Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Board Consent Committees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Berrien County board approves consent calendar; committees report hires, grants and bids
Summary
The county board approved the consent calendar and heard committee reports recommending the appointment of a new finance director, a register-of-deeds e-recording grant application and several contract and bid matters; one large SharePoint bid was tabled for review.
The Berrien County Board of Commissioners approved the consent calendar and accepted multiple committee reports that recommend personnel appointments and grant applications.
The motion to approve the consent calendar, including an added resolution authorizing e-recording enhancements for the register of deeds (resolution ending in 325) but excluding the juvenile center well item, passed on a roll call vote. A register-of-deeds representative thanked the board and said the county's application would help purchase records-management and e-recording software for 2026.
Committee reports delivered substantive business to the full board. The finance committee reported receiving six bids for an MS SharePoint development project that ranged from about $135,000 to $1,256,300 against a projected cost of $20,000; the committee moved to table that procurement and send it back to the sheriff's office for clarification. The finance report also noted two bids for ice-control sand: $17,634 and $30,200; the committee recommended accepting the lower bid pending road department confirmation.
The personnel and human services committee recommended hiring Jake Littaker for the county's finance director position; Littaker has worked in county finance roles since 2013 and the board was told he will be placed at grade 16, step 4 pending final action. The board chair said a formal resolution to appoint Littaker (resolution P2510328) will come before the full board at next week's meeting.
The administration committee reported several contract actions under consideration or approved at committee: a $2,000-per-month increase for a right-of-passage transportation contract, a three-year extension with Avenue Family Network for bridals court services, and a three-year renewal for house-arrest services through the sheriff's department. The county also accepted a $7,403.12 distribution from the Berrien Community Foundation to fund canine trailer graphics, T-shirts, motorcycle fuel and insurance; the county noted the foundation provides those funds directly.
Other operational items included waivers and equipment purchases: the register of deeds and clerk will move forward on e-recording software purchases funded by a grant program created after COVID-19; the county's information systems vendor Logicalis will replace roughly 750 Cisco phones under a planned upgrade; and the sheriff's office requested a traffic-control trailer for signage and equipment.
Ending: Board leaders said several items will return for final action at future meetings, including the formal appointment of Jake Littaker as finance director and follow-up on the SharePoint procurement. Committee chairs emphasized additional review where bids or pricing appeared inconsistent.
