Berrien County commissioners approve consent calendar, past minutes and move to closed session; committees report grants, wetland credits and road project

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved earlier meeting minutes and the consent calendar, and then voted unanimously to enter a closed session to consult with county counsel under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act exemption, MCL 15.268.

The consent calendar approval and minutes votes were front‑of‑meeting business. Commissioners then heard committee reports that included: a health-department update about reductions in COVID-related federal funding and two grant items the department is pursuing; a proposal to accept 20 acres of wetland mitigation credits (10 acres in Berrien County and 10 in Van Buren County) to create a mitigation bank for local transportation projects; a federally funded Michigan Department of Transportation overlay contract for Cleveland Avenue from Glendora Road to Snow Road; and a near-term plan to equip Berrien County Public Transportation (Berrien Bus) with 800‑megahertz radios pending a state operating agreement.

Votes and immediate outcomes

- Minutes approvals: The board approved minutes from last week and the minutes from Feb. 27, 2025. The Feb. 27 minutes approval was recorded by voice and roll call and accepted without objection.

- Consent calendar: The board approved the consent calendar by roll call.

- Closed session: The board voted to convene a closed session to confer with counsel and review an attorney‑client privileged memorandum exempt from disclosure under MCL 15.268. The motion to enter closed session was moved by Commissioner Vollrath and supported by Commissioner Pitchford; the roll call vote was recorded as affirmative and the board temporarily closed the public Zoom connection with the intention to return to open session and take action afterward.

Committee reports and items discussed

Personnel & Human Services committee — health department grants and beach monitoring: Committee members heard from Guy Miller of the health department that reductions in COVID-era federal funding are ongoing but were characterized as not significant to core operations. The health department reported two grant matters: an application to the Berrien Community Foundation for a maternal/breastfeeding support grant (an amount of $15,000 was cited during the report) intended to support nurse training and certification; and the renewal of State of Michigan beach monitoring funds for Lake Michigan E. coli testing (the beach monitoring funding was described as about $18,000). These grant items were presented for committee consideration during the report.

Administration committee — wetland mitigation credits and Cleveland Avenue project: Road‑department representatives explained a proposal to create a wetland mitigation bank of about 20 acres that local transportation projects could draw against when state or federal rules require mitigation for wetland impacts. Committee members were told the Michigan Wetland Board and local transportation agencies organized the offer; county staff said the arrangement would not cost the road department or the county direct funds and that credits could be used or transferred as needed. Separately, the committee reported a routine MDOT agreement to perform a 2‑inch hot‑patch overlay on Cleveland Avenue (Glendora Road to Snow Road) under federal funding.

Finance and county clerk matters — vital records fees and payables: County Clerk Stacy Laura Porter requested a resolution to raise vital‑records fees, noting fees had not increased since 2011 and that the proposed changes would take effect June 1; the senior‑citizen fee would remain $5. The finance report also listed an auditing/payables report: an auditing period payment request covering April 10–16 for $1,226,961.92 and road‑department vouchers of $232,266, which were presented to the board as part of committee business and funding items on today’s agenda.

Public safety communications — 800‑megahertz radios for Berrien Bus: Dan Fetti reported the county has received funding for 800‑megahertz radios to connect Berrien Bus to the county/state radio system. Staff emphasized the remaining step is a state operating agreement needed to put the radios on the 800 frequency.

Brownfield and economic development updates: The Brownfield Authority reported an update that Modern Plastics remediation work is expected to finish by the end of summer; a Speedway redevelopment project showed no recent progress; and staff will propose the authority’s first brownfield fee schedule.

Broadband/BEAD support letters: Commissioners praised county staff, particularly Kim Fetterson, for preparing more than 80 individually addressed support letters for broadband grant (BEAD) applications. Commissioners noted pre‑registration listed five internet service providers interested in projects within Berrien County and that the state received hundreds of applications statewide in the first round; county staff will await state review.

Why it matters

The items reported affect near‑term county operations and public services: grant funding and beach monitoring affect public‑health work and lake safety testing; the wetland mitigation credits and MDOT contract affect county road construction and permitting pathways; the 800‑megahertz radios plan to integrate Berrien Bus into regional public‑safety communications; and the proposed vital‑records fee adjustments would change routine public fees for residents. The closed session signals the board is handling a legal matter that it will address after confidential consultation with counsel.

What’s next

The board left the meeting to hold the closed session and stated it would return to open session and take action following counsel’s briefing. Committee chairs said additional resolutions and contract approvals related to the items reported will appear on upcoming agendas.