[0:03] Call this meeting to order. Commissioner Grace.

[0:07] Heavenly Father, we come before you today with gratitude and opportunity to

[0:12] serve our community. We ask for your guidance as we gather to make decisions

[0:16] that affect the lives of many. Grant us wisdom, clarity, and compassion in our

[0:21] deliberations. Help us listen with open hearts, speak with honor, and act with

[0:25] justice. May our choices reflect your will and bring peace and abundance to

[0:29] those who we represent. I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

[0:34] » Amen. >> Commissioner Northrup, I pledge

[0:37] allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic

[0:42] for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and

[0:48] justice for all.

[0:54] Roll call, please. >> Commissioner Lee,

[0:58] » here. >> Commissioner Marquetti,

[1:00] » here. >> Commissioner Barrera

[1:02] » here. >> Chair Jones.

[1:04] » Commissioner Grace, >> here.

[1:05] » Commissioner Northrup >> here.

[1:06] » Commissioner Lawrence >> here.

[1:08] » And Commissioner Langley >> here.

[1:10] » Okay. Are there any uh additions or deletions to the agenda?

[1:16] Hearing none, I'll uh entertain a motion to approve the agenda as submitted.

[1:23] » I move to approve the agenda as presented.

[1:26] » Support. >> All in favor say I.

[1:29] » I. I. >> All oppose like sign. Agenda approved.

[1:34] Public comment on agenda items only. And you are limited to three minutes per

[1:39] person. Any public comments?

[1:49] I don't really know how things always work on this, but so um I just wanted to

[1:53] make sure that everyone had gotten the supplemental memo regarding the class

[1:57] comp study that the committee submitted. >> Okay.

[2:01] » Yes, ma'am. So um because we're asking just for a little bit more time to be

[2:06] able to talk amongst ourselves plus additionally um with respect to it

[2:10] obviously you guys can talk about whatever you want with the study today

[2:13] but we want to make sure that um the employees have all had a chance to fully

[2:17] digest everything and get questions answered and uh I know I had staff that

[2:21] were still digesting it and I had started having some meetings with them

[2:25] just to make sure that they all understood what the report said. So

[2:29] anyway, that was the reason and I guess I drew the short straw so that I would

[2:33] indicate that was why we were asking for just a little bit more time and then to

[2:36] bring it back because I know we plan to talk more the committee does tomorrow.

[2:41] » Thank you ma'am. >> Okay. Thanks.

[2:44] » Any other public comments? If not we'll close public comments. I

[2:51] need a motion to approve June 26, 2025 meeting minutes.

[2:55] » Mr. Chair. >> Yes, ma'am. I move that we approve the

[2:58] June 26, 2025 meeting minutes as presented.

[3:01] » Second. >> I have a motion on the floor and support

[3:04] to approve the June 26, 2025 meeting minutes. All in favor say I.

[3:10] » I. >> All oppose like sign

[3:14] number I. We have financial report. Do you have anything for us?

[3:20] Um >> the finance reports in the packet. I

[3:22] didn't know if anyone had any specific questions on it or not. Okay.

[3:27] » Any specific questions on the financial report?

[3:30] » Mr. Chair. >> Yes, ma'am.

[3:31] » I do have one question. On the first page, well, top of the page. Um,

[3:37] interest in rents. It says activi activity for June 2025 and it's in red.

[3:43] Um, does that mean that we missed that this

[3:47] year? >> No, that means we're doing better than

[3:49] we expected this year. >> Okay, good.

[3:52] » Great thing to see that in a negative amount. Oh, okay.

[3:55] » So, congratulations to Hope on working so hard and always continuing. She's um

[4:00] I'll let her speak a little bit more about it, but she's looking at getting

[4:03] even more interest in here and constantly bringing new ideas to me on

[4:08] on how we can work together or what I can do to assist her. So, very excited

[4:13] about what she's doing with interest in there and um we're very excited that the

[4:17] interest rates are where they are right now.

[4:20] » Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else? Hearing

[4:27] none, we'll move on to unfinished business. There's none available. New

[4:31] business. Uh we start with K number one, appointment of Adam Brent to the

[4:37] materials management planning committee. >> Mr. Chair.

[4:41] » Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. I move that we move the

[4:45] appointment of Adam Brent to the materials management planning committee

[4:49] uh to the regular meeting in August. >> Okay. I have a movement to the regular

[4:53] meeting. >> In support.

[4:56] » Any questions? All in favor say I.

[5:00] » I. I'll post like like sign. That'll move to the next meeting. uh

[5:06] reappointments of Sheriff Clint, Judge Mark Herman, Judge Stacy Renfro, Judge

[5:11] Carol Beer, Bob Weber, Victor Fitz, and James Pulkus

[5:16] to the Committee Corrections Advisory Board with terms ending September 30th,

[5:22] 2029. >> Mr. Chair,

[5:25] » yes, ma'am. >> I would like to make I would like to

[5:27] make that mo motion of reappointments. >> Okay, I have a motion on the floor and

[5:32] support for the reappoints. Any questions?

[5:37] If not, all in favor say I. I. >> All oppose like sign.

[5:43] And that'll move to the next meeting. And this here is the resolution to

[5:49] approve the medical care facility millage ballot language.

[5:53] » Mr. Chair. Uh, I would like to move to send the resolution to the regular

[6:01] meeting in August for and to approve the medical care facility millage ballot

[6:06] language. >> Support.

[6:08] » Motion on the floor and support. >> Can we have the discussion and give her

[6:12] allow her time to >> Yes, we can.

[6:14] » Yes, we will. Yes, we will. >> Come all this way and don't get the

[6:18] talk. >> That's okay. So, I just wanted to give

[6:22] you guys a little bit of history on the medical care facilities and where we

[6:25] stand right now in Michigan um and what the millillage would mean to us at the

[6:30] medical care facility. So, there are currently 425 nursing homes in Michigan.

[6:35] Of the 425, only 34 of these facilities are county medical care facilities.

[6:42] Nursing facilities in Michigan have seen a closure rate of 3 and a half% since

[6:46] 2020. This includes two county medical care facilities. Nationwide, we have

[6:52] 15,300 nursing homes, which is a reduction of 3.3% since 2020. Cass

[6:58] County Medical Care Facility is currently ranked in number one on the

[7:01] Medicare Compare website and recognized as one of the facilities in the top 10%

[7:06] rank on both the state and federal government levels. I'm extremely proud

[7:10] of the medical care facility. The fact that Cass County Medical Care Facility

[7:14] remains is such a great sign of our success as well as our commitment to the

[7:18] community. We have just celebrated our 48th year anniversary at our existing

[7:22] facility which has successfully provided care based on the same model since our

[7:27] opening on July 14th of 1977. The need for an increased number of

[7:31] private rooms, assisted living, independent living, dementia care in

[7:36] addition to a specialized subacute unit for residents on ventilators,

[7:40] tracheiotomies, feeding tubes, dialysis and complex wound management as well as

[7:45] a need for beriatric care increasing daily. To meet this demand, we would

[7:49] need to add additional private rooms, increase staff education, and purchase

[7:53] medical supplies that are extremely costly for specialized acuity. With 48

[7:58] years comes some wear and tear. Our existing roof needs repair or

[8:02] replacement. Our parking lot needs to be resurfaced. Rooms have limited

[8:06] electrical outlets. Currently, we only have one outlet per bed, and some

[8:10] residents have to be on a concentrator. We have electric beds that move up and

[8:14] down for staff's ease of transferring. The lighting throughout the facility

[8:18] also needs updated. Residents have reported to me that it can be difficult

[8:22] to see sometimes, especially when they're working on puzzles or other

[8:25] activities. While the millillage may not allow us to accomplish all of the goals

[8:29] that I mentioned, I feel it's important to give each of you a perspective on

[8:32] what we're wanting to accomplish at the medical care facility and how we can

[8:36] better serve our community. Thank you. >> Thank you. Now, you do a great job.

[8:41] Thank you, Mercedes. Thank you. >> Thank you.

[8:46] » Okay, >> Mr. Chair.

[8:48] » Yes, sir. >> I do have one question uh concerning the

[8:52] the millillage uh the ballot language. What are the extended service options

[8:58] for the community?

[9:03] » The extended service options would be our dialysis care. Um we already have

[9:08] our um outpatient therapy that's already up and running which was part of the

[9:12] last millillage but we have so many residents in the community now that

[9:16] actually have di dialysis and need treatment and we can't take them right

[9:19] now. >> Um transportation is one thing because

[9:23] they go um a typical dialysis patient is receiving dialysis for 4 hours. So

[9:29] transportation can't sit and wait for that person. So, we have to be able to

[9:33] communicate the transportation and have someone readily available to pick them

[9:36] up even on weekends. A lot of transportation doesn't work on weekends.

[9:40] Um, and the supplies that come along with it. So, dialysis is one huge one

[9:45] for us. Um, I would say within the last 30 days, I think I've denied at least

[9:49] two residents that have needed dialysis care and one of them is a Cass County

[9:53] resident. >> Okay. Are there any other services or is

[9:56] that just the main one? >> Um, there are. So, let me look back at

[10:00] my notes really quick. Dialysis is a huge one for us. Um,

[10:08] off the top of my head, I'm going to say that that one is the most important for

[10:11] us and it would take a lot of money to get that up and running. Um, so that

[10:15] would be my primary focus right now. >> Okay.

[10:18] » Thank you. >> Thank you.

[10:20] » Question. Anyone? Yes, Commissioner Grace.

[10:23] » How many clients or residents do you have there at the facility right now?

[10:27] So, we we're an 80 bed facility and our census is at 69.

[10:32] » Okay. Thank you. >> Yep.

[10:34] » Any other questions?

[10:39] » Hearing none. I'll entertain a motion to move that forward.

[10:42] » All righty. Got it. Just all in favor. >> All right. All in favor? I.

[10:47] » I. I. >> All oppose like sign. We'll move that

[10:50] on. Thank you, sir. Appreciate that. >> All right. Resolution

[10:56] to appoint Nicholas Kesley, MD. Can somebody pronounce that for me?

[11:04] » Castileleski. >> Castelli.

[11:06] » Castle. >> Castlei.

[11:08] » Wow. >> As deputy medical examiner for Cass.

[11:14] » Uh, Mr. Chair. >> Yes, ma'am. Uh,

[11:17] I move uh that we um move the resolution to appoint Nicholas Castelli, MD, as

[11:26] deputy medical examiner for Cass County to the regular meeting in August.

[11:30] » Okay, thank you. I have a motion and a second on that.

[11:36] » All in favor say I. >> All oppose like sign.

[11:40] That'll be moved to the next meeting for approval. child care fund budget for

[11:46] fiscal year 2026. Judge,

[11:51] » we come to you every year at about this time of year to ask for approval of our

[11:54] child care fund budget. Um, we need to do it now instead of waiting till the

[11:58] county budget passes because it has to then go to the state because they

[12:01] incorporated this into their budget. So, that's the reason for it being early.

[12:06] and Sharon Underwood, my um juvenile register, she works closely with um the

[12:12] finance director to make sure that everything's where we want it to be. So,

[12:16] it's I don't see that there's any major changes from last year and everything

[12:21] that was in the write up for this um explains where we stand. So, I don't

[12:26] know if anybody has any questions. >> Questions?

[12:31] No, >> we have to do it every year. Okay.

[12:36] Motion, Mr. Chair. >> Mr. Chair.

[12:38] » Yes, ma'am. >> I move uh that the child care budget be

[12:42] moved to the regular meeting. >> Second.

[12:45] » Motion on the floor to move child care fund budget to the regular meeting in

[12:49] support. All in favor say I. I. >> All oppose like sign.

[12:54] » Motion carries. classification and compensation study

[13:00] final report.

[13:05] » That one don't since we're waiting. Do we have time to Yeah. Carol, could you

[13:10] speak on that? Could is if we have to wait. I don't know if

[13:15] there'll be enough time for us to >> um I you know we asked we the committee

[13:22] asked that this be on the agenda because we wanted to get the report out right

[13:25] away and um you know for transparency because it took quite a while to get it

[13:30] done. Um but then after we were hearing some feedback and also because all of us

[13:35] had not had time to really study it with a fine tooth comb, we thought that it

[13:39] would be better to air on the side of caution and allow a little extra time

[13:43] before we would ask you to move it on to the regular meeting. Um but obviously

[13:48] you all paid for the class compensation study. By you all I mean the board. So

[13:53] if you have an appetite to move it forward, but the committee was asking

[13:56] for just a little bit more time so that we could make sure that we fully

[14:00] understand everything because it's not only just looking at the report but

[14:05] figuring out how it would be implemented and we want to make sure that we're

[14:07] making good recommendations to you. >> So you all recommend that we move it to

[14:11] the next cow. Um I we plan to meet tomorrow and then I

[14:18] think um there would be then we would make a recommendation about when it

[14:22] would happen or if we would ask for a special meeting or what we would ask

[14:25] for. >> So if we move it forward to the business

[14:28] meeting today, you all have your meeting tomorrow, then you all could tell us and

[14:33] we could we could air on the side of caution that you all might have it done

[14:36] by then and it's business as usual. But if not at the business meeting, we can

[14:40] maybe take it off of the >> I think agenda.

[14:43] » I think we would be wanting it to move to the next cow if we have to pick pick

[14:47] a option because we want there to be the ability for there to be full dialogue

[14:52] which happens at the cow. >> Okay?

[14:54] » Because you all might have questions. Um we want to make sure that we covered

[14:57] some of the things because as we looked at the report more carefully, there were

[15:01] some things that Mark Notley, the consultant, had told us verbally that

[15:05] were a little different in his report. So, we just want to make sure that we

[15:09] fully understand what he said and what the implementation plan would be so that

[15:12] when we make a recommendation to you, if you have questions that we're giving you

[15:16] the right information. >> So, I think the motion would be I'd move

[15:20] to move item six to the cow on August 21st.

[15:26] » Yes. >> If we move it to the following cow and

[15:29] then approve it at the following business meeting,

[15:31] » well, how does that work with our budget?

[15:34] because we kind of talked about we would finalize the budget numbers if and when

[15:39] we approved >> the

[15:42] » so it could >> and would this be would this be a table

[15:45] then to the next count that's what we're going to ask the

[15:48] » so there's only been discussion there's been no motion made or anything we can

[15:51] just >> end discussion and bring it back at the

[15:54] next c like there's no motion so there's no reason to table any you have to have

[15:58] a motion in order to table >> so because there's only been discussion

[16:01] it can just be brought up at the next c >> all All right, I will not say nothing.

[16:05] And >> to answer Commissioner Barrera's

[16:08] question, um it will change the budget. Obviously, there will be some um

[16:12] implications to that. And so, if we needed to pass the budget as it was and

[16:18] then make those amendments later, we're used to budget adjustments. We could do

[16:21] it that way. If there's time for me to do that um beforehand, it is a lot of

[16:26] work. Um, but we we will make sure that it gets done and we'll just make sure

[16:30] that it's very clear when we go to pass the budget whether those changes are in

[16:34] there or not. I was just very hesitant to do it beforehand. So, if we need to

[16:38] pass the budget beforehand, um, that's okay. We'll just bring some budget

[16:42] adjustments back later or build it into um that motion when if you guys were to

[16:47] approve that class comp to kind of put those budget adjustments in there at the

[16:51] same time. So, we can work either way. We can make it work.

[16:54] » I just want to be mindful of the timelines here. Yep.

[16:56] » Thank you. >> Absolutely.

[16:58] » And we did tell employees who asked at least that the committee's goal is still

[17:03] to ask for implementation sometime in October based on administration's

[17:07] capacity because they'll have to be doing, you know, fiscal year end items.

[17:12] But we just felt it was worthwhile to have full discussion and make sure we

[17:16] had all the information correct because then when you all study it, you might

[17:19] have more questions. Got it.

[17:24] Okay.

[17:27] All right, then we can just go ahead and move that on to the next PAL meeting in

[17:32] August. All right.

[17:41] All right. Then we go to L public comment and it's limited to three

[17:44] minutes and this is for anything. >> Well, not anything

[17:50] » for >> Yeah. Not anything.

[17:54] » Not anything. Anybody >> any public comment?

[18:00] If not, public comments closed. We have no closed session. So, we'll go to board

[18:06] member comments and we'll start down with Commissioner Grace.

[18:12] » Nothing here. >> Commissioner,

[18:14] » nothing to report. >> Nothing for Pereira.

[18:17] » Nope. >> Nothing for Commissioner Jones.

[18:20] Commissioner Lawrence. Nothing. >> Not at this time.

[18:24] Nothing for me. >> What? What?

[18:30] Let >> Let me see your notes.

[18:34] » I don't believe you. >> All right.

[18:38] Then I'll entertain entertain a motion to adjurnn.

[18:41] » Move to adjourn. >> All in favor say I.

[18:44] » I. >> Meeting adjourned.

[18:49] » I don't need your signature. >> You got my name on that one.

[18:54] [Music]

Cass County Regular Committee of The Whole Meeting 2025-07-17-

Transcript