Benzie County

The meeting commenced with roll call, invocation, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The agenda was modified, removing an item concerning Maples, striking new business item H, and adding a new item regarding Equiter Recorder Solution. A discussion regarding the Headley reset session was moved to the administrative update. The board approved the amended agenda. Minutes from the regular meeting of February 10th, the closed session minutes of February 10th, and the minutes from the special meeting of February 17th were all approved. During reports, the Sheriff introduced a new member of the rope patrol, Deputy Ian Pagan, and provided an update on the nearly complete Motorola camera process project. The County Treasurer discussed upcoming tax deadlines, property forfeiture deadlines, and ongoing efforts to assist struggling taxpayers through installment and hardship plans, noting legislative discussions regarding postmark validity and hardship sunset dates. The EMS Director reported that Station 3 is 99% complete, has temporary occupancy, and is expected to be fully operational soon, staying within budget despite necessary blueprint redesigns to include a firewall. Finally, the board approved payment of bills totaling $340,642.95 and discussed moving into a closed session regarding the purchase of the property for the old Benzonia Township Hall.

The special meeting focused primarily on legal guidance concerning the prior week's actions related to the purchase of real property from Benzonia Township. A significant portion of the discussion involved clarifying the legality of actions taken by the County Administrator during a closed session, specifically the submission of a notice of intent to purchase property for $365,000, which was determined to be a decision that should have occurred in an open meeting. The board discussed the implications of this action on their ability to negotiate and the potential for legal challenge by Benzonia Township regarding their own closed session deliberations on the matter. The board ultimately moved to approve the existing letter of intent and authorize the chair to sign it, further authorizing administration to proceed with due diligence and bring forward findings for a draft purchase agreement.

The study session included procedural items such as approving the agenda and approving minutes from a prior meeting. The main discussion focused on exploring a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Homestretch Nonprofit Housing Corporation for housing expansion, specifically the Crystal Common development in Thompsonville. Key constraints discussed included the high cost of extending the county water main, leading to a proposal for an initial phase of eight housing units served by a private well and septic system to manage costs. Discussions also covered the potential partnership with the county to house an ALS ambulance facility within the development, and the need to secure funding through grants like CDBG and Federal Home Loan Bank AHP. The timeline for submitting the non-binding LOI was noted as being between February 4th and March 4th.

The meeting began with the board calling the study session to order, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The agenda was approved as presented, and the minutes from the November 12 meeting were also approved. Key discussion points included an HR update detailing new employee roles, such as the new Maintenance Manager and IT Support Specialist, and addressing current job vacancies, particularly the Animal Control Officer position. A significant portion of the session was dedicated to the review of the Emergency Operations Plans, which encompassed a 300-page base plan developed over two to three years involving input from local planning teams and subject matter experts. Discussions arose regarding the required privacy for HR conversations and the logistics of the HR office location. Furthermore, the presentation on the Emergency Operations Plan detailed its basis in Public Act 390, its progression from civil defense procedures, and the requirement for county-wide planning, referencing past actions like the 1977 resolution. Future plans include a comprehensive presentation in January covering the role of Emergency Management and its direct reporting structure to the board chair.

The meeting commenced with a call to order and roll call, confirming a quorum. Key discussions centered on the agenda, which was approved, and the subsequent approval of the previous meeting's minutes. A major topic involved discussion and distribution of documents comparing Benzie County's millages against comparable Michigan counties, noting that Benzie County's total millage requests are towards the bottom compared to others, despite a question regarding its position as a high-milled county. Discussions also covered inflation rate multipliers used in tax cap formulas and rollback fractions, as well as taxable values per county, noting a significant decrease in taxable value for Crawford County. Furthermore, a significant portion of the meeting focused on the inability of Benzie County to levy occupancy taxes from short-term rentals (like Airbnbs) due to state statute limitations, noting that these funds currently go to the local Convention and Visitors Bureau. Members debated potential solutions, including proposing a separate Public Safety millage to cover SRO, TNT, jail, and sheriff's office expenses, thereby allowing the general operating millage to be renewed without an increase, and providing funds for central dispatch relief and investment in parks and recreation. Long-term considerations included potential future needs for building department consolidation and IT expansion for cybersecurity.