Votes at a glance: Eaton County commissioners approve fee changes, grant applications, budget amendments and labor agreements

The Eaton County Board of Commissioners handled several routine and substantive actions at its Aug. 20 meeting. Below is a concise list of the formal actions taken, as recorded in the meeting.

Emergency Management Performance Grant

- Action: Approve initial work agreement for the Emergency Management Performance Grant (annual agreement covering activities required to receive funds). - Motion: Accept the work agreement and receive the grant. - Mover/Second: Moved by Commissioner Holmes; supported by Commissioner Pete. - Outcome: Approved by voice vote. - Notes: County emergency management staff said the agreement documents the activities the office will perform to qualify for grant funds in the following fiscal year.

Clerk fee schedule amendment

- Action: Resolution to amend county clerk fee schedule (certified copy fee comparison to surrounding counties discussed). - Mover/Second: Moved by Commissioner Drosha; supported by Commissioner Barber. - Outcome: Approved by voice vote. - Notes: Clerk Bosworth reported neighboring counties charge $20 per certified copy, with Ingham County charging $30; county fee had not changed since 2017.

County clerk e-recording grant application

- Action: Resolution authorizing application for a county clerk e-recording grant. - Mover/Second: Moved by Commissioner Rosha; supported by Commissioner Haskell. - Outcome: Approved by voice vote.

PA 116 farmland/open space development rights agreement

- Action: Resolution approving a PA 116 farmland/open space development rights agreement. - Mover/Second: Moved by Commissioner Drosheus; supported as noted on the floor. - Outcome: Approved by voice vote.

Fire training center grant (see separate article)

- Action: Resolution to authorize acceptance and pass-through of a state appropriation for a fire training center with a reduced county administrative fee of 3% (override of the county's 15% grants policy). - Mover/Second: Moved by Commissioner Rosha; supported by Commissioner Christiansen. - Outcome: Approved by roll call (two-thirds required and met). See separate article for full discussion and roll-call votes.

Fiscal year 2024-25 budget amendments

- Action: Resolution to approve fiscal year 2024-25 budget amendments. - Mover/Second: Moved by Commissioner Drosheus; supported by Commissioner Hansen. - Outcome: Approved by voice vote.

Claims and purchases (paying the bills)

- Action: Motion to approve the claims and purchases. - Mover/Second: Moved by Commissioner Drosheus; supported by Commissioner Pearl Wright. - Outcome: Approved by voice vote.

Labor relations / tentative agreements

- Action: The board acknowledged tentative agreements with multiple bargaining groups covering wage increases (examples listed by administration: central non-supervisory and supervisory groups, maintenance, youth facility, animal control, sheriff's non-supervisory division). The command officers group remained under negotiation. - Motion/Outcome: Board approved putting the negotiated increases forward (voice vote); no roll call required. Administration noted raises of 5% in year one and 3% in year two were included in the proposed budget and that the county used one-time ARPA funds previously for retention bonuses.

Meeting minutes

- Action: Approval of July 26 regular meeting minutes and July 25 special and closed meeting minutes. - Mover/Second: Moved by Commissioner Rosha; supported by Commissioner Hansen. - Outcome: Approved by voice vote.

Other committee reports

- Public Works and Human Services, Public Safety, and Ways and Means provided routine reports; some items were forwarded to the board without additional action beyond the items listed above.

Ending

The board completed the docket of resolutions and routine business. Several items (notably the fire training grant and drainage concerns) drew substantive public comment and follow-up items for administration.