St. Clair County commissioners approve disbursements, contracts and appointments; table bylaw changes

The St. Clair County Board of Commissioners took a series of routine and substantive votes during its Jan. 16 meeting, approving county disbursements, several contracts and grants, a wage-equity adjustment in the health department, and a library board appointment. The board also tabled proposed revisions to its bylaws for additional review.

Why it matters: The approved disbursements and contracts authorize short-term county operations and modest capital or operating expenditures; the wage-equity adjustment and personnel actions change pay and staffing policy; the bylaw discussion affects internal governance and the county’s economic development authority (EDA) interactions.

Votes at a glance

- County disbursements, November 2024: Approved. Amount: $20,549,798.82. Vote: roll call; all commissioners present voted yes (record shows Commissioner Angie, Commissioner Trello, Commissioner Felix, Commissioner Rushing, Mr. VandenBosch and Chairperson Zamasco recorded as voting yes).

- County disbursements, December 2024: Approved. Vote: roll call; unanimous among commissioners voting.

- Contract with Sherkey Electric Inc. for data and call‑out services for supplemental flare (May 1, 2024–Dec. 31, 2025): Approved. Amount: $26,985.20. Vote: roll call; unanimous.

- Fiscal Year 2024 Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) and agreement: Approved. Amount: $11,364. Vote: roll call; unanimous.

- Wage equity adjustments (Health Department): Approved. Action moved affected positions into specified pay groups/steps (public health nurse supervisor to group 3 f step 7; assistant nursing director to group 3 g step 8) as implementation of prior collective bargaining results. Vote: roll call; unanimous.

- Reclassification/weighting for web developer position (Information Technology manning table): Approved. Vote: roll call; unanimous. County staff said bringing the function back in-house should reduce cost compared with prior contracted work.

- Library System Board of Trustees appointment (District 3): Stacy Lowers appointed to serve the remainder of a five‑year term expiring Aug. 26, 2027. Vote: commissioners cast ballots; Clerk recorded six votes for Stacy Lowers.

- Amended agreement for Mental Health Court to include residential housing costs: Approved. Not‑to‑exceed amount: $44,750. Vote: roll call; unanimous.

- Cybersecurity grant application: Approved by voice vote; application authorized.

- Three‑year annual maintenance renewal with SHI for VMware for the Library: Approved. Amount: $72,316.80. Vote: roll call; unanimous.

- Paid time off policy revisions (Policy 336): Motion to move the recommendation forward to the February regular board meeting passed (item advanced/tabled for final action at February meeting).

- Revisions to Board bylaws: Motion to withdraw initial action and table bylaws for further review carried; commissioners asked for additional review of conflict-of-interest language and non-disclosure provisions that may affect the EDA.

- Scheduling: Commissioners approved a second EDA workshop for Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. to continue discussion and public engagement; a separate goal-setting workshop was also scheduled.

What the votes did not do: The board received and filed (but did not fund or award) the Tetra Tech PFAS treatment feasibility report; no construction or procurement contract for full-scale treatment was authorized at this meeting.

Next steps: Several items (notably the PFAS treatment evaluation and bylaw language) require additional staff follow-up or committee consideration before the board takes a final procurement or policy vote.