Meeting Notes 6-28-22
Meeting Notes from the June 28 Meeting of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners.
Meeting Packet: https://www.miottawa.org/appImages/Calendar/1656097625193-packet.PDF
Meeting Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G1R5oPuutI&feature=share
ARPA Bucket Manager Contracts: The Board approved contracts with the three buckets managers for Affordable Housing, Social & Human Services, and Business Stabilization. Each of these three managers is being given the responsibility of providing the Board with the projects that best encapsulate the Board wishes for transformative projects within those three areas. More here.
I voted yes on these three contracts, even as I remain concerned that our bucket managers may be prevented by the terms of the contract from fully doing their job and getting to us the best projects that County residents deserve. I do hope that guidance continues to add flexibility so that we will indeed see the best projects they put forth.
Community Mental Health On-call and Third Shift Pay: The Board approved the request from Community Mental Health to enhance the on-call pay and formalize the CMH Third Shift premium in the Group T Employee Manual.
Summary:
This request is to change the Group T Manual by updating the CMH On-Call Language and to formalize the CMH Crisis third-shift premium pay.
Proposed On-call language at an additional cost of $45,070 (paid by FY22-23 ARPA/MHBG - ACT and Dual ACT/IDDT Team Financial Incentive Grant and Medicaid funding):
On-Call- Mental Health Department:
(a) Employees of the Mental Health Department who are assigned on a rotating basis to be “on call” for nonscheduled working hours for week’s duration, and who are required during said assignment to be “on call”, shall be compensated with pay as follows:
(i) Monday thru Friday: $50/shift and 1.5 hours pay for each hour of direct service
(ii) Weekend: $75 for each shift and 1.5 hours pay for each hour of direct service
(iii) Holiday (as defined in the ‘Holidays’ subsection of this Manual, excluding Floating Holidays): $100 for each shift and 1.5 hours pay for each hour of direct service
There shall be no pyramiding of on-call and premium pay beyond as described in this section.
Proposed Shift Premium language at a cost of $5,215 (currently budgeted; paid by Medicaid funding):
CMH Crisis Team Third Shift Premium Pay: The employee who is assigned to the CMH Crisis third shift position shall receive a $2.00 per hour bonus for all hours worked when so assigned.
2022 Summer Apportionment Report: The Board approved the 2022 Summer Apportionment Report.
Summary:
Every Fall, the Equalization Department prepares an Apportionment Report to be received by the Finance and Administration Committee and then approved by the Board of Commissioners. Beginning in 2013, local units are allowed to levy winter taxes on the summer tax bill for those parcels where the winter taxes (excluding an administration fee) are $100 or less. Four local units have met the requirements of PA 184 & PA 185 of 2012. The act requires that the County Board authorize any millages that were previously levied in the winter and will now be levied in the summer. This includes the County E-911, County Parks, County Road Improvements, Community Mental Health, Zeeland Public Schools and the Loutit Library debt millage.
Contract to provide Assessing Service for Coopersville: The Board approved the Contract to provide Assessing Services for the City of Coopersville.
Summary:
Cooperville’s assessor will be reting July 1. The City of Coopersville is requesting Ottawa County to provide them with Assessing Services for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
Equalization Personnel Request: The Board approved a proposal to upgrade one Assistant Assessing Manager position (1.0 FTE, paygrade 10) to an Assessing Manager position (1.0) FTE, paygrade 11); to increase the FTE of the Abstracting Index Clerk role from .75 FTE to .80 FTE; and to add a part-time, non-benefitted Appraiser 2 position working no more than 600 total hours per year at a total cost of $25,900 per year paid for by a contract with the City of Coopersville.
Summary:
Equalization is seeking to extend a contract to provide assessing services to the City of Coopersville for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025. In order to fulfill this contract, the Equalization Department is requesting the following position changes and additions:
1. Upgrade the Assistant Assessing Manager position (paygrade 10) to an Assessing Manager position (paygrade 11) at a cost of $6,213 per year.
2. Increase the FTE of the Abstracting Index Clerk from .75 FTE to .80 FTE at a cost of $3,119 per year. 3. Add one, part-time, non-benefitted Appraiser 2 position working no more than 600 total hours per year at a cost of $16,567.
These additional personnel costs will be paid for in their entirety by revenue from the City of Coopersville contract.
Community Mental Health Personnel Request: The Board approved the request from Community Mental Health to add temporary, non-benefited Crisis Call Out Clinician (Group T, pay grade 10) positions at a total cost not to exceed $40,000 annually.
Summary:
Community Mental Health has crisis clinicians that respond 24/7 to incidents as needed. This is a mandated service required by CMH's MDHHS contract. There has been considerable difficulty filling mental health clinician positions and current first shift staff are experiencing burnout by also needing to respond to after hour calls.
CMH is looking for creative and new options to support operations, ensure compliance with the MDHHS contract, and retain current staff. CMH is looking to create a pool of temporary, non-benefited Crisis Call Out Clinicians at a total cost not to exceed $40,000 annually. These clinicians would likely consist of clinical practitioners in the area that agree to be on-call and respond to incidents when needed. These clinicians would be Group T, pay grade 10 and would also receive the call-out pay as proposed in the separate board action request. The funding source will be from Medicaid reimbursement, FY22-23 ARPA/MHBG - ACT Grant, and Dual ACT/IDDT Team Financial Incentive Grant. If the funding sources end, these positions will sunset and end.
FY2022 Budget Adjustments: The Board approved the prior month’s budget adjustments per the attached schedule.
Public Defender's Office Personnel Request: Ther Board approved the request from the Public Defender's Office to downgrade one First Assistant Public Defender position to a Assistant Public Defender III, upgrade one Assistant Public Defender I to a Assistant Public Defender II, and increase the pay grade for the First Assistant Public Defender at a total cost of $4,452.90.
Summary:
The Public Defender's Office was created in 2018 and the office structure was designed based on recommendations from MIDC and projected case load data. Upon review, current and historical caseload data supports changes due to the increase in felony cases and other high-level crimes. In addition, the restructure allows for a team to be assigned to each courthouse, decreasing travel time and expenses.
The Public Defender's Office requests:
1. Downgrade one First Assistant Public Defender (U17) to a Assistant Public Defender III (U16) at a cost savings of $8,554.85.
2. Upgrade one Assistant Public Defender I (U14) to a Assistant Public Defender II (U15) at a cost of $7,200.70.
3. Upgrade one First Assistant Public Defender from pay grade U17 to U18 due to absorbing additional administrative functions at a cost of $5,807.05.
Total cost of the reorganization is $4,452.90 to be funded by the MIDC.
Idema Explorer’s Trail Bass River Connector Trail Easement: The Board approved the easement with the Ottawa County Road Commission for the Idema Explorers trail Bass River segment route at the purchase price of $5000.
Summary:
Ottawa County Parks has been seeking easements and property acquisitions along the Grand River Greenway Idema Explorers Trail to facilitate construction of the trail and improve the safety and experince for trail users,
A current focus is to secure the Idema Trail route for the Bass River Segment, which would connect three parks, Bass River State Recreation Area, Riverside Park, and Eastmanville Bayou and would be part of a nearly 10-mile long stretch of trail.
On the western half of the Bass River Segment, one easement is needed to secure the trail route fdrom Riverside Park to Bass River State Recreation Area. This easement would traverse a property at the end of North Cedar Drive. The property is owned by the Road Commission and easement negotiations have been ongoing for several months. A final agreement has now been reached. The agreed upon pric e was based on the appraised value with additional negotiated considerations. Tjis easement will secure approximately 4 miles of this 10-mile segment and allow the next level of trail design to potentially commence in FY 2023.
