[0:00] I'm not going.
[0:01] » It was a It had been a record.
[0:05] » Just looking at the
[0:06] » They had a different band. So,
[0:08] they paid a little more money.
[0:10] » Oh, did they?
[0:18] » Bob, did you go to the hear the band?
[0:22] » Did you go to the chicken barbecue? Hear
[0:24] the band?
[0:25] » No. No. We're up in Travers.
[0:29] Well, they had a new one. I paid some
[0:31] money for it.
[0:33] I ran out of steam.
[0:36] That's where you're going to be pretty
[0:37] soon. Tra, right?
[0:41] Next week.
[0:45] » Father came up there. The chicken.
[0:49] » Oh, nice.
[0:52] » You should bless the chicken before they
[0:54] before they got slaughtered. Yeah. But
[0:57] anyway,
[0:57] » Is it recording?
[0:58] » It is recording
[1:00] » And Travis
[1:16] did run out.
[1:18] » Yeah, fairly early.
[1:22] Oh, really?
[1:24] I don't want to say something stupid.
[1:27] » Yes.
[2:20] Oh,
[2:59] I
[3:24] like to call the finance committee
[3:25] committee the whole order
[3:28] the pledge.
[3:32] To the flag of the United States of
[3:34] America and to the republic for which it
[3:37] stands. One nation under God,
[3:39] indivisible, with liberty and justice
[3:42] for all.
[3:45] [clears throat]
[3:47] » And madame clerk of roll call, please.
[3:50] » Commissioner Weber
[3:50] » Here.
[3:51] » Commissioner Campbell
[3:52] » Here.
[3:52] » Commissioner Jill Zinc
[3:54] » Here.
[3:54] » Commissioner Ingler
[3:55] » Here.
[3:55] » Commissioner Marino
[3:56] » Here. Commissioner Sweeney
[3:58] » Here.
[3:58] » Commissioner Hope
[3:59] » Here.
[3:59] » All present. Mr. Vice Chairman,
[4:01] » Thank you. Uh up next will be approval
[4:03] of the agenda. We'll start with general
[4:06] public comments on agenda items only. Uh
[4:09] we have no presentations or special
[4:11] reports. We do have one appointment for
[4:14] the parks and recreation committee or
[4:17] commission, excuse me. Under committee
[4:20] reports, we have several items.
[4:24] Um and then we have no intergovernmental
[4:27] affairs, no administrative controller
[4:30] issues, no unfinished business, no new
[4:32] business. We'll have general public
[4:34] comment again toward the end and then
[4:37] announcements and adjournments. So is
[4:40] are there any
[4:42] uh additions or
[4:45] did anyone like Yes, sir. Chair, I would
[4:47] like to add uh to the committee reports
[4:50] um agenda item number 18, discussion of
[4:54] the current uh 2027
[4:57] uh employee health benefits.
[5:01] » There's support for that chairman.
[5:03] » Yes, sir.
[5:05] » Um well, I'll wait for the support then
[5:08] we'll have we'll have a discussion.
[5:10] » Okay. [clears throat]
[5:11] Reported by Marino.
[5:13] » Okay. This was brought up earlier and
[5:15] I've talked to both the chair, vice
[5:17] chair and Swany on this um to bring this
[5:22] issue up with the healthcare to have
[5:24] disc session and um
[5:28] and we kind of agreed to do it during
[5:30] the announcement. Um, I'd like to hear
[5:32] what some of the public comment is, if
[5:34] anything. And I also worked on quite a
[5:38] few items in here. So, it would uh I
[5:41] would rather have it done in the
[5:43] announcements. We're talking even if we
[5:47] discuss that, we're talking about
[5:49] changing a policy that's already been
[5:51] noted on and a kind of a controversial
[5:54] vote that went well, not controversial
[5:57] because it did go sick. So, I'm willing
[5:59] to have the discussion, but I'm not
[6:02] willing to give it priority on the
[6:05] agenda at this time.
[6:07] And um anyways, I will be voting against
[6:11] changing the agenda as presented. Also,
[6:15] we like to have material in front of us
[6:17] on agenda items
[6:20] um beforehand. Um I know whenever
[6:24] late minute the [clears throat] agenda
[6:26] goes out on a Friday and usually if
[6:28] something has to come on in between of
[6:29] course we had a Monday I will usually
[6:32] send everything to the commissioners
[6:34] telling them and explaining to them why
[6:37] we need to have an agenda item like call
[6:39] without getting the information
[6:41] beforehand. So um we don't know what the
[6:45] information the discussion is going to
[6:47] have. So, um I just don't think it
[6:50] should be put on a priority yet till we
[6:52] have actually actually have numbers we
[6:53] can actually look at. So, I'll be voting
[6:56] against the um changing the agenda as
[7:00] presented
[7:01] amendment.
[7:03] » Okay. Any other discussion on the
[7:06] amendment? Yes, sir.
[7:07] » I know when I attended the last Northern
[7:09] Michigan Counties Association, there was
[7:10] some discussion on health cost. This is
[7:13] something that every county I think in
[7:16] Michigan is facing. Steep increases and
[7:21] long-term sustainability uh is in
[7:23] question.
[7:25] I'll probably not probably but I will
[7:27] vote against this only because I think
[7:30] we need to have more information. I'd
[7:31] like to have maybe administration reach
[7:33] out to see what some of our neighboring
[7:36] counties are uh providing in terms of
[7:38] health health care.
[7:40] I'm thinking next year we're going to be
[7:42] looking at another 20% increase and we
[7:44] just can't keep up. We may have to go to
[7:46] the 8020 and and just go to that and
[7:49] keep up with that on a annual basis, but
[7:51] I'll be voting against the motion.
[7:54] » Okay. Any other discussion on the
[7:58] motion?
[8:01] » I'd say whether we put it on the agenda
[8:04] or not. Uh my only point is to put it
[8:07] out at the beginning of the meeting so
[8:09] that at least at the second discussion
[8:13] uh or public comment I mean um people
[8:15] know that we're discussing it during
[8:18] announcements.
[8:21] » They know now.
[8:22] » They know now.
[8:24] » Yes.
[8:25] » Just one more thing that popped in my
[8:26] mind as a parliamentarian.
[8:29] Um I think that this requires something
[8:31] more than a simple majority vote to
[8:33] amend
[8:34] No. You
[8:35] » Sure in the bylaws?
[8:37] » I looked it up over the weekend because
[8:38] I've got numerous calls on it.
[8:40] » If you uh actually
[8:43] you can amend it at the beginning, you
[8:45] can amend it with the simple majority.
[8:47] Now, if the meeting is happening and you
[8:50] want to add an agenda item, then then it
[8:53] has to be a twothirds vote. So, if it
[8:56] happens at this point, then it's a
[8:58] simple majority vote. If you're in the
[9:00] meeting and then you want to add
[9:01] something, then it has to be a twothirds
[9:04] vote. So,
[9:06] » The only other thing I would say is I
[9:08] don't think there's any commissioner
[9:10] here that uh
[9:13] devalues uh the fact that the employees
[9:18] going to have to pay more for for health
[9:21] care. It's something that they depend
[9:23] on. Uh it just comes down to where do
[9:26] you balance that budget?
[9:29] You do the best you can.
[9:34] » Any further discussion on the amendment?
[9:39] » Okay. Can we do a roll call on that?
[9:42] » Um, Commissioner Weber,
[9:44] » No.
[9:46] » Commissioner Campo,
[9:47] » No.
[9:47] » Commissioner Jzinski,
[9:49] » No.
[9:50] » Commissioner Ingler,
[9:51] » No.
[9:51] » Commissioner Marino,
[9:52] » Yes.
[9:54] » Commissioner Swainy,
[9:55] » Yes.
[9:55] » Commissioner Hope,
[9:56] » No. We have two eyes, four nos. Motion
[10:00] failed, Mr. Vice Chairman.
[10:01] » Okay. So, we'll we'll stick to the
[10:03] current agenda. Um I hope we do have
[10:06] discussion on that during announcement
[10:11] to vote on the amend.
[10:13] » We do need to vote on the on the um
[10:16] agenda as published.
[10:19] All those in favor say I.
[10:20] » I.
[10:21] » I. We have an agenda
[10:24] and brings us to general public comments
[10:26] on agenda items only.
[10:34] For general public comment,
[10:38] nobody online. Okay, seeing no one for
[10:40] general public comment, uh we'll move
[10:42] right down to we have no presentations
[10:45] or special reports. Item six,
[10:48] appointments to boards and commissions.
[10:51] and it's consider appointing one member
[10:54] to the parks and recreation commission
[10:56] county citizen representative to
[10:58] complete a vacated three-year term
[11:01] ending December 31st 202127
[11:06] and we have two applicants who have ever
[11:09] Everett W Bradshaw Jr. and Tim Lannon.
[11:13] Uh, is there anyone that wants to speak
[11:16] to that? Yes, sir.
[11:18] » Um, I know that I know Everett W.
[11:22] Bradshaw and his wife and I know he's
[11:25] would be really really
[11:29] overqualified really for for the things
[11:31] that we want to do about planning
[11:33] committees and Robert's rule support
[11:35] which we just talked about today. So, I
[11:38] would I I would say we really make a
[11:41] good decision if we picked him.
[11:44] » Yes, sir.
[11:45] » Yeah. And both of these candidates are
[11:47] well qualified. Um
[11:51] it's one of always was one of my
[11:52] favorite committees to be on the parks
[11:54] board. So, it was you got to go to the
[11:57] different parks for some of your
[11:58] meetings and and do stuff. Uh I know uh
[12:02] Mr. Lon comes to our meetings all the
[12:04] time and representative of union. So
[12:07] this is a tough one, but they're both
[12:09] excellent candidates. So it'll be a hard
[12:12] hard to choose between the two of them.
[12:14] So two good candidates. It's a good
[12:18] place for us to be.
[12:21] » Any other discussion on that before we
[12:24] move on? And we will make that
[12:26] appointment at next week's meeting. Uh
[12:29] brings us down to committee reports,
[12:32] finance committee, committee the whole
[12:34] and item one, Commissioner Johnson,
[12:36] please take that for us, please.
[12:39] Consider ratifying and placing on file
[12:42] August 28, 2026 invoice list in the
[12:45] amount of $337,94253.
[12:51] the September 4, 2026 invoice list in
[12:55] the amount of $348,42689
[13:00] cents and the adjustment list dated
[13:03] August 27, 2026.
[13:08] » Walk us through these for the August
[13:10] 28th list with the amount of $337,94253.
[13:17] The general fund portion of that is
[13:19] $124,764.34.
[13:23] This list was sent out six days prior to
[13:26] the payment of these invoices. And so it
[13:29] gave uh the commissioners a chance to
[13:31] review and ask questions if they had
[13:33] any. Uh we do have three hat payments
[13:36] right here to make up for some uh past
[13:38] late billing. They had some change over
[13:40] in the hats and so we're making them
[13:43] hold for our contract. And what you'll
[13:45] see is that there's some Great Lakes
[13:46] Bay, Michigan Works that we've seen many
[13:49] times in the past. Again, it's not a
[13:50] general fund expenditure. And we also
[13:53] have to McBride quality care for the day
[13:57] treatment monthly contract from the
[13:59] trial court.
[14:02] » Any questions on the August 28th list?
[14:08] » Next is the September 4th list.
[14:10] $348,426.89.
[14:13] 89. General fund portion is $62,576.37.
[14:20] Here we have some insurance payments for
[14:22] international and 90-day prescriptions.
[14:25] We also have the monthly dental and
[14:27] vision insurance. We also have the
[14:29] equalization contract to Preston
[14:32] Community Services. Then we also have a
[14:34] large payment in here to Speed Techch
[14:36] Equipment for $71,9495.
[14:40] That was for the portion of the balor
[14:42] payment per board approved uh contract
[14:46] from 421 of 26.
[14:49] Any questions on the September 4th
[14:52] invoice list.
[14:55] Okay. Next, we have the uh adjustments
[14:58] list. This list is prepared to show you
[15:01] any invoices that were reduced or
[15:03] increased to correct uh data entry
[15:05] errors. And there's also invoices on
[15:08] here that are added so that way we can
[15:11] uh pay them early to get early payment
[15:13] discounts or to get uh late fees, avoid
[15:17] the late fees. And again, you'll see
[15:19] it's not as many on this one. Um but we
[15:21] do have the consumers and corn food
[15:23] service which we typically find on this
[15:26] one as well.
[15:28] » Okay, any questions on the adjustment
[15:30] list?
[15:32] Okay, hearing none, we will move that
[15:34] item to next week's meeting. And item
[15:37] two, uh, Commissioner Sweeney,
[15:40] » Consider approving the budget request
[15:42] for fiscal year 27 childc care funds in
[15:45] the amount of 2,556,723.91
[15:53] of uh, board chair
[15:56] to sign the form DHS291.
[16:06] Do we have Curtis on? Do we have Carrie?
[16:09] » Yes.
[16:10] » Oh, okay.
[16:12] » Good morning.
[16:12] » Here's Carrie.
[16:13] » I can hear you.
[16:14] » Good morning.
[16:15] » Morning.
[16:16] » Good morning. So, we're bringing to you
[16:17] the 2027 childc care fund application
[16:20] and budget. This has been approved by
[16:22] the state, signed by Judge Black and the
[16:25] DHS director. So, there really are no
[16:29] changes except for some increases for
[16:32] contractual
[16:33] um services as well as the wages and
[16:36] fringe benefit projected changes um for
[16:40] the juvenile probation officers.
[16:41] Otherwise, everything else is the same.
[16:46] » Sounds good. Any questions for Director
[16:49] Curtis?
[16:50] » Director Curtis, this is Commissioner
[16:51] Angler. I'll let you off early because
[16:53] you know the child care is one of the
[16:55] fun that always gives me a little bit of
[16:58] angst but uh you guys do a great job
[17:00] there but u I'll lead you off on the
[17:02] questions but it wouldn't be a year if I
[17:04] didn't ask a couple questions on that so
[17:06] anyways thank you
[17:08] » Yes thank you
[17:12] » Okay anything else
[17:15] discussion
[17:18] » Okay thank you
[17:20] » Thank No.
[17:21] » Yep. And we'll move that item to next
[17:24] week's [clears throat] meeting. And item
[17:27] three, Commissioner Weber, would you
[17:29] take that for us, please?
[17:30] » Yes. Consider approving the contract
[17:32] modification between Isabella County as
[17:34] fiscal agent for Great Lakes Bay
[17:36] Michigan Works and Grashet Isabella
[17:38] Regional Education Services District for
[17:40] case management services for the
[17:42] contract term October 1st, 2025 to
[17:45] September 30th, 2026. and authorize the
[17:47] board chairperson to sign the same.
[17:51] » Yep. So, being the fiduciary for Great
[17:54] Lakes Bay, Michigan Works, we get to
[17:56] approve their contracts and this is this
[17:59] is one of them. Uh provide case
[18:01] management services
[18:04] uh in the Crash Isabella Res.
[18:10] Anything you want to add? No, just an
[18:11] increase of $10,000 to a contract that
[18:14] was originally $2.3 million. So small
[18:19] but have to do it go through the
[18:21] process.
[18:24] » Okay, we'll move that to next week's
[18:26] meeting and item four. Chairman, you
[18:29] want to take that one?
[18:30] » Sure. Consider approving the contract
[18:32] modification between Isabella County as
[18:34] the fiscal agents for the Great Lakes
[18:36] Bay Michigan Works in Conley Detective
[18:39] and Security Guard Agency Incorporated
[18:42] for the contract term October 1st, 2025
[18:46] through September 30th, 2026 and
[18:49] authorize the board chairperson to sign
[18:52] the same kind of the same uh thing on
[18:55] there. What's interesting on this one is
[18:57] that they're adding one security guard
[19:00] in their contract. So, fortunately, it's
[19:04] it's kind of the way things are as the
[19:06] security start to be a main concern. So,
[19:11] » Okay, any discussion, questions?
[19:15] » Okay, move that item to next week's
[19:18] meeting and brings us down to item five.
[19:21] Mr. Campbell, you pay that for us.
[19:23] » Y
[19:24] » Please
[19:24] » Consider approving the purchase of an
[19:26] Isabella County Sheriff's Office
[19:28] replacement patrol vehicle in the amount
[19:31] of $40,56.667
[19:34] 67 cents utilizing claim proceeds from
[19:39] MMRA
[19:42] and the sale of surplus sheriff's office
[19:45] vehicles and and or other available and
[19:49] approve the sheriff's office funding and
[19:53] authorize the board chairperson to sign
[19:56] the necessary budget amendments and
[19:59] purchase documents.
[20:02] Shariff,
[20:03] » Morning.
[20:04] » Good morning. Uh, so when the deputies
[20:07] were released, um, you know, we we did
[20:09] liquidate several of the older cars from
[20:11] the fleet, um, which was fine at that
[20:14] point. Now that we're trying to we're
[20:16] getting some some, um, momentum back and
[20:19] getting some some positions back in in
[20:21] line. Uh, vehicles become a sticky
[20:25] situation, you know, to so expensive. So
[20:28] unfortunately, uh, we had one of our,
[20:30] um, patrol units, uh, although it was a
[20:32] couple years older. Um, had very low
[20:35] miles onto it. Uh, it was struck, um,
[20:39] when the driver failed to yield to a
[20:41] stop sign and total vehicle out. So, we
[20:45] lost a fairly new vehicle in our fleet.
[20:48] Um, a second vehicle uh was involved in
[20:50] an accident with an older one, but we
[20:52] still lost that one. That was a
[20:53] administrative car. So, we really don't
[20:56] want to um have to find the funding and
[21:00] and the challenges, you know, moving
[21:02] forward if we have some money coming
[21:03] back from those claims from MMRA, which,
[21:05] you know, the numbers are there. Uh
[21:07] we're a little short, like 6,000 or so.
[21:09] But, um we are going to be selling uh
[21:11] the other administrative cars when we
[21:13] get the new ones in. So, that should
[21:14] make up that difference or some
[21:16] commissary funds, which is typically
[21:17] where we find the money for cars anyways
[21:19] over the years. So, not worried about uh
[21:23] the that additional 6,000. We should be
[21:24] able to pick that up pretty easy and and
[21:26] not have any general fund. Um the uplift
[21:28] is always an expensive thing to put all
[21:30] the lights and sirens back into it. Um
[21:32] we probably will wait just a just a
[21:35] minute on that uh in the I think it's
[21:38] late winter, early spring, we can apply
[21:40] for the USDA grant and that'll offset a
[21:44] big chunk of that. Um so right now we'll
[21:46] probably just get the car. We don't want
[21:48] the price of the car to go up anymore.
[21:50] because they're so volatile in pricing
[21:51] and we can get one right now for that
[21:53] price. We know so we get the car in the
[21:55] fleet and then we can, you know, apply
[21:57] for this grant down the road um to
[21:58] offset the cost of the $67,000 to uplift
[22:01] it, put the license sirens back into it.
[22:04] That's kind of our plan. So that just
[22:05] doesn't
[22:08] hurt our fleet any further, you know, or
[22:09] reduce our fleet any further and doesn't
[22:12] bring any money out of general fund to
[22:13] do it. So
[22:17] » Any questions? What does it cost to
[22:19] equip?
[22:21] » Anywhere from 6 to7,000. Can can be a
[22:24] little bit more. Sometimes um we chose
[22:27] the Durango again because that's what we
[22:29] had. So like the cage in it and some of
[22:31] the equipment has to fit back into it.
[22:34] Sometimes the manufacturers change the
[22:35] design of the car. So some of that stuff
[22:37] doesn't fit anymore. The push bumper,
[22:39] the cage or something. Uh I don't think
[22:42] that's the case here. I think um this
[22:43] Durango, all the equipment that we took
[22:45] out of the one that was wrecked will go
[22:47] back into it. So it's a little less. So
[22:49] it could be 67,000 but if we have to
[22:51] start buying some equipment for
[22:53] different make model or they change them
[22:55] the the dimensions of it goes up a
[22:57] little more. [clears throat]
[22:59] » Yeah. Yes. I know when before we kind of
[23:03] had a schedule on there because you can
[23:05] get your cards through them ideal and
[23:07] there's a certain spot after so many
[23:09] miles where the the tradein value
[23:11] actually makes sense to do it where you
[23:13] let them grow them too long you lose the
[23:15] value on them. So, we probably need to
[23:18] start looking at maybe getting on that
[23:20] schedule and replacing them before they
[23:23] lose their value too much because they
[23:24] depreciate. So, fast.
[23:26] » Couple couple things to you know,
[23:27] obviously with changing the deputy
[23:28] status. Um, you know, before we were
[23:31] about two two and a half years, we were
[23:33] trying to cycle them out at close to
[23:34] 100,000 miles. We got a good resale onto
[23:36] them at that price. Yeah. But the
[23:38] maintenance wasn't really being too
[23:40] challenging. You know, we get too many
[23:42] miles onto them, then it's just constant
[23:43] maintenance and repairs. So that was
[23:46] working pretty well. Um right now, you
[23:48] know, the deputies are assigned a
[23:49] specific car. So, um the miles stay
[23:52] down. They take better care of it
[23:53] because it's just them in that car and
[23:55] that helps to a little bit. But, um uh
[23:58] you know, as we have the potential to
[23:59] get a few more deputies back, um they
[24:01] will become an issue, you know, with
[24:03] that that mileage starting to increase
[24:06] and have that problem again. So, we're
[24:08] we are trying to find those solutions
[24:11] before they become problems. That that's
[24:13] what you're
[24:14] » Yep. I have to say we might have to go
[24:15] back when we get more cars ready. So
[24:17] » Yeah, and again our commissary fund has
[24:19] been pretty healthy and stuff. Um so we
[24:22] to use that for those car purchases
[24:24] because we use all the transports for
[24:26] prisoners and stuff. So it relates back
[24:27] to
[24:29] » Do we have the computer equipment for
[24:32] this car?
[24:33] » So we have everything. Yes. Um I will
[24:35] tell you um you know it will probably
[24:38] peak up here in a minute but you know
[24:39] we're like Windows 10 on some of them.
[24:41] you know, Windows 11 installed would
[24:42] install on a couple of them, but not all
[24:44] of them. So, we we're starting to see
[24:46] because these computers that we have
[24:48] into them, the Panasonics, they are
[24:53] probably six to seven years old now.
[24:56] They're workh horses and they're still
[24:57] working, but [clears throat]
[24:59] [snorts] we may have to include some
[25:00] computers into them for a few thousand
[25:02] dollar to start upgrading those because
[25:04] we've had a few challenges. I got one on
[25:06] my desk right now that um I had to redo
[25:09] and it's not coming back online. So,
[25:12] » What are those things? But they're
[25:13] pretty old computers, but they're just
[25:15] workh horses and for what we're using
[25:16] for still. So, yes. And
[25:20] right now, yes.
[25:22] » Thank you.
[25:24] » Any other questions,
[25:26] comments?
[25:27] » Okay. Thank you.
[25:29] » Thank you. We'll move that item to next
[25:31] week's meeting. And item six,
[25:35] Commissioner Marino, I want to take that
[25:37] first. [clears throat]
[25:38] » Consider approving the FY2027
[25:41] emergency management performance grant
[25:43] work agreement and authorize the board
[25:46] chair person to sign the same.
[25:50] We have director Gennis. Morning.
[25:52] » Morning. So this is the uh work
[25:55] agreement uh signature page that we've
[25:58] seen ever since the UPG grant has
[26:00] started many years ago. So um it's just
[26:04] gives the uh scope of work of the grant
[26:07] and then the signature page goes back to
[26:09] the Michigan State Police follow the
[26:12] scope grant uh work of the grant. So
[26:17] again the grant seems to be going down
[26:19] and down each year. It used to be
[26:21] covering about 30 36% of the salary. Now
[26:24] it's about 8 to 11%. So that's just
[26:28] thanks to the feds. That's the amount of
[26:30] money that the state gets. That's how
[26:33] deciphers out for every count. So
[26:36] pretty self-explanatory. Like I said,
[26:38] it's you guys have all seen this
[26:41] anything
[26:42] » Numerous times.
[26:42] » Yep.
[26:44] » Okay. Any questions?
[26:47] » Perfect. Thank you. We will move that to
[26:50] next week's meeting and brings us down
[26:53] to item eight.
[26:57] Item seven.
[26:58] » Sure. Got ahead of myself.
[27:02] » I do that sometimes.
[27:04] » Consider approving the agreement for
[27:06] extension services between Michigan
[27:08] State University and Isabella County for
[27:10] fiscal year 2027
[27:13] in the amount of $178,724.
[27:18] and authorized the board chairperson to
[27:20] sign the same. Thank you, Eric.
[27:22] » Yeah, thank you. Um, so I didn't know
[27:27] many of you know now that I was called
[27:29] for jury duty, so we didn't know if we
[27:30] were going to gonna be here today or not
[27:32] because but I didn't have to report. So
[27:34] would you want me to talk about the the
[27:36] annual report now please?
[27:38] » Okay. Okay. So um this is the 2025
[27:41] annual report. We're always year back so
[27:43] as we're collecting data but so it was a
[27:45] very strong year. We're we're very
[27:47] fortunate as well county obviously with
[27:49] with your support but uh the added staff
[27:52] that we bring in outside of this
[27:54] contract that we have here and so um
[27:56] just you know to talk about we have
[27:59] Misty Oval who is a farm stress educator
[28:02] Liz Advent link who is uh taking over
[28:04] our 4 program just a great job back
[28:07] » Yeah great job with that and she's our
[28:10] food safety educator we have Danielle
[28:12] Shrock who is over she's not housed here
[28:15] but she covers Bella County. One of the
[28:16] things that we've been working on is
[28:19] continuing to to gain traction uh for
[28:22] our master gardener program. And so she
[28:25] is now um the person that is, I think,
[28:29] really doing a great job in building,
[28:31] you know, reconnecting with the groups
[28:33] that were uh in that. We have
[28:35] highlighted in the report. Um we have um
[28:38] a project that's happening at the
[28:39] Discovery Museum that she's been working
[28:41] on over there for about two years now.
[28:43] So, uh, that's been going really good.
[28:45] Uh, Alisa Gman, uh, she is our
[28:48] extension, uh, tribal educator. So, she
[28:51] is split between our Isabella County
[28:53] office and Sang Chipa tribal, uh,
[28:55] college. um she's doing uh a lot of work
[28:59] uh in the sovereignty space and I know
[29:01] there was a question about that uh
[29:03] before but connecting uh with the
[29:05] indigenous tribes uh throughout the
[29:07] state really kind of throughout the
[29:09] country um kind of you know
[29:13] engaging those communities I think kind
[29:16] of talking with them connecting with
[29:18] them uh growing and learning together
[29:20] with them uh obviously we've had non
[29:22] we've been fortunate to have non gross
[29:24] uh for for a number of years. Uh Sabrina
[29:27] McGee. Uh this would be one of the um we
[29:31] did lose Sabrina because they cut the um
[29:33] SNAPD program, but Sabrina was on staff
[29:36] and so some of the numbers reported in
[29:38] there. Um she was still working for part
[29:40] of that year. So um she was there. And
[29:42] then we have Monica Jean who um has is
[29:46] our egg educator. So uh she's doing a
[29:48] lot of work out in the in the egg
[29:51] community. And tomorrow there's actually
[29:52] a field of cover crops. Um I don't know
[29:55] it's if you know about it I'm assuming
[29:57] but over at Gross Farm. So there's a a
[30:00] presentation that she'll be doing over
[30:01] there tomorrow. Um and then happy to go
[30:05] through I know this was pretty hot off
[30:07] the press for all of you but um this
[30:09] will all be posted online too um if
[30:12] there are specific questions um as we go
[30:16] through the January 4 I think. Um, happy
[30:20] to deal with any questions or
[30:23] » You forgot to mention Misty.
[30:25] » Yeah, Misty Oel. Yep. She was one of the
[30:27] first ones. She's our uh farm stress
[30:29] educator. She's also doing health. Um,
[30:32] and I think one of the other cool parts
[30:34] about I mean there's a lot of cool parts
[30:36] about extension. I um sincerely mean
[30:39] that. Um, but we have all these
[30:40] different educators like talking earlier
[30:42] with Commissioner Hope that you know
[30:44] there's uh, you know, we have pine tree
[30:46] experts that are in our district that
[30:49] still support uh, the different
[30:51] communities. We have integrated pest
[30:53] management. We have Tai Chi that not so
[30:56] much here because I think they have
[30:57] other staff but uh that do that at this
[30:59] commission on aging but that you know we
[31:01] have all these touch points that um you
[31:04] know the experts from around the state
[31:06] and then we also have experts on campus
[31:08] that we that we work with. And so I
[31:10] think that's just another point that I'd
[31:12] like to to share and remind people
[31:15] about. If you have questions that you're
[31:16] not not sure of, we have the ask the
[31:18] expert. Um, so if you go [clears throat]
[31:20] on MSU Extension and you have a
[31:22] question, it could be we get thousands
[31:25] of these uh questions, but you know, it
[31:27] could be it could be about trees, it
[31:29] could be about pests, it could be a
[31:31] picture of a we found a caterpillar when
[31:34] I was with my little guys the weekend.
[31:35] I'm like, what is that? I'm like, I have
[31:37] no idea. We're going to take a picture
[31:39] and send it in and see if we can figure
[31:40] out what it is. So,
[31:43] um, but so any other
[31:47] questions? Wasn't a gypsy mozzle?
[31:49] » No, we we know those
[31:52] from you.
[31:53] » Yeah.
[31:56] » Any questions, Mr. Carbowski?
[32:01] » Okay. Well, thank you.
[32:02] » Thank you.
[32:03] » And then with regards to the MOA, um
[32:05] it's the same British standard
[32:08] memorandum of agreement that we've had
[32:10] over the years. So, appreciate uh Brian
[32:12] and Chris meeting with me and kind of
[32:14] talking through uh those different
[32:16] spaces. We did a 3% overall increase,
[32:18] but um so but it looks pretty much the
[32:22] same as it has in the past. So
[32:23] » Cool.
[32:25] » Okay,
[32:27] » Thank you very much. And we will move
[32:29] that item to next week's
[32:31] » Agenda. And I believe that brings us to
[32:35] item eight. And Commissioner Swain
[32:37] » Consider approving the individual
[32:39] services contracts between the Isabella
[32:41] County Commission on Aging and James
[32:43] Vander. Karen
[32:46] Wangdonski,
[32:48] Angela Mcgherk, Judith Schwarz, Steve
[32:51] Wood, and Mary Elger to provide activity
[32:54] services effective October 1st, 2026
[32:57] through September 30th, 2029. I thought
[33:00] board chair to sign. My apologies to
[33:03] Karen.
[33:04] » That's okay.
[33:06] Sure, it's happened before.
[33:07] » I stumbled over.
[33:09] » Well, good morning. Um so before you
[33:11] this are our contracts for our personal
[33:13] service uh for our instructors for our
[33:16] activities program. So all these
[33:18] individuals teach other fitness classes.
[33:20] So the other one is our um is our
[33:23] painting instructor that we've had for
[33:25] so many years. And we're so fortunate to
[33:27] have all of these wonderful individuals
[33:28] who continue to want to work for us and
[33:30] who have been here for so long um and
[33:32] have such a great following here um with
[33:35] our with our guests. So, um, all of
[33:38] these individuals, they have, um,
[33:39] they're not, it's not an an employee
[33:42] position, so they are, um, individual
[33:44] contractors with us.
[33:50] » Lots of activities.
[33:51] » Lots of activities.
[33:53] » Yes.
[33:53] » Yeah, it's very, very fun. Very popular.
[33:56] » Yeah. Good. Any any questions or
[33:58] comments
[34:01] for gentlemen here?
[34:04] Thank you.
[34:06] And we'll move that item to next week's
[34:08] agenda. And item nine, Commissioner um
[34:13] Weber.
[34:14] » Yep. Consider approving the region 7
[34:17] area on aging contract drill agreement
[34:19] and other required documents for the
[34:21] fiscal year 2027 through fiscal year
[34:24] 2029 and authorize the board chairperson
[34:26] to sign the same and therefore accepts
[34:28] the funding for services.
[34:31] So this is our annual agreement that we
[34:33] have every year with Legion 7 area
[34:35] agency on aging and the funding we
[34:37] receive from them helps support our
[34:39] inhome services programs and also our
[34:41] nutrition programs. Um and with that it
[34:43] represents approximately 20% of those
[34:46] budgets of the total budgets that we
[34:48] have for them. Um very important for us
[34:50] to receive this funding and it as of
[34:53] this year it looks like they've um
[34:54] increased it to a three-year agreement.
[34:56] Typically, it's a one year. So, I'm
[34:58] curious if that that changed with that,
[34:59] but it's everything is says uh three
[35:01] years. So, um which would be wonderful
[35:04] in itself.
[35:07] » Okay. Does this support the um Medicare
[35:12] Medicaid uh informationational
[35:16] » We do that just on our own like the med
[35:19] med
[35:20] » We do that. We don't receive
[35:21] reimbursement for that. That's just
[35:23] something that our staff does for the
[35:24] community. So we no longer receive any
[35:26] reimbursement for it. Um
[35:28] » We used to right
[35:29] » There was there used to be that state
[35:31] program um the MAP Michigan the
[35:34] » Okay. Yeah. Yeah.
[35:35] » That program they did away with it state
[35:37] level.
[35:38] » Oh
[35:38] » Um but we have continued to do it here
[35:40] as long as our staff are able to
[35:42] continue to do that just because it is
[35:44] such a huge need in our community and um
[35:48] so so do that. It's still complicated.
[35:51] Yeah.
[35:52] » Which that's coming up October 7th.
[35:54] that's going to be begin here. So,
[35:55] October one, they start taking
[35:56] appointments. Um, and that becomes a
[35:58] really, really busy six weeks here for
[36:00] our staff and volunteers. I mean, they
[36:02] couldn't do it without the volunteers
[36:03] that we have that help us with that as
[36:05] well. But, yeah, we receive nothing for
[36:06] that. Um, area agency does have an
[36:09] educator though that we've started
[36:10] leaning on who will come here and she'll
[36:12] provide seminars.
[36:14] » Oh, okay.
[36:14] » Um, so that is something we have stepped
[36:16] back on, back away from, um, and
[36:18] allowing asking them to take it on and
[36:20] she's done that. So, I think quarterly
[36:22] she comes here and and I think she's
[36:24] here later this month and we'll just do
[36:26] an educational session and then if
[36:27] people want to sign on up for one-on-
[36:29] ones and they do that with our team.
[36:32] » Yep. I've done that. I've signed up for
[36:35] Medicare last year. So, it's a it's a a
[36:39] great help.
[36:41] » Somebody hold your hand and walk you
[36:44] through.
[36:45] » They're so knowledgeable.
[36:46] » Yeah. It's a gift to our community for
[36:48] sure.
[36:49] » Yep. It is. Any
[36:52] other questions or comments?
[36:56] Okay. Thank you.
[37:00] And that brings us to item 10. Chairman,
[37:04] you want to take that one or excuse me.
[37:06] Consider approving the fiscal year 2027
[37:10] through fiscal year 2029 Isabella County
[37:13] Commission on Aging nutritional site
[37:16] agreements for congregant meal sites
[37:20] with Shepard United Methodist Church at
[37:22] the rate of $150 per month. Fremont
[37:26] Fremont Township Wind Community
[37:29] Buildings at the rate of $300 per month.
[37:32] Rosebush Presbyterian Church at the rate
[37:35] of $100 per month in the Sherman
[37:38] Township Wayman at a rate of $250 per
[37:41] month and authorize the board
[37:43] chairperson to decide to save.
[37:45] » So this is our annual agreement which
[37:48] we've now this per legal we were able to
[37:50] do this. We've extended it to a
[37:51] three-year contract which is helpful for
[37:52] not only us but all of these entities as
[37:55] well. Um, but this is allows us to
[37:58] utilize their space throughout the
[37:59] community so we can offer our congregate
[38:01] meal sites outside of here. So, we have
[38:03] it at these four locations in addition
[38:04] to here. Um, we do have a change
[38:07] starting October one and it's in
[38:09] Rosebush. So, prior to this, we've
[38:10] always been at Rose Bush Manor and this
[38:13] year starting October one, our location
[38:15] was changing to the Rosebush
[38:16] Presbyterian Church, which is just right
[38:18] next door to Rose Bush Manor. Um, and
[38:21] it's merely because of space. uh
[38:23] Rosebush Manor expanded and created more
[38:26] rooms, but the lunch space did not get
[38:30] larger and so there's a lot more folks
[38:32] in there and so we really are having a
[38:34] hard time having room for the public to
[38:36] come to that congregate site. So by
[38:38] moving next door to the church um our
[38:42] meal site facility is so excited to be
[38:44] able to welcome more community older
[38:46] adults to come in for those congregate
[38:48] meals. On those days though, we are
[38:50] going to still continue to provide meals
[38:52] to Rose Bush Manor just because we've
[38:54] done that ever since on those Monday,
[38:56] Wednesday, Fridays. So on those days,
[38:58] our bulk drivers will still deliver the
[39:00] meals to them as well and then we'll
[39:01] have it at our meal site there. So
[39:02] they'll still get our meal on those
[39:04] three days a week.
[39:05] » Sounds like improvement efficiencies.
[39:07] » Absolutely. And just to just to to get
[39:10] more community involvement. I mean,
[39:12] that's our goal is to, you know, to help
[39:15] people not be isolated and in their
[39:16] home. We want them out and and
[39:18] socializing with others and that's will
[39:19] give us the space to do that. And she's
[39:21] so excited about doing some of the
[39:23] activities that we have having room to
[39:25] do dancing and all sorts of fun
[39:27] activities. So it'll be good good for
[39:29] the community. [clears throat]
[39:31] » Nice of Rose Bush Presbyterian to step
[39:34] up and
[39:36] » Absolutely.
[39:39] » And these rates look the same to me as
[39:43] they they have been for several years.
[39:45] They are they're all the same except for
[39:46] the Rose push one and that just
[39:48] increased by $10 a month by switching
[39:50] that location. Everything else is the
[39:51] same.
[39:54] » Excellent.
[39:56] » Good. Any questions, comments on that
[39:58] item? Uh if not, we'll move that to next
[40:02] week's meeting and item 11. Commissioner
[40:05] Kent Paul, you want to take that?
[40:07] review and assess the semianual 2%
[40:10] application from the Isabella County
[40:13] Commission on Aging requesting $572,554
[40:21] programs and services.
[40:24] » So, this is certainly a um a team
[40:27] effort. our our 2% applications every
[40:30] year. Our managers are involved in it
[40:32] with me and so we together um create
[40:35] this application and one thing in the
[40:38] past that the tribe had asked is that we
[40:39] provide the same application in the
[40:41] spring and the fall. So this is the same
[40:43] one that you saw this spring. Uh and
[40:45] then anything that we are hopeful that
[40:47] we are we're fortunate enough to receive
[40:49] anything everything is total and we
[40:51] spend it all within this fiscal year. So
[40:53] if we do receive something from this in
[40:55] November, it comes back to this fiscal
[40:57] year and applied to fiscal year 26. Um
[41:00] so we've been so fortunate, you know,
[41:02] since 95, we've received over $10.8
[41:04] million from the tribe here in division
[41:07] on aging and um you know, as other funds
[41:11] continue to go down, we rely heavier and
[41:13] heavier on it. So we're so thankful for
[41:15] what we're ever able to receive.
[41:19] » Yes.
[41:20] Uh the mission on aging is near and dear
[41:24] to their heart
[41:26] that
[41:27] » Yep. Yes.
[41:30] We all are. Any other any questions or
[41:32] comments? Okay, we'll move that to next
[41:35] week's
[41:37] uh agenda. Thank you.
[41:41] And item 12. Commissioner Marino, you
[41:43] want to take item?
[41:45] » We're on 12, aren't we?
[41:46] » Yeah. Okay.
[41:51] Review and assess the semianual 2%
[41:54] application from the Isabella 911
[41:57] Emergency Management Department
[41:59] requesting $47,500,000
[42:02] for emergency management hazard
[42:05] mitigation plan.
[42:09] And so this plan um you guys remember in
[42:13] 2017 you have to have a hazard
[42:15] mitigation plan uh registered through
[42:17] the state of Michigan and through the
[42:18] federal government to receive funding
[42:20] from a disaster. Uh and it's specific
[42:24] earmarked funds that if there's a
[42:26] presidential uh declaration, they
[42:28] earmark hazard mitigation fundings to
[42:31] litigate that project and hopefully
[42:33] communities can receive that money. Um
[42:38] there was about in 2017 we had quite a
[42:41] few since we had the plan in place at
[42:43] the ear marks funds quite a few like
[42:46] Mount Pleasant Community Memorial
[42:47] Stadium was one of them. CMU utilize
[42:50] some money for their baseball stadium
[42:51] and stuff like that. So currently our
[42:54] plan is set to expire January [snorts]
[42:56] 28 and the city of Mount Pleasant uh
[43:00] informed me that the state of Michigan
[43:02] has some hazard mitigation funding
[43:03] available. So they put in an application
[43:06] for it and they're set to receive that
[43:08] money. However, they have to have a
[43:11] balon hazard mitigation plan that is
[43:13] approved by FEMA in the state of
[43:14] Michigan. Ours is set to expire in 2028.
[43:17] I'm pretty confident that this project
[43:19] is going to last more than 2028. So
[43:21] therefore, I'm requesting the I have
[43:24] short-term notice and this I figured a
[43:26] great way to apply for the funding to
[43:28] pay for the for the plant be done
[43:31] through 2% request.
[43:36] pretty important thing to have. Yeah.
[43:40] » Any questions? Yes, sir.
[43:41] » I just want to thank the city of Mount
[43:42] Pleasant for helping out. That's a
[43:44] really good collaboration between this.
[43:46] » Yeah. Jason Moore and myself have been
[43:48] having a lot of conversations about
[43:50] this. So, we'll be in contact
[43:55] very regularly when this project goes.
[44:01] Okay. Any any further discussion on item
[44:05] 12?
[44:07] Okay. We'll move this to next week's
[44:09] meeting. Thanks.
[44:11] » Uh and item 13, Commissioner Jones.
[44:13] That's
[44:14] » Review and assess the semianual 2%
[44:17] application from the Humane Animal
[44:19] Treatment Society requesting $50,000 for
[44:22] shelter improvements.
[44:24] So their request for the 50,000 is
[44:27] broken down into uh some categories. The
[44:30] first one is uh supporting the spray
[44:33] neuter services 10,000.
[44:37] The second one is uh supporting
[44:39] medically complex dogs through the
[44:41] Holton fund, $10,000.
[44:44] Disease prevention and sanitation,
[44:46] $7,500
[44:49] replacement shelter grade beds, $7,500.
[44:54] outdoor play, enrichment, adoption
[44:56] space, $15,000.
[44:59] So, it's a kind of a broad improvement
[45:03] for the facilities there and the care of
[45:04] the animals that's are trusted to hats.
[45:08] » Thank you. And we do have someone from
[45:10] hats online.
[45:12] » Oh, I'm sorry.
[45:13] » Hello.
[45:14] » Oh, you did fine. Hi, Taz.
[45:16] » Hi. How are you?
[45:18] » Good.
[45:19] » Uh, yeah. So, this is um a it's a broad
[45:22] request. Uh but all of these pieces help
[45:25] care for the animals from the start of
[45:27] their journey to when they ultimately
[45:29] find a home within our clinic. We have
[45:31] had quite a difficult season when it
[45:33] comes to disease prevention. So, a lot
[45:35] of our budget supplies that have been
[45:36] allocated to um things like rescue have
[45:40] been um expensed far sooner than we
[45:42] anticipated and we know that this would
[45:43] help take care of that. Some of the
[45:46] other pieces that we're asking for in
[45:47] this request are ultimately improvements
[45:51] that um take care of things that we have
[45:54] utilized for some things over a decade.
[45:57] So, for example, supporting spayneuter
[45:59] services. We have an autoclave that
[46:01] we've used for numerous years. That
[46:03] autoclave is the heart of what we do. It
[46:05] sterilizes all of our equipment. Uh we
[46:07] have spayed and neutered over a thousand
[46:09] animals so far this year. without that
[46:12] autoclave being replaced soon that could
[46:14] shut our clinic down for an unknown
[46:16] amount of time as that piece of
[46:17] equipment alone is about $15,000.
[46:20] Uh so uh these are just like I said
[46:22] pieces our our beds those ultimately
[46:25] impact the health of the animals and
[46:27] keep some of our vet costs down and
[46:30] those have not been replaced in numerous
[46:31] years as well. So all of these again
[46:34] just from start to finish of their
[46:35] journey impacts the the whole journey of
[46:37] the animals in our shelter.
[46:42] Okay.
[46:45] Any questions, comments?
[46:48] Done a thousand spay and neuters already
[46:51] this year.
[46:52] » Correct.
[46:53] » That's amazing.
[46:55] » We're pretty proud of that.
[46:57] » Yes. As you should be. Yep. That's good
[46:59] work you're doing.
[47:00] » Thank you.
[47:01] » Thank you. Well, stay online because
[47:04] we're going to have one more uh topic
[47:05] and then we'll bring your contract
[47:07] extension back up. So just
[47:09] » Absolutely.
[47:11] » Okay. Thank you. Uh and any other
[47:14] discussion on that item? Hearing none,
[47:16] we'll move that to next week's meeting.
[47:19] And brings us to item 14. And I think
[47:23] we're over to Commissioner Mareno.
[47:26] » Sweeny Sweeney. Sorry.
[47:28] » Yeah. uh review and assess the
[47:30] semiannual 2% application from Isabella
[47:33] County requesting $53,500
[47:37] for the county coupla restoration
[47:39] project.
[47:42] » Sure.
[47:43] » Sure.
[47:44] » Uh
[47:47] I've been getting uh rough estimations
[47:49] as far as uh restoring the Klo currently
[47:54] sits at the courthouse. Uh that
[47:57] structure was built in 1876.
[48:00] Uh currently it is in dire condition. Uh
[48:04] there is a lot of rot uh to the historic
[48:09] coup and it's basically just sitting
[48:11] there falling down. uh you're trying to
[48:15] um put together uh funding for for
[48:19] restoration, keeping it in the
[48:21] historical significance
[48:24] and as well as putting a fence around it
[48:28] to protect it for future use. So,
[48:36] um
[48:37] I'm I'm glad to see that you're doing
[48:42] the thing is in rough shape in need of
[48:45] restoration. Have you uh reached out to
[48:48] the historical society folks at all?
[48:50] » They just actually reached out to me
[48:51] this morning.
[48:52] » Okay.
[48:52] » So, I'll be
[48:54] » Yep. They've been they've had a
[48:56] committee together and plans to do this
[48:59] for quite some time. So hopefully we can
[49:01] work with them and uh get this thing
[49:05] done.
[49:06] » Absolutely.
[49:07] » Cool. Any questions, comments?
[49:12] 2% request. Okay, we'll move that to
[49:16] next week's meeting
[49:19] and item 15. And I think we're up to
[49:23] Commissioner Weber.
[49:25] » Consider approving the addendum to
[49:26] agreement for animal shelter services
[49:28] with the Humane Animal Treatment Society
[49:31] and authorized board chairs person to
[49:33] sign the same.
[49:37] » So again, we have Tessa online. There's
[49:40] been some changeover at hats and the
[49:42] contract is up on September 30th and so
[49:46] we're still negotiating and in an effort
[49:50] to get Tessa kind of, you know, her feet
[49:53] wet and everything that she's doing even
[49:54] though you're on the board and stuff, I
[49:55] want to make sure that we had a chance
[49:57] to to sit down and negotiate
[50:00] um the contract. And so what we're going
[50:02] to be doing is that asking for a 60-day
[50:04] extension, but at the same time, Tessa
[50:06] and the board will be coming in front of
[50:08] H to do a presentation
[50:10] uh either at the end of this month or
[50:11] early October um for the board uh to
[50:17] kind of look over their upcoming
[50:19] contract on what they're asking for. And
[50:22] so I want to make sure that they have an
[50:24] ample opportunity to come up and kind of
[50:26] give their uh update and their uh reason
[50:30] why uh they feel uh their request is uh
[50:35] appropriate. So is that in a nutshell,
[50:38] Tessa?
[50:39] » Yep. Absolutely.
[50:42] » Sounds like a sensible plan. Any uh any
[50:45] questions on that?
[50:49] Okay, then we will move that to next
[50:51] week's meeting.
[50:52] » Thank you.
[50:53] » Thank you.
[50:56] » Brings us to item 16. Chairman, you want
[50:59] to pick that up?
[51:01] » Sure. Um, budget amendment 2026-34
[51:08] BC for the general fund.
[51:11] » Hi, good morning.
[51:12] » Hi, good morning.
[51:14] So, these are most of our uh year-end
[51:18] budgets that we look at. Anything that's
[51:20] uh uh $25,000 or over for equipment
[51:23] needs to come before you. And uh
[51:25] anything $50,000 or over uh needs to
[51:28] come before you. So, these are those
[51:30] amendments.
[51:32] Um for the general fund, you'll see most
[51:35] of those are for the sheriff's
[51:37] department is different departments. Uh
[51:41] the uh main one being um under the
[51:45] expenditures is going to be just moving
[51:47] those uh two deputies that we budgeted
[51:49] for. We had a sheriff's contingency and
[51:50] we moved them up. So I just wanted to
[51:53] give you a heads up about that. We'll
[51:54] start up at the top under uh revenue or
[51:56] fund balance. Uh the first one is for
[51:59] third party contribution uh for special
[52:01] tax litigation. This dollar amount is
[52:04] the amount that um the county was unable
[52:06] to receive thirdparty contributions to
[52:08] help us out from from other
[52:10] municipalities. So, this is the amount
[52:12] that uh general fund has paid on behalf
[52:14] of DTR. Um and you'll see on the next
[52:16] budget amendment, you're going to see a
[52:18] transfer in from DTR to to help us uh
[52:21] recover that $19.
[52:24] Uh the next one in is a a transfer in um
[52:27] other funds. It's coming in from uh
[52:29] Sheriff's Commissary. uh he just spoke
[52:32] to you about those vehicles, assuming
[52:34] that you folks will approve his uh
[52:36] request for those vehicles. The budget
[52:38] amendments are here so that we can bring
[52:40] in uh the the amount that's coming in
[52:42] from commissary is uh some money that
[52:45] come in from MMRA and and went to his
[52:47] commissary account. So, he'll transfer
[52:49] that in to help purchase that vehicle.
[52:52] Um the next two you'll see are um one
[52:55] sale of fixed assets, one's an insurance
[52:56] settlement that's already um that we're
[52:59] we're doing a budget amendment. show
[53:00] that money coming in from MMRA
[53:03] um and the sale of the fixed asset that
[53:05] sheriff intends to uh intends to get
[53:08] when he sells the car. So, those are the
[53:10] um the ones he needed to make those
[53:12] purchases they just talked to you about.
[53:14] Uh the other one, we're bumping up the
[53:16] local revenue for Village of Lake
[53:18] Isabella. We now have a signed contract
[53:19] on that. So, you'll also see down in the
[53:21] expenditures, you're going to see
[53:22] expenditures booked for that too now
[53:24] that we're creating a budget.
[53:27] Um any questions on those revenues on
[53:30] the top part?
[53:32] Okay, we'll move on down to
[53:33] expenditures.
[53:35] Um again, I just mentioned, you know,
[53:37] when we uh budgeted originally in our
[53:39] budget for the um the two deputies, we
[53:42] had it sitting in uh sheriff's
[53:44] contingency. We're now moving that out
[53:46] of there. Once the budget was adopted,
[53:48] we're able to put that up where it goes.
[53:49] Um that touches so many of his lineups.
[53:53] So, that's why you're seeing a lot of
[53:54] the all of those line items touched
[53:56] there. Um, you'll also see under new
[54:00] vehicles, uh, we've bumped that up by
[54:02] that 46,000 that that Sheriff just spoke
[54:04] to you about. Um, we had some overtime,
[54:08] uh, that we were able to decrease.
[54:10] That's a great thing.
[54:14] When you come down a little bit, um, 301
[54:17] is the main, uh, department for sheriff.
[54:20] And then we come down to to department
[54:22] 309
[54:23] and the department 311. Those two are um
[54:29] for the uh SRO officer, the school
[54:32] resource officer. We moved some monies
[54:35] out of their uh where that employee was
[54:39] budgeted and and moved it over to the
[54:41] Lake Pellet contract. That employee over
[54:43] the summertime wasn't at out at the
[54:45] school. So just moving those around to
[54:47] put them where they belong. no no extra
[54:49] money spent by by sheriff. He's
[54:51] completely within his budget. Um so
[54:53] that's a great thing there. Uh the last
[54:56] one, uh just a few um changes to
[54:59] department 351. That's your uh that's
[55:02] the jail, that's the corrections
[55:03] department. Um we are decreasing medical
[55:07] services. Um we had come before the
[55:10] board earlier where we were hoping to to
[55:12] save some money with Welf. So, we've
[55:14] decreased that and then um had to
[55:17] increase inmate prescriptions obviously.
[55:19] Um sheriff had some unknown building
[55:21] repairs and maintenance come up that
[55:23] that we're working on right now. So,
[55:24] that'll cover those. So, any specific
[55:28] questions on any particular line item
[55:32] by chance or anything I can expand on
[55:35] more help you understand those ones?
[55:38] » No.
[55:40] » Overall, we did really really good this
[55:42] year. See, there's a $10,000 decrease of
[55:44] food. So, because in May
[55:48] housing being down,
[55:50] » I don't think so. I think actually
[55:52] » I pull a question, sir.
[55:54] » Oh, there's a reduction in the budget
[55:56] for food with 10,000
[55:58] fraction. Is that because of inmate
[56:01] housing numbers down?
[56:03] » Yeah, the ADPs are are down right now.
[56:04] They're about 130 to 145, which right
[56:07] now has been we were running around 150
[56:10] 155. That'll decrease it.
[56:16] » Yeah. Thank for helping me out.
[56:22] » Okay. Any questions, comments
[56:25] [clears throat] on that one? If not,
[56:26] we'll move uh that to next week's
[56:28] meeting and we'll go to item 17, budget
[56:30] amendment 2026-35
[56:33] BOC.
[56:37] » Okay. This one is for the other funds
[56:39] other than general fund. Um, starting up
[56:42] the top under revenue or fund balance,
[56:45] you'll see the one we just talked about
[56:46] about DTR transferring in to help cover
[56:49] that that case that went to the uh,
[56:51] state supreme court or excuse me, our
[56:55] Supreme Court. Uh, there's that $197
[56:58] $197,000
[57:00] coming in. Um, that'll come into general
[57:02] fund. Obviously, we just talked about
[57:03] that's going to go hit that revenue line
[57:05] item. Um you see the transfer out uh for
[57:09] that insurance settlement we're
[57:11] increasing incre I'm sorry it's the
[57:14] increase in to buff up the revenue light
[57:17] item first to recognize the MMRMA
[57:20] uh insurance settlement. So that comes
[57:23] in
[57:24] under unreserved fund balance for uh
[57:27] fund 264 and 265
[57:31] those those are two of sheriff's funds.
[57:33] Uh, one of them is the sheriff's escrow.
[57:36] The other one is a training fund. We
[57:39] decreased those because sheriff was able
[57:41] to save us some money. Um, we're using
[57:44] we're decreasing fund balance. He was
[57:45] able to run um some of his training that
[57:48] normally general fund would have to pay
[57:49] for. He was able to utilize those funds
[57:51] and we didn't plan on that ahead of
[57:53] time. So, uh, we're able to just reduce
[57:55] the fund balance. The cash is already
[57:56] there to to cover all of that and has
[57:59] been covered.
[58:00] Um we have a little bit of use of fund
[58:03] balance in uh fund 290 that is um to
[58:08] cover the uh Michigan county social
[58:10] services dues uh for that particular
[58:13] fund.
[58:15] Just a little bit goes there. Uh front
[58:17] of the court um I think I budgeted a
[58:20] little too conservatively on our
[58:22] transfer out fund um to them to to cover
[58:25] them for the year and it made me a
[58:26] little nervous when I looked at like
[58:27] what we may have coming back in. So, I
[58:29] wanted to um I I think I thought we
[58:32] better uh use a little fund balance
[58:34] there. 9,000. Hopefully, we don't have
[58:36] to use all of that, but if we do, I I
[58:38] just want to make sure it's already
[58:39] there so that we don't have a fund come
[58:41] in and having a negative fund balance.
[58:44] Um and the other one was community
[58:46] corrections. Um that's fund 259. Um that
[58:50] one we're going to use 11,000 um a fund
[58:53] balance also because we had to increase
[58:55] some uh tether payments um and some
[58:58] health insurance for the NAP fund.
[59:01] Uh so those ones are the revenue and or
[59:03] use of fund balance expenditures. You'll
[59:06] see the offset of these down here. Uh
[59:10] first one's your transfer out of commas
[59:12] or out of DTR. Um, that's money is going
[59:14] into general fund. Sheriff's uh transfer
[59:17] out of the uh insurance settlement money
[59:21] going in. It's going to go into general
[59:22] fund for his cars. Um,
[59:27] the
[59:28] uh adjustments to the um is it Sharon?
[59:32] What is it called? Vocal area
[59:35] training. Is that what the one is
[59:36] called?
[59:38] » Yes.
[59:38] » Uh so that fund thank you again for
[59:41] helping me out. and his escrow there.
[59:43] We're booking some um expenditures there
[59:45] because again that's where we uh he
[59:47] helped us out by paying in some of the
[59:49] uh training out of those two funds. Uh
[59:52] the next one is fund 290 or seeing that
[59:54] expenditure control for the dues to the
[59:57] Michigan county social services.
[1:00:00] Um for front of the court fund 215 the
[1:00:04] next two line items you can see an
[1:00:05] adjustment to health insurance and work
[1:00:07] comp. Um I think those are going to come
[1:00:09] in over a budget. So, I want to make
[1:00:10] sure I bump those up.
[1:00:13] And then, um, and that would be I just
[1:00:15] want to preface that that that would be,
[1:00:17] uh, no reflection on the courts
[1:00:20] whatsoever on their management of that.
[1:00:22] That would be either changes in
[1:00:23] personnel that we didn't didn't plan for
[1:00:26] or I very well might have just
[1:00:27] underbudgeted those two on accident um
[1:00:30] or or by mistake not not put enough in
[1:00:34] those two. So, just want to make sure
[1:00:35] that you folks that that's nothing that
[1:00:37] the courts is mismanaging by all means.
[1:00:39] Um, and then we talked about community
[1:00:41] corrections. That's fund 259 at the end.
[1:00:44] Uh, bumped up health insurance and
[1:00:46] feathers.
[1:00:49] Any questions on those?
[1:00:55] Okay. Thank you. Hearing no questions,
[1:00:58] we will move that item to next week's
[1:01:01] meeting. And that completes the business
[1:01:05] items
[1:01:06] for today. We have no intergovernmental
[1:01:08] affairs, no administrator controller
[1:01:11] issues, no unfinished business, any new
[1:01:13] business. They're just down to general
[1:01:15] public comments. Anyone for general
[1:01:19] public comments?
[1:01:28] Okay, seeing no one for general public
[1:01:31] comments. Uh announcements,
[1:01:33] commissioners, any announcements? Yes,
[1:01:35] as I stated earlier, we we'd open up the
[1:01:39] discussion on on the insurance. So, um I
[1:01:42] do have some uh spent pretty much all
[1:01:45] weekend going over some numbers. Um I do
[1:01:48] have some uh cleanups I want to do a
[1:01:50] little bit. I feel as chairman I some of
[1:01:55] these need to be addressed a little bit
[1:01:58] uh more into the numbers a little bit
[1:02:01] more.
[1:02:02] Um, I'll start [clears throat] out a
[1:02:04] little bit story. First, we had our
[1:02:06] class reunion. We're talking about the
[1:02:09] things that we always got in trouble.
[1:02:11] And I know you guys think that I'm
[1:02:14] perfect. I never got in trouble as a
[1:02:16] teenager, but
[1:02:19] my sisters always said I never got
[1:02:20] grounded, which I never did, but my dad
[1:02:23] had a special punishment and put on and
[1:02:27] we actually had something that we that
[1:02:29] was actually a void.
[1:02:32] And it was dark. One exit spilled. These
[1:02:37] guys get up to 200 pounds in their
[1:02:38] beans. So, in the rare instance I got in
[1:02:42] trouble and I was in in there, I had to
[1:02:44] clean that out. And it was pretty much
[1:02:46] an all day job. Hot, sticky.
[1:02:49] I hate that job worse than I did picking
[1:02:51] stones.
[1:02:53] So,
[1:02:55] um, excuse my language a little bit. So
[1:02:58] when I tell you that I know is,
[1:03:00] I kind of know what is. So So
[1:03:03] there's some BS that I want to go
[1:03:05] through on here that that I really have
[1:03:07] to address as chairman that can't go
[1:03:09] through there. We're going to go through
[1:03:10] the numbers in here. So um one of the
[1:03:13] first ones I want to is is address is
[1:03:16] that somehow this board is balancing the
[1:03:20] budget on the back of the employees.
[1:03:24] So what I did is I asked the uh
[1:03:28] HR department and then and then our
[1:03:31] finance director to put up some numbers
[1:03:33] on there. So started out um I kind of
[1:03:37] used the 465 as a baseline which is kind
[1:03:40] of the the average. Um then you do the
[1:03:45] that's included the 2% cola marker rate
[1:03:48] adjustment would put it up to 47 uh 546.
[1:03:52] So that is where I started at the
[1:03:55] baseline. So a lot of these percentages
[1:03:58] will actually the lower you go the
[1:04:01] percentage will be the wage scale
[1:04:04] there'll be more. The higher you go on
[1:04:07] the wage scale it'll actually be less.
[1:04:09] So,
[1:04:10] and this is an idea I came going through
[1:04:13] here and I probably it's not legal or
[1:04:15] something, but too bad we can't prouate
[1:04:18] them to the amount that the base salary
[1:04:20] is, how much insurance you're paying,
[1:04:22] but I'm not sure if that's legal.
[1:04:24] Something for the insurance committee to
[1:04:26] consider because it does seem fair that
[1:04:28] people on the lower end of the pay scale
[1:04:31] is actually paying the same rate as the
[1:04:33] people on the top rate. So, I'm not sure
[1:04:36] if that's a tough thing. That's not my
[1:04:39] purview to do that. That's the insurance
[1:04:41] committee.
[1:04:42] So, let's dig into some of the numbers
[1:04:44] that we got here. Um,
[1:04:47] little bit uh let me tell you a little
[1:04:50] bit about myself a little bit on here.
[1:04:52] Some of you, but I am a simple farmer,
[1:04:55] but I've had a lot of different hats.
[1:04:56] So, I've served uh 17 years on a
[1:04:59] financial uh
[1:05:02] institution uh way back and I'm not
[1:05:06] going to say what year it is because
[1:05:07] it's a long time ago.
[1:05:09] The some of the financial institutions
[1:05:11] got in trouble with their book work. So,
[1:05:13] Sarbain Oxley was created law created by
[1:05:17] Congress to actually
[1:05:20] do better work. Um, I was tasked at that
[1:05:24] time
[1:05:26] to create an audit committee.
[1:05:30] Boy, it's going to feel good that much,
[1:05:32] Jim.
[1:05:35] So I was created to actually create the
[1:05:37] audit committee, set up the bylaws, hire
[1:05:41] the uh independent auditor, which could
[1:05:43] operate on a separate budget, separate
[1:05:45] on there, and then I was chairman of
[1:05:48] that for about five years until they
[1:05:52] kicked me around to an executive
[1:05:53] [clears throat] committee and then vice
[1:05:55] chair and eventually chairman. So
[1:05:58] [snorts]
[1:06:00] I do understand that some people don't
[1:06:02] like numbers but sometimes that's just
[1:06:04] kind of what I do. So anyway so what I
[1:06:07] did we took the base salary which is
[1:06:09] basically the middle
[1:06:12] people higher and less and this is about
[1:06:14] the average in there. So and then I also
[1:06:17] looked and I did look at some other
[1:06:18] plans but I don't want to take that much
[1:06:20] time for you guys. So what we did is we
[1:06:22] looked at the very the family plan which
[1:06:25] is the most and then I went through
[1:06:28] everyone
[1:06:29] um every plan. So I'll go briefly
[1:06:32] through them and so let's base salary
[1:06:38] 47547.
[1:06:40] Um so we're looking at the total
[1:06:43] compensation. Now this is just the total
[1:06:47] of healthc care compensation. it doesn't
[1:06:50] figure in the 401ks or the defined
[1:06:53] benefits which is another would be added
[1:06:56] to the numbers that I had here and I did
[1:06:58] not want to go there because it's
[1:07:01] probably another two or three days of
[1:07:03] going through the numbers. So
[1:07:05] any say so and I understand that what
[1:07:08] we're asking for is a reduction in the
[1:07:10] net take-home pay
[1:07:13] but we're looking at what the county
[1:07:15] offers and the total compensation
[1:07:19] package. So um like I said 21%. So going
[1:07:25] back to the base salary plan a family
[1:07:29] plan.
[1:07:31] So last year we were sitting at 81 total
[1:07:34] compensation package 81,750.
[1:07:38] Uh that was for fiscal year uh 26. This
[1:07:42] year we're looking at 38
[1:07:44] 97 or 970
[1:07:48] which if you figure it in it's about a
[1:07:50] total 6% in the total package
[1:07:54] increase. I understand that the debt is
[1:07:57] down, but we are offering a 6% increase
[1:07:59] in the total package. So, and these
[1:08:03] numbers kind of correlate up and down
[1:08:05] the things. So, they are they are
[1:08:06] different because they're a little
[1:08:07] different. And of course, the top plan
[1:08:10] is is a 5% they're asking for the county
[1:08:13] to do it and some of the other plans are
[1:08:14] 3%. So, they do go up. So, so I'm
[1:08:18] saying, well, maybe the top plan isn't
[1:08:21] the one. So, we went through all these.
[1:08:23] So,
[1:08:25] so plan B family, same things using the
[1:08:28] same baseline 475 46
[1:08:33] uh total compensation, you know, you
[1:08:35] look at they're all going to be the
[1:08:37] same. Uh, which is I said maybe not be
[1:08:40] fair, but that's the way the system is
[1:08:42] set up where the total compensation last
[1:08:44] year was 81,994.
[1:08:47] I'm just going to drop the pennies
[1:08:49] because I'm not going to do that. Uh
[1:08:51] this year the what the county is
[1:08:53] actually paying is 86,818.
[1:08:58] Um no less on this plan this plan you're
[1:09:01] talking about a 5.8%
[1:09:03] increase in your total compensation
[1:09:05] package
[1:09:08] not including the benefit package. So
[1:09:12] plan C, let's go. Uh same baseline,
[1:09:16] same numbers. Now this gets because it's
[1:09:18] a lower plan a different percentage.
[1:09:21] This is an increase of 5.2%.
[1:09:25] So um you know less less involved in the
[1:09:30] plan but it is less uh impact.
[1:09:34] I think that's the last I think that's
[1:09:36] all I did is
[1:09:39] yeah three top uh plans on there. So um
[1:09:49] so anyways so then I'm getting a general
[1:09:52] feel the the percentages are kind of
[1:09:55] tracking along between now plans. So so
[1:09:58] then I started to look at let's look at
[1:10:00] the comp to comparison. So um so we got
[1:10:05] comparisons between five other local
[1:10:07] units of how they pay their healthcare
[1:10:10] and as you can see I kind of spilled
[1:10:12] some coffee so
[1:10:16] and then we also looked at there are a
[1:10:19] lot of our surrounding counties
[1:10:22] and that's the other thing I looked into
[1:10:23] too. I asked what what's does the other
[1:10:26] municipalities in the state do and a
[1:10:29] majority are on an 8020 plan
[1:10:33] so um which three of the comparisons are
[1:10:37] on an 8020 plan um
[1:10:41] and then there brash playercasta macab
[1:10:44] Midland they all have hard caps
[1:10:47] um
[1:10:49] I think the highest cap was 22,000
[1:10:53] which means means that's the most that
[1:10:55] we can spend on insurance. So, um I
[1:10:58] think we're at 32,000 is what we're
[1:11:01] spending on there. So, there was one of
[1:11:04] them that had hard cap at 8,000. I don't
[1:11:06] know what kind of insurance you get on
[1:11:08] that. So, um [clears throat] I don't
[1:11:11] know if you want to go through these,
[1:11:13] but if you you look at Isabella counties
[1:11:15] and what and I do commend the insurance
[1:11:18] committee for the amount of work they
[1:11:20] they go into this because it was ton ton
[1:11:24] um you look at our plans uh you know the
[1:11:28] out of pocket costs the deductibles the
[1:11:33] co insurance costs our plan beats every
[1:11:36] plan out there I
[1:11:38] really want to go into the numbers.
[1:11:40] These are available and um and HR can go
[1:11:44] through you can actually
[1:11:47] my notes will be available if somebody
[1:11:49] wants to look at it. So,
[1:11:51] you know, as far as costs in here, we
[1:11:54] look at employer number one,
[1:11:58] uh, you know, they their plan one is a
[1:12:02] 20% plan,
[1:12:05] 5% network out of network 20%.
[1:12:08] Uh,
[1:12:10] lawyer number two, they pay 100%.
[1:12:13] Their deductible is very high. Lawyer
[1:12:16] number three, it's another 20% plan.
[1:12:20] um to you get their their number one
[1:12:22] plan. So I really we I know the
[1:12:26] insurance committee tried to keep the
[1:12:28] same level insurance on the plans. Um
[1:12:32] try to keep it. So I know looking
[1:12:35] personally looking at the plans the
[1:12:37] difference between if you're on an A
[1:12:39] plan now and uh you probably need to sit
[1:12:42] down with some HR because I think the B
[1:12:45] plan could get you pretty close to what
[1:12:47] you want.
[1:12:49] As a farmer, we do crop insurance and we
[1:12:51] have like a hundred different options.
[1:12:53] We have actually a computer program to
[1:12:56] go through them. So, some of the options
[1:12:58] need to be looked at. So, um I'm just
[1:13:01] pushing back. We are not balancing this
[1:13:03] budget on the back of our employees.
[1:13:06] We do not,
[1:13:08] you know, this board is responsible for
[1:13:11] the employees of the county, but we
[1:13:12] also, there is
[1:13:15] thousands of other people out there that
[1:13:16] we have to talk to and as I meet with
[1:13:19] different businessmen and every one of
[1:13:20] them are complaining about health
[1:13:22] insurance and everything and they're
[1:13:25] always ask me about the budget and so I
[1:13:27] have to justify
[1:13:29] where the money where we're going to
[1:13:30] spend the money at and uh you know I
[1:13:34] don't like it either with all the opt
[1:13:36] option we have are terrible ones.
[1:13:39] Whatever option you chose to go to,
[1:13:41] there's going to be downsides to it. So,
[1:13:45] anyways, I got these uh if you have it.
[1:13:50] Um, the other thing we we also have is
[1:13:54] that and I did there was an article
[1:13:56] going around with uh
[1:13:59] uh the Wall Street Journal about the
[1:14:01] cost for next year on the insurance and
[1:14:03] so where do we go and we try to keep
[1:14:06] this um pretty well level as we can. Um,
[1:14:12] but I'm going to push back because I do
[1:14:13] not think this board deserves
[1:14:16] being told that we're balancing this
[1:14:18] budget or not because it is it is an
[1:14:21] increase. It's not a good thing. I mean,
[1:14:24] we're asking to pay a little bit more,
[1:14:26] but but the insurance policy and
[1:14:29] everybody we'll go into that a little
[1:14:31] bit later about the policy. Um, but
[1:14:34] anyways, I just wanted to bring that up.
[1:14:36] Spent a lot of time on I could go a lot
[1:14:38] deeper into it. Um, any commissioners
[1:14:41] have anything, I could go there. Um, if
[1:14:45] the employees have something that's not
[1:14:48] my department that are their
[1:14:51] administrator's department, um, we try
[1:14:54] to keep those lines a little bit
[1:14:55] separate at times.
[1:14:58] So, anyways,
[1:15:00] I don't want to take too much of the
[1:15:01] time. So,
[1:15:03] h my other BS I'm going to call and I I
[1:15:07] really do call it this is what irritates
[1:15:09] me after all the work we've done and
[1:15:10] it's the transparency man where we're
[1:15:13] not transparent
[1:15:16] and you know if you can say it enough
[1:15:18] times and you think people are going to
[1:15:20] believe it. Well, maybe it is, but it's
[1:15:22] not. But I really think all the work
[1:15:25] we've done here that I really think
[1:15:27] that's a cheap shot to the board.
[1:15:30] There's a there's a term that I've used
[1:15:32] and I know
[1:15:35] you can see I'm kind of a little bit I
[1:15:37] probably should have brought some of
[1:15:38] this up at the time but you know these I
[1:15:41] actually have a term for it and I call
[1:15:43] it um
[1:15:45] drive by public comment but people will
[1:15:48] make comments here and they've never
[1:15:50] talked to me never talked to another
[1:15:53] commissioners they may make a comment
[1:15:56] and they're gone and I'm always
[1:15:58] available to talk things through and
[1:15:59] everything. Um, so let's look what we
[1:16:02] haven't done for this. Um, we tried and
[1:16:06] unfortunately our it is not very good
[1:16:10] but uh that's not a requirement to put
[1:16:12] everything on there. So we tried to put
[1:16:13] everything on so everybody can see if
[1:16:15] they can't make meeting. So what else
[1:16:18] did we do for transparency? But we got
[1:16:21] rid of all these subcommittees and we
[1:16:24] brought them all together here so that
[1:16:28] everybody here knows
[1:16:30] everybody our department heads can know
[1:16:32] and they can listen to the thing where
[1:16:33] before you'd have to go to this
[1:16:34] committee, you had to go to this
[1:16:36] committee, you had to go to the other
[1:16:38] committee. So this is all in one spot.
[1:16:43] The other thing we did is that we moved
[1:16:45] our meetings to five o'clock. So you're
[1:16:48] getting out of work, you can come and
[1:16:50] watch the meetings.
[1:16:52] And I've always said that,
[1:16:55] you know,
[1:16:57] it all is public comment, but if you
[1:16:58] have a question or something, pick up
[1:17:01] the phone. I said, we all have our phone
[1:17:03] numbers and things in there, and I get
[1:17:05] frustrated when people say stuff, and
[1:17:07] you know, we'll get complaints about the
[1:17:09] roads and everything, and we'll allow,
[1:17:11] but there's some stuff that that,
[1:17:13] you know, probably should be addressed.
[1:17:15] So, um, like I said, I've been on this
[1:17:19] board for 10 years, and I think it's the
[1:17:23] most transparent we ever been. I've set
[1:17:26] up emails and text messages and
[1:17:29] everything that the administrator knows
[1:17:32] that I know and then you guys get to
[1:17:35] know that. So, and it's and
[1:17:37] unfortunately, I've called you guys on a
[1:17:39] Saturday and sometimes in the morning,
[1:17:41] and I feel bad having to do that. And
[1:17:45] there are sometimes when I have to
[1:17:48] listen to lawyers, I can't release stuff
[1:17:50] right away, but pretty much whenever I
[1:17:51] can, unless I have to listen to legal
[1:17:54] advice, which is rare, but sometimes
[1:17:56] that happens, or something that is not
[1:17:59] complete.
[1:18:00] But, uh, as far as
[1:18:04] some of the earlier when I first got on
[1:18:07] the board, um, I know I didn't get I
[1:18:11] wasn't in involved in a lot of the
[1:18:13] stuff. a nutsh.
[1:18:17] Um,
[1:18:19] so if you're going to say we're not
[1:18:21] transparent, then say why. What can we
[1:18:24] do to be better with it?
[1:18:27] So, I really don't understand
[1:18:28] transparency. I said, you know, I had
[1:18:33] I had somebody that uh did a foyer
[1:18:36] request
[1:18:37] and they wanted foyer my conversations.
[1:18:41] we were talking about the building
[1:18:45] and it's like first of all that's
[1:18:47] ridiculous because I can't remember half
[1:18:48] time what I said yesterday.
[1:18:51] The other thing is is that when I talk
[1:18:53] to a constituents
[1:18:55] unless they give me the okay I'm not
[1:18:56] going to blab that to everybody and
[1:18:58] that's how I find out information. So,
[1:19:01] and I'm not sure are we supposed to wear
[1:19:04] cameras? Maybe we ought to get body
[1:19:06] cameras so we can fall. And I'm serious.
[1:19:08] I'm not sure when I hear this, it just
[1:19:10] irritates me
[1:19:12] because I've worked really hard to bring
[1:19:14] transparency to this board. And uh I
[1:19:18] think we've come a long way. This
[1:19:19] board's been a great board to work with.
[1:19:21] We've been a lot through a lot. We
[1:19:24] disagree as you can see the beginning of
[1:19:26] the meeting. We disagree, but I respect
[1:19:28] everybody on this board at this point to
[1:19:30] do this. Um,
[1:19:33] so and maybe I need to be a little more
[1:19:36] aggressive is when misinformation comes
[1:19:39] on because once that gets rolling, it
[1:19:42] gets rolling. So um
[1:19:47] so you know um last thing you know
[1:19:50] another history I said I've been
[1:19:54] fortunately I've been doing this too
[1:19:55] long but I've had work with five CEOs uh
[1:20:00] four different administrators not
[1:20:02] counting here dozen of state and last
[1:20:06] national legislators
[1:20:09] and through all that time I've worked
[1:20:10] with a lot of them uh don't always agree
[1:20:13] out of them and everything, but I have
[1:20:14] to say
[1:20:16] that I found our administrator, Brian
[1:20:18] Smith, to be completely trustworthy and
[1:20:22] he has my backing 100%.
[1:20:25] And um so I'm not,
[1:20:29] like I said, I've had a lot of
[1:20:30] experience, worked on a lot of them.
[1:20:32] There's always going to be
[1:20:33] disagreements. And if there wasn't, I
[1:20:35] will be nervous because we should never,
[1:20:38] our roles are so much different.
[1:20:40] I deal with the board and the public and
[1:20:42] he deals with operating the county. So
[1:20:45] we try to keep those lines separate is
[1:20:48] very difficult and
[1:20:51] we have a lot of conversations that are
[1:20:54] we not trending into each other's path.
[1:20:56] So um okay one more then we can get I'll
[1:21:00] open up the discussions. Um,
[1:21:04] this one I debated on a little bit, but
[1:21:07] it's one of those things that kind of
[1:21:10] kind of sat in my draw and doesn't seem
[1:21:12] to go away.
[1:21:14] So, there's been comments before and
[1:21:18] recently that commissioners don't
[1:21:22] deserve health care.
[1:21:25] I mean, we did not set up the system.
[1:21:27] Amy, it's been that way for 20 years.
[1:21:29] Um,
[1:21:31] you know, no commissioners on this board
[1:21:34] has ever voted to increase their
[1:21:36] salaries.
[1:21:38] Uh, even the ones currently, James, I
[1:21:41] think served the longest. Um, when I
[1:21:44] came on in 2016,
[1:21:48] you know, for
[1:21:50] a dollar. Today, you'd have to spend a$1
[1:21:53] 136. It's lost 28% purchasing power.
[1:21:59] We never asked for it. Everybody thinks
[1:22:00] this job is easy. We don't spend any
[1:22:02] money here or we don't deserve it or
[1:22:05] doesn't.
[1:22:08] We This is the official part. This is
[1:22:10] where we show up
[1:22:12] where our actually job is is out among
[1:22:15] the public.
[1:22:17] It's meeting with people. Um,
[1:22:21] you know, I was really felt bad
[1:22:25] because I had two commissioners wanted
[1:22:27] to go to the MAC conference
[1:22:30] and I had to scrap
[1:22:34] find money for one to go. And I I
[1:22:36] apologize, but there is no money in the
[1:22:38] budget for extra stuff.
[1:22:42] You know, I've been around to seven
[1:22:44] different counties outside the county,
[1:22:45] probably put a thousand miles on my car
[1:22:48] easy.
[1:22:49] Um, can't tell you how many coffees and
[1:22:51] breakfastes I had, but I have never
[1:22:54] turned in an expense account.
[1:22:58] Um, because county can't afford it and
[1:23:02] I feel that I can and that my other
[1:23:04] fellow commissioners can use that.
[1:23:07] Like I said, we did manage to send one,
[1:23:08] but it's such an opportunity that we're
[1:23:11] missing because the educational availing
[1:23:16] available.
[1:23:18] I mean, you can see because some of my
[1:23:21] previous things that I were able to
[1:23:23] network with some of the commissioners
[1:23:25] of the other counties when we were doing
[1:23:27] the MMP plan, put that heartland, but
[1:23:30] without some of that trust in there and
[1:23:32] those
[1:23:34] um so and like I said,
[1:23:40] you know, and you have offer, you know,
[1:23:43] why you know, why are we on there?
[1:23:44] because it's it's a swear it's a dang
[1:23:48] good plan
[1:23:50] and I've checked and I'll look at the
[1:23:52] portal and I kind of did a little bit
[1:23:54] portal. I did the comparisons here and
[1:23:56] and I'll probably stay with it because
[1:23:57] you know what I'm not I'm not an idiot.
[1:24:00] If it's a good plan I'm going to take
[1:24:02] it. I mean I got I'm a business guy
[1:24:03] farming stuff. I said we often got to do
[1:24:06] whatever we can. So it's you know
[1:24:11] so
[1:24:12] so that
[1:24:14] it's kind of you know it's kind of a
[1:24:17] thing uh I a lot of us got this letters
[1:24:20] you know it's wants us to do the survey
[1:24:22] about uh because this job is is you know
[1:24:25] so easy about survey about violence
[1:24:29] increases and you know I've been
[1:24:32] threatened a few times I said I'm don't
[1:24:35] have an office I go I'm out in public
[1:24:37] and I've been
[1:24:39] parking lot. I'm out there. Guys will
[1:24:40] come in there. Usually I can talk them
[1:24:42] through everything and everything and
[1:24:43] everything's good. But it's it's we talk
[1:24:46] about the new building and how important
[1:24:48] security is. So um this is a tough job.
[1:24:51] Anybody sat in the seat and say we're
[1:24:53] doing it for insurance
[1:24:55] BS. That's all I'm going to say because
[1:24:57] it's not. People doing this job is very
[1:25:00] dedicated to do the best for this
[1:25:03] county.
[1:25:05] and the assumption on it, but there is a
[1:25:08] lot of money to be saved.
[1:25:11] Uh, but commissioners, you know what?
[1:25:13] We're elected officials.
[1:25:16] So, we need to behave it, tweet it all.
[1:25:19] So, I'm going to raise my hand. I'll
[1:25:21] give up my health insurance. We got a
[1:25:23] lot of elected officials in there.
[1:25:26] Who wants to give up their health
[1:25:27] insurance?
[1:25:31] Got that
[1:25:33] » A clerk on your idea.
[1:25:34] » I'm a full employee.
[1:25:36] » I'm talking. Well, you're an L official
[1:25:38] also.
[1:25:38] » Also a full-time employee.
[1:25:42] » Why are you different?
[1:25:44] » Why Why are you
[1:25:45] » Can we not engage?
[1:25:47] » Yes, you're right. You're right. I'm
[1:25:49] sorry. I broke the rules. Sorry. I'm
[1:25:51] just asking for a straw vote. And if
[1:25:54] it's good for the goose, it's got to be
[1:25:55] good for the gander. And I'm willing to
[1:25:57] give it up. I don't bluff and I don't
[1:25:59] make excuses because I don't do this for
[1:26:03] certainly don't do this for the money or
[1:26:06] the insurance. So that's one of the
[1:26:07] things. But if there's a straw pull and
[1:26:10] we get a majority of people, I'll be the
[1:26:12] first ones to give that up. I don't
[1:26:13] think it's a good idea.
[1:26:15] Um but I'm willing to do it. The idea
[1:26:18] was thrown out there. We're trying to
[1:26:19] save money. I'll throw the idea out
[1:26:22] there.
[1:26:23] Okay, we're we're just about done. I'll
[1:26:26] get to the the insurance debate final.
[1:26:28] Oh, sorry. Thank you. Um,
[1:26:32] so there's a process here
[1:26:36] and it was kind of brought up. Um, we do
[1:26:39] want to make changes.
[1:26:42] Um, the way I can see it, there's only
[1:26:44] really two ways to do it because there
[1:26:47] is a policy vote down there. So, you
[1:26:50] either have to uh
[1:26:52] vote to amend the previous motion,
[1:26:56] which I believe would be uh I don't know
[1:26:59] if we could do it because the changes
[1:27:01] that are being
[1:27:03] asked for are so much different than
[1:27:05] what we're actually looking for. So, I
[1:27:07] think we'd be here for a whole day and
[1:27:09] we still would get it straight.
[1:27:12] So the other option is to basically vote
[1:27:15] to res re resend the previous motion
[1:27:19] which basically erases the motion the
[1:27:23] motion completely because we do have a
[1:27:24] motion. We did vote on a six to1 deal.
[1:27:27] So those are the two options that we
[1:27:30] have that we want to change. We're
[1:27:31] having a discussion. Um,
[1:27:36] so let me go through a little bit on the
[1:27:39] process and how we got to this point.
[1:27:43] So
[1:27:45] call care has been going up
[1:27:48] for a while now and it's been a problem
[1:27:51] and we've been seeing this. So
[1:27:54] our administration
[1:27:56] thought that he would get more input. So
[1:27:58] he developed the work group
[1:28:02] and it's kind of similar to an advisory
[1:28:05] committee. The board doesn't appoint it
[1:28:08] boards. It's not an approved uh thing.
[1:28:11] It's something that he created to inform
[1:28:14] him
[1:28:15] to
[1:28:18] find out give him input on how to solve
[1:28:21] those
[1:28:23] problem that we have. uh it's actually
[1:28:28] probably more transparent the previous
[1:28:30] system. So let's bring more people in to
[1:28:33] do this. So um just like our advisory
[1:28:37] committees uh the work group does not
[1:28:39] get a vote
[1:28:41] only the board but maybe some people
[1:28:43] don't that matters.
[1:28:47] So they discuss it with him try to
[1:28:50] convince them pros and cons just like it
[1:28:53] this
[1:28:54] work this board we don't always always
[1:28:57] agree. Um
[1:29:00] but the difference with them is that
[1:29:01] that they have to convince him through
[1:29:03] the strength of the argument to do.
[1:29:07] He then actually takes it to us and he
[1:29:09] makes his recommendation
[1:29:12] and he doesn't get a vote either and we
[1:29:15] can on his strength of his argument
[1:29:18] we can accept
[1:29:21] or not accept anything he puts forward
[1:29:23] on there because
[1:29:25] we are the ones that have the strength
[1:29:27] of the vote. we've been through the
[1:29:29] process through election and so it's a
[1:29:33] big responsibility and uh that's where
[1:29:36] it goes. So he'll make his
[1:29:37] recommendation to the board and if you
[1:29:40] remember it was there was a lot of
[1:29:42] things thrown right. It wasn't unanimous
[1:29:45] vote. It was six to one. So we discussed
[1:29:47] it
[1:29:49] and it went through the process
[1:29:53] and now what was that? Now we're back at
[1:29:57] it again.
[1:30:01] So
[1:30:04] we're asking to to look into a change
[1:30:06] again
[1:30:09] and
[1:30:10] I do believe that we have to be flexible
[1:30:15] um for to change it. But and that's
[1:30:19] another note that unless there's a major
[1:30:21] change
[1:30:23] in
[1:30:25] the situation or or there's a
[1:30:27] whistleblower account
[1:30:30] and I was always going to check on our
[1:30:32] bylaws on whistleblowers
[1:30:34] u
[1:30:36] how that's handled. I know we have one
[1:30:38] just one of those things I never never
[1:30:40] really got to. So, um,
[1:30:44] so anyways, we have a policy in here. I
[1:30:46] told you how we could do it. Um,
[1:30:54] so, and now I want to talk about my
[1:30:57] chairmanship a little bit.
[1:31:01] You know, I've been
[1:31:03] probably on 30 different boards,
[1:31:07] uh, advisory committees. I think about
[1:31:11] 15 of them I ended up being chairman. I
[1:31:13] don't know they like doing that to me
[1:31:14] but I always end up there. Um every
[1:31:18] child or chairman has a different style
[1:31:22] and I've developed my style over the
[1:31:24] years. It's a lot different how
[1:31:26] vice chairman hope operates and for some
[1:31:30] boards it works some situation it works.
[1:31:35] I kind of got Dre kicking and screaming
[1:31:38] this the first time because we have a
[1:31:40] lot of lot of issues and uh the only
[1:31:44] good thing is we think I we made a lot
[1:31:46] of um positive change
[1:31:52] but with all that
[1:31:56] you know and I've been through some very
[1:32:00] tough board decisions
[1:32:02] I was on a board where we had to resign
[1:32:04] There's 40 of us. We all have resigned
[1:32:07] to get down 10 and restart.
[1:32:10] Some of the people voted against it. But
[1:32:13] the at the end it doesn't matter 70 vote
[1:32:18] 61 vote if it's 43 vote
[1:32:22] majority rules. That's the policy. Um,
[1:32:28] I'm sorry. I just my style chairman is
[1:32:33] that the vote is very important and
[1:32:37] we can't keep brief bringing up issues.
[1:32:40] Got to honor the vote. You got to honor
[1:32:42] your commitment. Um, I said this board's
[1:32:46] been through a lot. Um,
[1:32:50] I had to kind of My wife actually uh
[1:32:53] kind of made me change my closing
[1:32:55] remarks because she thought it was a
[1:32:57] little bit too harsh.
[1:33:02] But, you know, I'm sitting here and um,
[1:33:08] you know, I can accept a lot of stuff,
[1:33:13] but I always believe that when you're on
[1:33:16] the opposite side of a vote, when the
[1:33:19] board votes,
[1:33:22] that's the board decision.
[1:33:27] So, we can keep bringing this up.
[1:33:31] I'm only one vote
[1:33:34] and uh we can keep voting on it.
[1:33:37] It will lead to splitting the board.
[1:33:42] Um kind of seen that a little bit
[1:33:44] earlier. I've tried really hard to make
[1:33:46] sure this board stayed united, but I've
[1:33:48] been on boards where they go through
[1:33:49] there. So,
[1:33:51] but I cannot
[1:33:55] and will not be the conductor
[1:33:58] on a
[1:34:00] on a train wreck
[1:34:03] and I think if we cannot stick to our
[1:34:05] guns on decisions we made previously
[1:34:07] that's where we're going to go. So
[1:34:11] been a long thing Mr. Vice Chairman I
[1:34:13] will seed the floor back to the to the
[1:34:17] group.
[1:34:19] » Thank you.
[1:34:22] » Anyone else for announcement? Yes sir.
[1:34:24] » Yeah. Um, so what uh Angler is alluding
[1:34:28] to is that I only want to present to you
[1:34:31] a proposal uh that's off works off the
[1:34:35] back of the current 2027 plan that we
[1:34:38] have approved and it would basically
[1:34:42] save the county $152,000.
[1:34:46] So I don't think it's inappropriate
[1:34:49] to revisit the topic if we're saving
[1:34:51] money, right? Um and so Basically, the
[1:34:56] first page here is a proposed plan,
[1:34:59] right? Um, and the second page for
[1:35:03] reference. I got one for you, too. Um,
[1:35:06] is uh basically just the current plan.
[1:35:09] And then, uh, the at the bottom is the
[1:35:12] 2027 plan that we approved right here.
[1:35:15] That's the approved five plan. And then
[1:35:18] the post
[1:35:20] um
[1:35:22] essentially
[1:35:23] um used
[1:35:26] all of the notes uh all of the numbers
[1:35:30] from the proposed 127 plan.
[1:35:42] So uh so all the numbers are taken from
[1:35:44] the assumptions that were taken for the
[1:35:47] 2027 plan. So and where
[1:35:52] uh since you can see that the proposed
[1:35:54] plan has uh three options instead of
[1:35:59] five. Uh you can see that it's
[1:36:01] different. So things have to shuffle
[1:36:03] down. The assumptions that are made are
[1:36:06] the bottom left corner notes of where
[1:36:09] people moving from say plan A um in the
[1:36:15] 2027 plan to uh plan A basically um in
[1:36:21] the new proposed plan that I um have on
[1:36:23] the board. Basically what we have here
[1:36:27] is
[1:36:28] removing
[1:36:30] plan A where there's um
[1:36:34] no uh deductible
[1:36:37] and uh making plan B in the in the 2027
[1:36:43] plan our new current plan A. So, there
[1:36:48] would be, if you look at the proposed
[1:36:50] plan, a $200 deductible, and then the
[1:36:53] maximum co insurance is
[1:36:56] uh $1,000,
[1:36:58] which is the same as plan B in what we
[1:37:01] have currently. And then plan B is would
[1:37:06] be the plan C that was that we have in
[1:37:08] our current 2027 plan. And plan C comes
[1:37:13] from our plan D. So all the deductibles
[1:37:16] are the same as those plans
[1:37:20] that we have currently approved
[1:37:24] um in BC and D. And what we do is we are
[1:37:30] just simplifying the the three plans for
[1:37:34] our employees.
[1:37:37] We're plan A which now has a deductible
[1:37:42] at the start um
[1:37:45] would be a 15%
[1:37:47] employee co-pay and then plan B would be
[1:37:51] a 7 and 12%
[1:37:53] um for the employee and then plan C
[1:37:56] would open up again an option and leave
[1:37:59] that option for employees to have a 0%
[1:38:05] plan and that obviously has the highest
[1:38:08] deductible which is the same as plan D
[1:38:11] in the 2027.
[1:38:13] So we maintain a a free plan for our
[1:38:16] employees that need it. I'm not making
[1:38:18] changes in numbers of people from uh
[1:38:22] what was presented before. So we're
[1:38:25] using the same numbers for where people
[1:38:27] would go for the assumption for the
[1:38:29] numbers for the savings. Um, and then
[1:38:34] if you do it this way, um, just from the
[1:38:38] minor adjustment to the plan that we
[1:38:42] approved, we're going to save 152,000
[1:38:46] using the same assumptions. The
[1:38:49] employees save 107 and 45,464
[1:38:55] savings for the county. So, I'm not
[1:38:58] saying we're saving it from 2026
[1:39:02] numbers. I'm saying we're saving it from
[1:39:04] the plan that we approved.
[1:39:08] So, I think that um it's a good
[1:39:11] compromise. Our employees are still
[1:39:13] paying more money
[1:39:16] and
[1:39:18] but we're the county's paying $45,000
[1:39:21] less and the employees are paying
[1:39:23] $100,000 less. So I I think we should
[1:39:27] [snorts] give it a hard look.
[1:39:30] Um
[1:39:32] the numbers should be right on with the
[1:39:35] same assumptions that the administration
[1:39:38] plan has that we approved. So I uh thank
[1:39:43] the administration for the plan because
[1:39:46] I jumped off of we jumped off of all
[1:39:49] that work to kind of find a way to save
[1:39:54] money.
[1:39:56] If um if the board is willing to uh
[1:40:00] revisit the vote and adjust the plans, I
[1:40:03] think it's worth it. Um
[1:40:06] if um
[1:40:08] we can get, you know, maybe the U
[1:40:12] Chris Whitmer, director of finance, to
[1:40:14] look at the numbers and and say, "Yeah,
[1:40:18] we can save some money. you should uh
[1:40:21] definitely uh
[1:40:24] visit this before open enrollment.
[1:40:29] So the
[1:40:32] » I'm sorry.
[1:40:33] » Go ahead.
[1:40:34] » So the total savings is 152,000.
[1:40:38] The employee
[1:40:40] save 107,000 and the county saves
[1:40:44] 45,000. Correct. Is that right?
[1:40:46] » That's right.
[1:40:46] » Okay.
[1:40:49] And that's and that's with setting those
[1:40:52] three plans at plan A 15% 7 and a half%
[1:40:56] pay and and 0% option
[1:41:03] to speak on.
[1:41:07] » Yeah, unless you got something.
[1:41:08] » No, go ahead. I'm just answering
[1:41:09] questions.
[1:41:10] just a simple thing and we've looked at
[1:41:13] looked at that but uh
[1:41:16] people have the option to go to plan B
[1:41:19] now and we don't know the exact numbers
[1:41:21] so the numbers are if I might be correct
[1:41:24] on this when the open enrollment's done
[1:41:28] they have the option to go from A to B
[1:41:30] so these numbers could actually reflect
[1:41:32] what you're doing but there are some we
[1:41:35] try not change as much on here but some
[1:41:38] people like Cadillac plan. I mean, I
[1:41:41] looked at B and I, if I'm going to stay
[1:41:44] on there, I'm really looking at B. There
[1:41:45] are some more options on there, but
[1:41:48] maybe
[1:41:50] with these numbers hold up, there will
[1:41:52] be a lot more people going to B. And
[1:41:54] then these numbers, these are just kind
[1:41:56] of the estimates of how we am I correct
[1:41:59] on what I'm progressing on here?
[1:42:02] » I think so. And like one of the things I
[1:42:04] had that we always uh think about in in
[1:42:08] caution is that um we don't these are
[1:42:11] projections, right? We don't know where
[1:42:13] they're going to fall. Um so come open
[1:42:16] enrollment assumptions were made like on
[1:42:18] the spreadsheets that we use the
[1:42:20] insurance advisory committee used and
[1:42:22] these ones I'm sure that swing used as
[1:42:24] well same assumptions. So um the thing
[1:42:26] is is we don't really know what actual
[1:42:28] is till open enrollment closes. So come
[1:42:30] January 1, we'll know whether we make
[1:42:34] any changes or not to what what the
[1:42:35] board already approved or whether we
[1:42:38] need to change. We'll find out whether
[1:42:40] we really saved money. Did we actually
[1:42:42] did it actually cost us more money
[1:42:44] depending on where the employees
[1:42:46] actually moved. Did they move different
[1:42:49] than what the assumptions were? We never
[1:42:51] know the answer to that until January
[1:42:54] one.
[1:42:56] And then one other thing, if I could
[1:42:58] just add this for everyone to keep in
[1:42:59] mind too as well, is that um the new
[1:43:02] cost shares don't go in effect until
[1:43:04] January one. Right now, employees are
[1:43:07] still going to continue to play pay what
[1:43:09] they what they're paying right now today
[1:43:10] for their insurance. the county eats
[1:43:13] that first three months of the
[1:43:15] difference in premiums which countywide
[1:43:18] is $98,000 for the first three months of
[1:43:21] fiscal year
[1:43:23] 27 the total is 98,000
[1:43:28] beats you know that we covered that's
[1:43:30] the difference between the cost from
[1:43:33] what it is right now to what it'll
[1:43:34] become January
[1:43:37] this was a background to keep in mind
[1:43:39] from a budgetary standpoint I honestly
[1:43:41] either until over and crunch those
[1:43:45] numbers again.
[1:43:49] » Personally, I like his plan that I'm
[1:43:51] sure swings presented. I think five
[1:43:54] plans gets
[1:43:56] gets a little too complicated. I don't
[1:43:59] really understand plan E. I don't know
[1:44:01] what the what the advantage to the
[1:44:04] putting a plan E on there is. at plan A.
[1:44:08] We've been trying to get people to
[1:44:09] migrate from that plan A because it's
[1:44:11] very expensive.
[1:44:13] This this kind of does that. It brings
[1:44:16] us the savings. And I know we've already
[1:44:19] got open enrollment information out,
[1:44:23] but um I think there's still time to
[1:44:26] reconsider this. Um
[1:44:30] I don't think it hurts to consider new
[1:44:32] information. I don't think we have to
[1:44:36] uh
[1:44:40] you know we we had a budget proposal
[1:44:42] that we voted on but we've got
[1:44:47] presented with new information right
[1:44:49] here. I don't I don't think it hurts to
[1:44:52] to consider that. [clears throat] Um
[1:44:55] that's my opinion on it.
[1:44:58] Um,
[1:44:59] I was I do want to piggyback on a couple
[1:45:02] things that Commissioner Angler said. I
[1:45:04] I I appreciate your uh leadership as
[1:45:07] chairman. I think you've done a great
[1:45:09] job. Uh we went through some very
[1:45:11] difficult years and I think we have made
[1:45:14] improvements.
[1:45:15] um the transparency
[1:45:19] I think there is a perception that we're
[1:45:21] not being transparent and I think that
[1:45:23] comes from and I think especially in the
[1:45:27] the regular session there's very little
[1:45:29] discussion we kind of hashed it out here
[1:45:32] in the committee of the whole we get to
[1:45:34] the regular session it's kind of boom
[1:45:36] boom boom kind of move through it I
[1:45:38] think that creates a perception of uh
[1:45:41] non-transparency I think maybe we all
[1:45:44] need to work on the discussion part and
[1:45:47] bring the discussion out for the public.
[1:45:52] Um, we all we all understand that, but I
[1:45:57] don't know as we're explaining stuff
[1:46:00] well enough to the public. I think we
[1:46:01] could do a little better about that. I
[1:46:03] don't think we've uh
[1:46:06] tried to not be transparent, but I think
[1:46:09] we have created a little bit of a
[1:46:11] perception of of that. Uh, and I think
[1:46:15] we can work on that. I think uh, next
[1:46:17] year for 2028, we need to, and
[1:46:20] Commissioner Jensky mentioned this
[1:46:21] earlier, I think we need to plan for
[1:46:25] getting hit with another 20% increase to
[1:46:27] healthcare. Um, need to start thinking
[1:46:30] about that now, how we're going to cover
[1:46:32] that and a cola for 2028.
[1:46:36] Um,
[1:46:39] I do really like this new structure at
[1:46:43] committee of the whole. Um, I think it
[1:46:46] gets all the commissioners up to speed
[1:46:48] on all the issues instead of breaking
[1:46:50] them down by by committee. I think this
[1:46:53] works much better. This was
[1:46:56] administrator Smith's idea when he came
[1:46:58] on.
[1:47:00] Excellent idea. I think it worked very
[1:47:01] well. Um, and I do feel that
[1:47:05] Administrator Smith has done a great job
[1:47:08] uh working with the board.
[1:47:13] As far as the insurance and the the
[1:47:16] commissioners getting insurance, uh, we
[1:47:18] haven't looked at our compensation in
[1:47:21] several years. I know that we can't
[1:47:23] change our compensation in this term.
[1:47:27] We can change it for the next term if we
[1:47:31] do it before
[1:47:33] um the deadline to um
[1:47:39] the elections
[1:47:41] » Before the election, but you have to do
[1:47:42] it before that. You have to do it before
[1:47:44] the before you sign to run a global
[1:47:46] board. Um
[1:47:50] so if we do want to look at that, we
[1:47:52] need to do it before that that time
[1:47:54] frame.
[1:47:55] Um, I would not ask full-time elected
[1:47:58] officials to give up their health care.
[1:48:01] If the board wants to look at that, we
[1:48:04] need to be aware of that uh deadline to
[1:48:07] do it for the next four-year term coming
[1:48:10] up. And if we're going to look at that,
[1:48:12] we should also look at the compensation.
[1:48:19] Um, I think that's all I have.
[1:48:25] Just as a clarification, I'm not
[1:48:27] advocating for getting rid of the
[1:48:29] healthc care for the elected officials.
[1:48:32] I was just using a comparison that that
[1:48:34] the commissioner's job is not any less
[1:48:37] important than the other elected
[1:48:39] officials.
[1:48:43] So just because sometimes we get the
[1:48:46] impression that this is not important to
[1:48:49] us.
[1:48:52] I would never vote for that. That's the
[1:48:54] majority.
[1:48:56] I'd vote against it.
[1:49:00] » Uh I think I saw
[1:49:02] » Marino's hand up. Thank you.
[1:49:05] » You know, I've been on here the longest.
[1:49:07] I've seen a lot of changes.
[1:49:10] I've seen a lot of challenges.
[1:49:12] And with this particular board, we've
[1:49:16] been through the biggest challenges and
[1:49:18] the biggest um unexpected events and
[1:49:22] also kind of a dashing of some of our
[1:49:24] ideas. You know, with the Johnson
[1:49:27] Control thing, we were going to get
[1:49:28] solar arrays all over and save money and
[1:49:31] that certain kind of credit you get for
[1:49:33] uh not spending so much on energy.
[1:49:38] But and and uh and I I want to commend
[1:49:40] this board. Every one of us,
[1:49:43] we stepped up. We didn't know what was
[1:49:46] going to happen. We still don't, but I
[1:49:50] say we work together.
[1:49:52] And um and I I think I can say that
[1:49:55] we've really improved the way that
[1:49:59] [clears throat] county commission board
[1:50:00] operates. And I really want to thank
[1:50:02] you, Brian, for coming up with this idea
[1:50:04] about the structure that we have now. I
[1:50:07] remember the whole structure and we were
[1:50:09] kind of isolated and it was kind of hard
[1:50:11] for public to really you know give us
[1:50:14] feedback
[1:50:16] and u
[1:50:19] as far as going into the future
[1:50:22] so tricky so tricky things changing so
[1:50:26] fast and
[1:50:28] I think we do the best we can
[1:50:32] and I've always been open and I know we
[1:50:34] all are open
[1:50:36] feedback and ideas from our
[1:50:39] constituents.
[1:50:43] » That's it.
[1:50:46] » Yes, sir.
[1:50:47] » I don't know if Mack has any information
[1:50:50] on compensation for boards of
[1:50:52] commissions, but if they don't,
[1:50:55] something I think we need to look into.
[1:50:57] I've been an employee of number of
[1:50:59] counties and I know some counties have I
[1:51:03] think Ratchet pays 20,000 plus for the
[1:51:07] payroll but then they don't have the
[1:51:09] health insurance. Some counties get a
[1:51:12] payroll and then a stipen for each
[1:51:13] meeting. So it gets really complicated.
[1:51:16] need to find out what's what's out there
[1:51:18] and and what is fair because it's not
[1:51:21] only fair for the current but it's also
[1:51:23] there are you going to attract good
[1:51:25] people the future to fill these
[1:51:27] positions
[1:51:33] any other comments
[1:51:36] announcements
[1:51:39] going once
[1:51:41] twice all right we'll move along
[1:51:45] is there a motion to adjurnn.
[1:51:47] » So move support.