[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-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],{"_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",6493717,"mediaKeyId","5482845-976429497388ef33bc2661405433c100","parentId",5482845,"title","Barry County Road Commission highlights foam-stabilization win, bridge needs and chip-seal strategy","audioSeconds",1922,"startMs",2250000,"endMs",4172000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5482845-976429497388ef33bc2661405433c100&start=2250&end=4172","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5482845-976429497388ef33bc2661405433c100/thumbnail_2250000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6493717/Barry-County/Michigan/Barry-County-Road-Commission-highlights-foam-stabilization-win-bridge-needs-and-chip-seal-strategy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6493717-17b2089728ce628f7f2a9b638e0686d3/orig.mp4?Expires=1773706419&Signature=G~CFnOp4OdWsgdx-SpzHC4wu4Qe5zFTQxKMUvi1qvMdSJiE8KKh90S6FbvmFThomCb6oBSz63YCmkNUpWIxILuVOzJhp-7dr3Z8t0wBsuQ5bxHXN6NxGGnlK9xeRfZtJS8P8fcPvnARB~bL7sPjSN~IrxPptV8qF8S7QtqK8rkMWWCQq7MGOoX-qlQ~fW3UYG-rA5dlnJ4zCTZ4saaQX-RF1eKn79ELxoPZ7hnS8vrFSmqvyOFT8BEK0ySiV4iHFUA-bge8ZE~DcTWqdqh1S6NSd3A5iy05JO58zy7Lurg7GCq9tWwZiE4neoKvDVgGsr3s1uS22yxbZg0ztph9utw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-25T13:26:19Z","article","Jake Welch, managing director of the Barry County Road Commission, presented the commission's 2024 annual report to the Barry County Board of Commissioners on July 22, summarizing maintenance accomplishments, an innovative stabilization project, and capital needs for bridges and culverts.

Welch described a foam-stabilization repair on Green Lake Road that replaced a previously projected $1.3 million structural fix with an in-place test using compressible foam piers. \"We drilled holes down into the bottom of the muck, filled that with compressible foam, and basically built that road up on foam piers,\" Welch said, adding the technique cost about $100,000 and has held up for more than a year.

Welch outlined other 2024 highlights: the road commission placed about 65,000 cubic yards of township gravel during its gravel year; performed roughly 69 miles of crack sealing and about 174 miles of chip seal; and touched roughly 310 miles of the county's paved roads (the commission said the county maintains about 600 paved miles). He reported the road commission spent about $1.4 million on snow removal in the reporting period.

The road commission said it maintains one of the state's best records for federal-aid eligible roads: 1.8% of those roads are rated \"poor,\" the lowest percentage in the state for the third consecutive year. Welch said bridge work is the commission's top priority should additional state funding become available.

Two bridge projects were identified for 2026: Barger Road over Mud Creek and Quaker Brook Lane over Quaker Brook Creek. Welch said the Quaker Brook Lane replacement will cost about $900,000, of which the road commission's local share is about 20% (roughly $180,000). Commissioners asked about the cost per resident for small crossings; Welch said the commission seeks state and other external funding where possible and noted the commission cannot abandon certain roads without creating access or landlocked parcels.

Welch also said the commission is exploring regional approaches to large bridge funding. \"We're actually working right now with Allegan, Kalamazoo, and Saint Joe Counties to do a regional mini bridge bundle,\" he said, describing efforts to work with the Michigan Infrastructure Office to identify new funding mechanisms after earlier competitive applications were denied.

Commissioners thanked Welch and his staff for maintenance and communications work; several commissioners praised the road commission's responsiveness to snow events and to public inquiries.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board Of Commissioners - 7/22/2025 Part 1 of 2","oneSentenceSummary","The Barry County Road Commission reported a year of steady maintenance, a low percent of poor federal-aid roads, an innovative foam-stabilization repair that saved the county roughly $1.2 million, and planned bridge projects that will rely on state critical-bridge funds.","taxTitle","Barry County, Michigan","taxId",52020,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6493722,"Barry County accepts clean 2024 audit; consent agenda items approved",1547,669000,2216000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5482845-976429497388ef33bc2661405433c100&start=669&end=2216","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5482845-976429497388ef33bc2661405433c100/thumbnail_669000.jpg","/articles/6493722/Barry-County/Michigan/Barry-County-accepts-clean-2024-audit-consent-agenda-items-approved","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6493722-80f53653f3bc703b9706ee6136946f4b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773706419&Signature=N3GRgJii5fp99pXBkvo44NXBdLstgwJdxIFQ8Fjc~08cNs7xmeuv7s5g-2mH9pPSTLS6t~6~NXdCv4Qd95Wt9tHB3Qu3rQ6upJVXFsdf-mxYnoecUUqadJmFhSF0h6qBAAgtSnpEFy7LW6-p0RhYSxKyL3pM4~l6SB9Lhr2KqFZIEEmYZM80uF-21okH0UDbJD-XJ5qR-3V499kNvGKLMyroUSz~ujcaWmvb9mR3HYRpHPS9AzbUzeR-3cON7xJiAqS94JxPHpyqUKRX4I9h6v9j9z4m3ETt8Hy8F3AfF-AsClvWntexI5uUnk1NCI5IVrzBRXC1Z2u5sB5YTtxpDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Barry County Board of Commissioners on July 22 accepted the county's 2024 annual financial audit and approved its consent agenda, including several personnel appointments and contract actions.

Ian Reese, a manager with the firm that audited Barry County, told commissioners the auditors issued an unmodified (\"clean\") opinion on the 2024 financial statements and highlighted the county's key financials. \"In essence, you passed the audit,\" Reese said. He reported the county's assets exceeded liabilities by about $83 million, with roughly $25 million of that unrestricted and available for general use.

The audit shows governmental fund ending balances of about $27 million, including roughly $2.2 million in unassigned general fund balance, which Reese said equates to about 10% of the general fund's annual expenditures. He also reported capital assets of about $55 million and a decrease in long-term debt from roughly $20 million to $17.5 million. Reese noted the county's net pension liability is approximately $21 million and that the county's OPEB position is an asset (about $737,000 in the trust versus roughly $200,000 in theoretical future OPEB obligations).

The board voted, by motion from Commissioner Hatfield and support from Commissioner Bassett, to accept the 2024 Barry County annual financial report. The motion carried on voice vote.

Separately, the board approved a multi-item consent agenda by roll-call vote (motion by Commissioner Toomsen, support by Commissioner Smelker). Items on the consent agenda as read into the record included:
- Approval of the July 8, 2025 board meeting minutes.
- Appointment of 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.
- Renewal of liability, vehicle and physical-damage insurance through the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority for the period July 1, 2025'July 1, 2026, in the amount of $510,963 and authorization for the county representative to sign the agreement.
- Approval of a conservation easement agreement for the Bailey Nature Preserve with the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy and authorization for the chair to sign the agreement.
- Authorization to dispose of listed municipal vehicles by private sale or scrap.
- Appointment of an officer delegate and alternate (named in the minutes) to attend the 2025 Municipal Employees Retirement System meeting in October 2025 at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Michigan, and approval to pay related expenses.
- Appointment of Nicholas Koleski as deputy medical examiner for Barry County, effective immediately.

Clerk roll call recorded the consent-agenda vote as ayes from Bassett, Carlton, Kentville (as read), Hatfield, Smelker, Toomsen and Jackson, with Getty absent; the chair declared the motion approved.

Why it matters: the unmodified audit opinion means state reporting requirements were met and auditors found no material misstatements in the county's financial statements. Commissioners discussed bringing forward a peer-county comparison to provide a quick reference for board discussions about reserves and expenditure patterns.

The board scheduled no additional formal action on the audit beyond acceptance; staff and commissioners indicated they will follow up on benchmarking and peer comparisons.

","The Barry County Board of Commissioners accepted a clean opinion on the county's 2024 financial audit and approved the consent agenda, including an appointment to the Community Mental Health Authority and an insurance renewal.","actionData","errors"]

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Barry County Road Commission highlights foam-stabilization win, bridge needs and chip-seal strategy

Barry County accepts clean 2024 audit; consent agenda items approved