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Calhoun County summit prioritizes countywide GIS, pooled insurance and regional public safety
Summary
At a county-wide summit April 25, Calhoun County leaders and stakeholders identified nine priorities for intergovernmental cooperation — led by a countywide geographic information system, pooled insurance/risk management and regional public safety — and organized volunteer working groups to pursue next steps. No formal Board action was taken.
Kate Segal, chairwoman of the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners, opened a county-wide summit on intergovernmental cooperation in Battle Creek on April 25, drawing county officials, municipal representatives and local stakeholders to a daylong series of presentations, group exercises and reports-back.
The summit featured a state perspective from Joan Bowman, regional director (West Michigan) for the Office of Governor Jennifer Granholm, who described the Governor’s “Center for Excellence Designation” program and noted that seven community partnerships received $25,000 grants over two years to support collaboration. Bowman directed attendees to the state website for models and announced a statewide teleconference on regional collaboration planned for July 12.
John Amrhein, district extension educator, presented practical approaches to shared services and then led an issues-identification exercise in which attendees at color-coded tables listed and ranked local collaboration opportunities. Group spokespeople offered lists that included communications and citizen participation, countywide geographic information services (G.I.S.), joint purchasing and pooled insurance, shared municipal facilities, regional police/fire/9-1-1, economic development, high-speed internet and public transportation.
After compiling the group listings, organizers and attendees voted to determine nine priorities for future planning and action. The top nine priorities were identified as: a county-wide G.I.S.; pooling funds for insurance and risk management across jurisdictions; enhanced E 9-1-1 services; county-wide public safety planning (including exploration of regional police); a centralized county-wide economic development approach; improved intermunicipal communication and citizen outreach; technical advances such as expanded high-speed internet; public transportation options; and school consolidation discussions.
Attendees then signed up for one of eight workgroups to develop next steps — G.I.S., pooling funds/insurance, public transportation, public safety, economic development, communication, technology and E 9-1-1 — and organizers recorded contact information and suggested outside presenters (for example, inviting Jackson County to present on G.I.S.). The transcript lists chairpersons and contact details for each working group.
The summit was explicitly convened as a planning and information session; the agenda and minutes note that no formal Board action was taken during the meeting. Chairwoman Segal closed the session by thanking County Administrator/Controller Greg Purcell and extension staff for their help arranging the summit and asked attendees to submit worksheets and name tags before leaving. The meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.
