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Cass County council approves appropriations, moves ahead on EMS building and reviews 911 console bids
Summary
Council approved multiple appropriations (prosecutor, circuit court CASA position, vehicle correction, IT/building, Soil & Water rent), reviewed quotes for new 911 consoles and voted to proceed with the EMS building contract process and public hearing scheduling.
The Cass County Council voted on several budget adjustments and authorized moving forward on a multi-phased EMS building project during its March 20 meeting.
Appropriations and personnel: The council approved a $10,424 appropriation for the prosecutor's office and a $60,000 appropriation to convert a CASA-related contractual position to a county employee under the circuit court budget. Council members discussed accounting codes and benefit costs, noting payroll and benefit lines would need to be set correctly before finalization. A vehicle lease correction (amount discussed as $22,871) and smaller IT/building appropriations (for example $20,000 for a building item referenced in the meeting) were also approved. The council approved a short-term office rent payment for the Soil & Water office (about $6,200) to keep the lease current while the district moves to new space. Motions were made and passed by voice votes; specific roll-call tallies were not read.
911 console procurement: The council reviewed three vendor quotes to replace failing 911 console furniture. The transcript lists one quote at $165,140.82 with an optional carpet-installation add-on (~$23,475) and a second quote at $197,222.74. The presenter said the furniture would provide adjustable sit-stand consoles and that coordination with carpet installers and commissioners' approval steps would be required before purchase.
EMS building project: Council discussion confirmed that commissioners awarded the EMS building contract to Steinberger; the transcript contains a clearly garbled contract figure during that exchange, which the record does not clarify. A public hearing on the contract is scheduled at the next commissioners meeting on April 6; the council discussed funding the project over two years and said invoices would be submitted by EMS staff to the auditor's office for payment as work proceeds. The council voiced support to move forward and approved the plan by voice vote.
Why it matters: The appropriations authorize staffing and operations that affect county services, while the EMS building and 911 equipment decisions relate to public-safety infrastructure and will affect capital spending over multiple fiscal years.
What happens next: County staff will finalize account coding for the CASA position and other appropriations, the commissioners will hold a public hearing April 6 on the EMS contract, and vendor selection for 911 furniture will proceed through the commissioners' approval process.
