Lapeer County committee recommends parks plan submission, approves grants, contracts and budget amendments

The Lapeer County Committee of the Whole on March 12, 2026 recommended that the full Board submit a 5‑Year Joint Multi‑Municipal Parks Plan to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and approved a string of grants, contracts and budget amendments affecting public health, mental‑health services, senior programs and county operations.

Chairman Gary Howell called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. and the committee moved quickly through routine business before opening a public hearing on the parks plan. Commissioner Greg Wise moved, with Commissioner C. Ian Kempf supporting, to recommend that the Regular Full Board accept the plan — developed jointly by Lapeer County with Elba, Goodland, Lapeer and Oregon townships and the City of Lapeer — and submit it to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for consideration; the motion carried.

The committee also approved the Health Department’s acceptance of a 2026 MALPH LHD Staff Wellbeing mini‑grant for $4,000, authorized a six‑page Health Department budget amendment, and authorized the Health Department Director to sign the grant agreement. Jim Henry, Lapeer County Health Department Director and health officer, had provided the department’s update earlier in the meeting.

The committee approved a technology contract for the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney: Commissioner C. Ian Kempf moved (seconded by Bryan Zender) to approve a Karpel Software External Agency Portal at a one‑time fee of $10,000 and an annual maintenance fee of $2,000 to be paid from technology license line 205‑296‑850‑200; the motion carried. The committee also authorized payment of invoice SC11280 to Solid Circle for $7,665 to support hosting and maintenance of the Drain ledger, and approved a budget amendment increasing the Prosecutor Fund (Fund 205) by $11,630.32 for fiscal year 2026.

On behavioral‑health matters, the committee approved renewal of a three‑year DocuSign subscription for Community Mental Health at a total cost of $30,697.57 for 15 users and accepted the Lapeer County Community Mental Health FY25 Annual Needs Assessment. Commissioners also approved a transfer of $149,256.67, the second of three installments toward an annual allocation of $447,770 from Community Mental Health appropriations to expenditures.

Senior services received several approvals: the committee adopted updated Senior Programs Advisory Board procedural guidelines, authorized the County Treasurer to request issuance of a county credit card for Andrea Pomerantz, Senior Programs Director, and approved a three‑page Senior Programs budget amendment.

The committee authorized the finance department to prepay the Sharrerd Drain special assessment in the amount of $85,500 from line item 101‑445‑957.020 and approved an associated budget amendment. It also accepted FY25 Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funds of $8,700 at no cost to the county and authorized the board chair to sign the agreement.

County Administrator/Controller Moses Sanzo provided an update on prior Board decisions regarding employee pay scales. The minutes record a public comment period during which five people spoke; the transcript does not provide the speakers’ names or the content of their remarks. The meeting adjourned at 10:42 a.m.

Next steps: motions recommended to the Regular Full Board will be acted on at the full board meeting; the parks plan will be submitted to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for its consideration.