. Manser said CBIZ performs appraisals on a rolling five-year basis and applies a geographic factor for value changes; he reported the county’s buildings and contents were listed at $141,669,670 and that the county had 102 vehicles on the schedule. Commissioners asked about vehicle valuation over time and how the pool rates commercial and private-passenger vehicles; Manser explained MMRMA rates on a blanket basis across vehicle classes and that the county’s private passenger vehicles produced an annual premium component of about $13,400.

The motion presented to the committee — moved by Commissioner Hatfield and supported by Commissioner Getty — recommended board approval of the renewal and authorization for the county’s member representative to sign the agreement. The motion language on the agenda specified an amount of $510,963 for the 12-month renewal; the committee voted in favor and the motion carried.

Manser reminded commissioners that MMRMA members elect the pool’s board of directors and that distributions reflect membership length, loss history and premium size. He said Barry County has been a member since 1985 and has a favorable loss record, which contributed to the distribution the presenter described to the board.

The committee’s recommendation goes to the full Barry County Board of Commissioners for final approval.","The committee recommended renewing liability, property and vehicle insurance through the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority for July 1, 2025–July 1, 2026. The presenter described a roughly 3.8% premium increase and said the county would receive a distribution from the pool.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Committee forwards insurance renewal, conservation easement and several administrative items to full board

Committee recommends appointment of Jerry Wilson to Barry County Community Mental Health board after interview

Committee recommends conservation easement on Bailey Nature Preserve with Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

Barry County committee recommends renewal of county insurance pool coverage; presenter cites modest premium increase and member distribution