[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]