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Calhoun County Board approves stormwater standard, authorizes appeal of 9-1-1 surcharge denial and creates deputy health officer
Summary
At its April 3 meeting the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners adopted a drainage-rule amendment setting stormwater treatment and TSS targets, authorized an appeal of an MPSC denial of a proposed $0.60 E9-1-1 surcharge, created a Deputy Health Officer position and approved other staffing and claims; all recorded votes were unanimous.
The Calhoun County Board of Commissioners on April 3 adopted several measures affecting stormwater standards, emergency communications funding, county staffing and routine claims.
The Board approved Res. 55-2008, amending the Drain Commissioner’s Rules & Regulations to align with Department of Environmental Quality permitting and to set water-quality design criteria for new and redevelopment projects of one acre or more. Drain Commissioner Blaine Van Sickle told the Board the amendment sets the minimum treatment volume as the first one-half inch of rainfall on impervious surfaces, requires water-quality methods to achieve at least 80% removal of total suspended solids (TSS) compared with uncontrolled runoff, and limits discharge concentrations of TSS to 80 milligrams per liter. Comr. Moore moved the resolution; the roll-call vote was yes 7, carried unanimously.
The Board also authorized an appeal of a March 11, 2008 Michigan Public Service Commission order that denied the county’s proposed telephone surcharge. County Administrator/Controller Greg Purcell said the Emergency Telephone District Board, cities, the Area Metropolitan Services Agency (AMSA) and the sheriff’s department have discussed filing an appeal; an attorney’s draft was reported ready to submit next week. Comr. Moore moved Res. 56-2008 to authorize the appeal. Comr. Bolger said the appeal is being filed based on new information about planned consolidation of dispatch centers and that the county will request resolutions of support from the cities and AMSA; roll-call vote yes 7, carried unanimously.
On personnel and benefits matters the Board approved an exception to County Policy No. 305 (Res. 57-2008) to allow temporary Emergency Services Coordinator Durk Dunham to purchase county health insurance by paying 100% of the premium for up to three months. Assistant County Administrator Wendee Woods made the request; Comr. Rae moved the resolution and the roll-call vote was yes 7, carried unanimously.
The Board created a non-union, confidential Deputy Health Officer position (Res. 58-2008) with a salary range of $58,104 to $70,626 by consolidating the deputy and the Environmental Health Manager roles. Health Officer Dottie-Kay Bowersox and County Administrator Purcell said the department has been short-staffed since June 2007 and that no internal candidate was currently identified to fill the new position; Comr. Moore moved the resolution and it passed on a unanimous roll-call vote.
The Board approved a permanent part-time Records Clerk to increase staffing in the Equalization Department from 4 to 4.5 FTEs (Res. 59-2008). Deputy Director John Hippensteel said funding exists for the position in 2008 but additional funding would be needed in 2009; the motion carried on a unanimous roll-call vote.
Finally, the Board approved payment of claims (Res. 60-2007) including $524,828.33 for the week of March 20, 2008 and $552,881.12 for the week of March 25, 2008; Comr. Rae moved and the roll-call vote was yes 7, carried unanimously.
Public comment during Citizens’ Time included objections to the proposed E9-1-1 surcharge being assessed per telephone line and concerns about a county GIS aerial fly-over. Creighton Burrows said assessing the surcharge per line could cause households with multiple lines to pay “three times as much” and described the aerial fly-over as an invasion of privacy; the Board did not take formal action on those specific public requests at this meeting.
Resolutions and motions referenced: Res. 55-2008 (Drain Commissioner Rules & Regulations amendment); Res. 56-2008 (authorize MPSC appeal); Res. 57-2008 (insurance exception for temporary employee); Res. 58-2008 (create Deputy Health Officer); Res. 59-2008 (Equalization staffing increase); Res. 60-2007 (claims payable). The Board recorded unanimous votes on the recorded roll-call items. The Board announced its next meeting is April 15, 2008.
