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Isabella County commissioners approve routine grants, equipment purchases and staffing additions
Summary
At its July 15 meeting, the Isabella County Board of Commissioners approved multiple invoice ratifications, grant agreements, an equipment purchase, and the addition of corrections staffing positions; minutes include an attendance/vote tally inconsistency for two commissioners.
The Isabella County Board of Commissioners met July 15, 2025, in a hybrid session at the Commission on Aging building and approved a package of routine fiscal and operational items, including multiple grants, an equipment purchase and personnel changes. The meeting opened at 5:00 p.m. under Chairman Frank Engler and adjourned at 5:35 p.m.
The board ratified three invoice lists presented by County Administrator/Controller Brian Smith — June 13 ($256,329.79), June 20 ($210,309.64) and June 27 ($415,406.54) — along with two adjustments lists. The board then approved submission of the Fiscal Year 2026 Victim Rights Prosecutor Grant Application and authorized the prosecuting attorney to sign the application in Egrams.
On public-safety technology, the board approved the Michigan Public Safety Communications System member credit offer of $129,173.00 and adopted Resolution 2025-07 as required by MPSCS; Sheriff Michael Main explained the request. The board also approved a Central Square OneSolution quote for $129,038.62 and authorized the chair to sign the agreement.
The board authorized Isabella County Emergency Management to enter the FY24 Homeland Security Grant Program intergovernmental agreement with the West Michigan Regional Medical Consortium and approved related signature authority.
On personnel, commissioners approved adding two full-time equivalent positions to the Corrections Department staffing list; the minutes specify these additions would equate to up to four part‑time, on‑call transport roles that are not eligible for employer benefits.
Recycling Department items approved included an initial $34,391.00 purchase of a Bobcat G33 fork truck using 2% funds, to be submitted for reimbursement under the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe EPA infrastructure grant contract; Recycling Director Jake Borton was present to review the purchase. The board also accepted a $5,000 Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation grant to buy 10–12 small countertop biodigesters and a $12,000 foundation grant for renovation of the Deerfield Nature Park fishing platform; Helen Lee, the county’s education/grant-writing coordinator, joined Borton for the biodigester discussion.
Finally, the board appointed delegates to the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System conference Oct. 16–17, 2025, naming Mary Weiss (employee delegate), Tim Nieporte (alternate employee delegate), Chris Witmer (officer delegate) and Brian Smith (alternate office delegate), with fees and expenses to be paid by the county.
The minutes record that Commissioner Jaloszynski moved to approve the agenda and Commissioner Weber seconded; subsequent motions and seconds are recorded in the minutes for each item. The meeting record notes no public comments or presentations outside the routine items.
A procedural discrepancy appears in the minutes: at roll call the document lists Commissioners James Moreno and Steve Swaney as absent, but several later vote tallies enumerate them among the commissioners voting yes. The minutes do not clarify whether Moreno and Swaney returned to the meeting before those votes; the county record as provided is inconsistent on attendance for those items.
