St. Joseph County commissioners approve closure policy, contracts and grants; appointments confirmed

St. Joseph County commissioners on Jan. 28 approved a package of routine and substantive items including a new building and worksite closure policy, several contract renewals and grant application permissions, and multiple board and commission appointments.

The board adopted a written Building and Worksite Closure Policy that clarifies how hourly and salaried employees are compensated if the county declares a closure, and adds explicit guidance about remote work. "The county commissioners are the ones with the authority to declare emergencies and closures," said Pete Agustino, county legal counsel, who participated by Zoom and presented the policy. Under the policy, hourly (nonexempt) employees who are ready and willing to work but cannot report due to a county-ordered closure will be paid; salaried (exempt) employees remain entitled to pay for any week in which they perform work, consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act, and would need to use paid time off if no work is done during a full closed workweek.

The board approved funding and procurement items for infrastructure and public safety operations, including permission to apply for the 2025 Community Crossings matching grant fund for a road rehabilitation project estimated at $3,038,331.98; the county will seek the program maximum of $1,500,000 and remain responsible for the remaining estimated $1,538,331.98. Sky Metters, Department of Infrastructure, presented the estimate and funding split.

Public-safety technology purchases and renewals for the county's 911/PSAP operations were also approved. Nick Robold of PSAP said the county will purchase 10 Motorola APX 6000-series portable radios, with accessories, for $55,983.20 to ensure continued radio capability if primary systems are unavailable. The board approved a lease purchase agreement with Dell Financial Services to finalize previously authorized computer purchases for primary and backup 911 centers, and a Smart Net maintenance renewal for Cisco switches and firewalls for $30,355.34. One vendor quote (Eventide) was tabled for further technical review.

Other approved items included annual service and maintenance agreements (Tech 84 whole-body scanner at the DuQuam Center, $10,900), renewal of security and fire alarm services for the archives (Per Mar), and continuation of community-facing health grants: a Health First award to Purdue Cooperative Extension for a Junior Master Gardener program expansion and a partnership renewal with the Beacon Resource Center for the EMBER (maternal education and support) program. Jordan Morris of Juvenile Probation asked permission to apply for a Department of Correction community corrections grant for FY2026 totaling $278,771 to support day-reporting and home-detention services.

The board confirmed appointments and reappointments: the president was reappointed to the St. Joseph River Basin Commission; Commissioner Carl Baxmayer was appointed to the Kankakee River Basin and Yellow River Basin Development Commission; and the board reappointed Dennis Jordan and appointed Mark Volker to the Redevelopment Commission (the board noted a third appointment is made by the county council and is not on today's agenda). Several residents spoke during public comment urging open, advertised processes for redevelopment commission appointments and raising concerns about separate community issues.

The board also approved two employment contracts for county survey office scanning work (including a $15,000 contract for Ryan Kingston and a separate contract for Jennifer Henthorn) and ratified routine accounts-payable dockets for the weeks of Jan. 21 and Jan. 28. The board approved a settlement agreement in the liability claim Hunt v. St. Joseph County Highway Department related to a roadway disrepair injury; the county attorney described the settlement as a favorable resolution and noted the roadway was repaired after identification and scheduling.

Votes at a glance: the board recorded motions, seconds and generally unanimous affirmative votes on the items above; one technical contract (Eventide) was tabled for further information. (Full vote records and motions are listed in the actions array below.)

The meeting recessed after public comment. Commissioners present and recorded on motions were identified in the transcript as Commissioner Morton, Commissioner Maxmeier and Commissioner Baxmayer.

Ending: The board did not schedule additional action on the third Redevelopment Commission appointment and noted residents who asked to be considered will be contacted. Several public commentators urged greater transparency in appointment processes and raised concerns about other local matters during the public-comment period.