The Berrien County Board of Commissioners on Thursday voted to continue using its existing bylaws and rules of procedure while staff works on changes required by a recent move to four‑year terms, approved a 2025 meeting calendar that keeps regular Thursday business hours and adds four night meetings, and directed commissioners to complete updated conflict‑of‑interest disclosure forms.

The board first approved minutes from the Dec. 19 meeting, with the motion recorded as "moved by Bill, supported by Harrison," then adopted a motion to use the current bylaws and rules until a careful revision process is complete. "Motion by Harrison, supported by Tyler," was the procedural record for that vote. The board also confirmed appointments for sergeant at arms, parliamentarian and chaplain as "status quo." The board approved the calendar with an amendment to exclude county holidays.

Keeping the bylaws in place matters because staff and commissioners said the change to four‑year commissioner terms will require significant work to update internal rules. "Because of the change to the 4 year terms, it will require significant work on the part of staff and the board to go through those," a commissioner said when moving the bylaws motion. The board adopted the existing bylaws and rules for use until the board receives staff recommendations and completes a formal revision process.

On scheduling, the board approved a Thursday meeting cadence: a committee of the whole starting at 8:35 a.m. and the board of commissioners at 10:30 a.m., and added four evening meetings to the 2025 calendar. The evening meetings were set to begin at 6 p.m., with locations to be determined later; two dates — Thursday, Nov. 27, and Thursday, Dec. 25 — were explicitly noted as county holidays and excluded from the calendar. The motion to adopt the calendar was supported on the record by a commissioner identified as White Pittsford and amended on the floor to exclude holidays before final adoption.

The board also discussed and circulated updated conflict‑of‑interest disclosure forms. Corporate counsel explained the forms include a new section to list outside boards or committees on which a commissioner serves (distinct from boards to which a member is appointed by the county). Commissioners were instructed to sign the top row for the current year and turn forms into corporate counsel; signatures for future years remain blank until those years arrive. On the record, the board took a vote on circulating the waivers and agreed to have members return completed forms to corporate counsel.

Other housekeeping items included committee rosters and short procedural directions: Finance will continue under Chair Mamey with members Terry, Ray and John; PHS committee remains chaired by Bob with members Pitchford and Werfel; Curran will continue as chair of the administration committee with Ott, Tyler and Vollorath as members. The board asked committee chairs to meet briefly after the session to select vice chairs and finalize any minor housekeeping.

During general public comment, a resident who identified herself as Sharon of Saint Joseph Charter Township asked whether the county’s survey of other counties’ meeting schedules is public and requested a copy. "Is that something that is open to the public? Could I get a copy of that survey?" she asked. The chair replied the results could be provided.

Board staff also reminded commissioners to return evaluation forms for corporate counsel and the county administrator; corporate counsel said five forms had already been returned. A board member announced a BCBID bid meeting at 12:30 p.m. conducted virtually and in person upstairs for those attending; Ken Wenzel was named as the contact for in‑person attendance.

The session concluded with the chair instructing commissioners to reconvene briefly by committee to select vice chairs and perform housekeeping before the next full meeting.

Votes at a glance
- Minutes (Dec. 19): moved by Bill; supported by Harrison; outcome: approved.
- Continue current bylaws and rules of procedure until revisions are prepared: motion by Harrison; supported by Tyler; outcome: adopted.
- 2025 meeting calendar: motion to set Thursdays with committee of the whole at 8:35 a.m., board at 10:30 a.m., add four night meetings at 6 p.m.; amended to exclude county holidays (Nov. 27 and Dec. 25); outcome: adopted (support recorded by White Pittsford).
- Conflict‑of‑interest disclosure forms circulated and to be returned to corporate counsel: motion and vote held on the record; outcome: approved to circulate/collect.

Sources and attribution are limited to speakers recorded on the public transcript and to statements made on the record during the board session.