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Board approves drain resolution, budget fixes and equipment purchases in roll-call votes
Summary
At its regular meeting, the Gratiot County Board of Commissioners approved a series of resolutions, budget amendments and procurement contracts including a full-faith-and-credit resolution for an intercounty drain, a prepayment of a drain assessment, a veterans budget increase, sheriff’s camera and drone purchases, and airport contracts.
Gratiot County commissioners approved a series of resolutions, budget adjustments and contracts during a regular meeting, acting by motion and roll call on all items.
The board voted unanimously to adopt a full-faith-and-credit resolution and to allow prepayment of assessments for the Bittinger (intercounty) drain, approved a one-year renewal for the Friend of the Court contract with MGT Impact Solutions, increased the veterans affairs budget by $8,850, authorized sheriff’s office purchases of in-car and body cameras and cloud services, and approved an unmanned drone purchase for the sheriff’s office. Airport-related approvals included a $35,000 seasonal snow‑removal agreement, a $10,775 mowing agreement (reducible by $1,300 if the airport buys replacement mowers), an updated airport manager contract at $32,400 annually (retroactive to the start of the fiscal year), and one-year farm-lease agreements for airport property.
Why it matters: The actions allocate county funds, update operational contracts and approve capital purchases that affect public safety operations, airport maintenance and infrastructure financing. Several items were routine or budgeted, but several — notably the sheriff’s camera system and drone and the airport manager’s retroactive pay — drew extended discussion beforehand and commit county money in the current fiscal year.
Votes and key details (motions, movers/second, outcome):
- Resolution 25-332 (full faith and credit for Bittinger intercounty drain): moved by Commissioner Steve, seconded by Jan; roll-call vote: unanimous; outcome: approved. (Board also approved a related prepayment of the Bittinger assessment totaling $35,112; motion moved by Steve, seconded by Jan; roll-call unanimous.)
- Master Service Agreement (Friend of the Court) with MGT Impact Solutions: one‑year renewal; annual contract increase described as about $400 (year total mentioned at $6,000); motion moved by Steve, seconded by George; voice vote: aye; outcome: approved.
- Veterans Affairs budget amendment: moved by George, seconded by Jan; motion to increase the veterans office budget by $8,850 to cover a state grant shortfall; voice vote: aye; outcome: approved.
- Sheriff’s office body/in-car camera and cloud storage contract (vendor: GTech/GTAC depending on packet wording): quoted in presentation as roughly $259,339 total (device, cloud and installation); motion moved by Steve, seconded by Tim; voice/roll-call procedure followed; outcome: approved (budgeted item).
- Sheriff drone purchase (DJI Matrice package): $12,462.17; motion moved by Steve, seconded by Tim; roll-call vote: unanimous; outcome: approved.
- Indigent defense fund budget adjustment (resolution 25-331): board approved a budget adjustment to cover a temporary deficit in the county’s indigent defense fund; motion moved by George, seconded by Jan; roll-call: unanimous; outcome: approved. (The transcript records a requested adjustment of roughly $204,519.)
Airport votes (taken in the airport meeting but approved by the board):
- Snow‑removal contract with 3 Point Aviation: $35,000 season (five installments); moved by George, seconded by Jan; roll-call: unanimous; approved.
- Mowing contract (airport): $10,775 per season, to be reduced by $1,300 per year if the county purchases replacement mowers; moved by George, seconded by Jan; voice vote: aye; approved.
- Airport manager contract: $32,400 per year, payable monthly at $2,700, retroactive to the start of the fiscal year; moved by George, seconded by Jan; roll-call unanimous; approved.
- Farm leases (airport land): short-term (one-year) agreements approved to allow budgeting and a future public bid: Stone Fence Organics (25 acres at $49/acre; $6,125) and Grafton Farms (approx. 86 acres at $35/acre; $3,010); motions moved by George, seconded by Tim; voice votes: aye; approved.
Process notes: Most motions were moved and seconded by commissioners identified in the meeting as Steve and Jan (and others) and carried on roll call or voice vote with no recorded dissent. Items described as budgeted (for example the sheriff’s equipment package and some airport items) were noted in commissioners’ remarks.
Ending: The board adjourned the regular meeting after approving the bills and the items listed above; the board scheduled an informational meeting to hear a Michigan State University expert about battery storage systems.
