Meeting Notes 8-23-22
Meeting Notes from the August 23 Meeting of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners.
Meeting Packet: https://www.miottawa.org/appImages/Calendar/1660924229121-packet.PDF
Meeting Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFT9dHwin-o&list=PLyDvvIv66xGdxnFV8qE1q-mhjSDl32WsD&index=2
Ottawa County's Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: The Board approved Ottawa County's Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Summary:
In an effort to better educate the public on the purpose of the County's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office, a statement has been developed to explain how the DE&I Office contributes to the County's vision of "Where You Belong." It also emphasizes that the County will not demean any disability, gender, race, ethnicity or culture, as the County provides its many services to the citizens of Ottawa County.
Public Health Personnel Request: The Board approved the request from Public Health to add one .6 FTE Grant Coordinator at a cost of $61,389 to be paid for by the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) grant.
Summary:
The Ottawa County Department of Public Health has been awarded $300,000 from the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) to reduce and eliminate COVID-19 inequities in impacted and at-risk populations within our region. The subcontractor agreement requires a collective impact approach to develop a Regional Health Equity Council; develop and implement an action plan to improve health outcomes of the region; identify and engage community members and organization in council membership and activities; support sustainable activities and development of a sustainability plan of activities. This position will be fully funded through the subcontractor agreement with MPHI to specifically work on project objectives. While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental and physical health of every person across the United States, it has disproportionately impacted individuals from specific populations, particularly those who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), those who have low resources, people experiencing mental health conditions, people experiencing homelessness, people with substance use disorders, and people with disabilities. This project and position will help meaningfully address disparities related to COVID-19 and help implement strategies that will both meet the needs of Ottawa County residents and outlive the current pandemic. This position is temporary and contingent on funding from the contracting agency.
Ottawa Area ISD Work-based Learning Program: The Board approved the agreement to add eight work-based learning student positions at a total cost of $3,840 for Fiscal Year 2022 and $80,000 to be included in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget request.
Summary:
Human Resources is developing a partnership and talent pipeline with the OAISO through their work-based learning program. Ottawa County will employ ISO students to perform duties while the student earns course credit and learning hours through the ISO.
Human Resources requests to add eight(8) work-based learning student positions to be paid at the intern rate. Four will be dedicated to the Sheriff's Office and the Sheriff's Office will budget for these positions. For the remainder of Fiscal Year 2022, the Sheriff's Office will use vacancy funds to fund the estimated $3,840 in costs. The Sheriff's Office will request funding for these four positions within the Fiscal Year 2023 budget.
Officer and Employee Delegate for the MERS Annual Meeting: The Board approved the form nominating Zachary VanOsdol as Officer Delegate; Dean Krum as Employee Delegate to the 2022 MERS Annual Meeting.
Summary:
The County, as a member of the Municipal Employees Retirement System (MERS), sends an Officer Delegate and an Employee Delegate to the Annual MERS conference in accordance with MERS bylaws. Delegates vote for the MERS Board Member and attend informational sessions to learn important information relating to the County's retirement system, such as new and updated rules and regulations, financial stability of MERS, and other topics related to MERS. The Alternate Delegates are named, in the event the primary delegate (Officer or Employee) cannot attend.
Veterans Services Agreement:
The Board approved a Three Year agreement with Social Services Resources, LLC to provide Veteran Services to Ottawa County Veterans at a cost of $31,835.16 annually.
ARPA Funding Public Survey Results: The Board received for information the results of the Public Survey regarding ARPA Funding.
Summary:
ARPA Committee members identified needs within their area of expertise and are assisting County officials with drafting funding options and priorities. To ensure projects funded by ARPA dollars benefit all who live and work in Ottawa County, the committee identified categories, or "buckets", of high level priorities. The survey asked the community to rank Affordable Housing; Social and Human Services; Countywide Broadband; and Business Stabilization categories plus welcomed additional ideas. The questionnaire, which was available in both English and Spanish, took about 5 to 10 minutes to complete and closed on August 1.
Department of Strategic Impact Dwelling Place ARPA Funding Request: The Board approved Dwelling Place's request for $2 million in ARPA grant funding, contingent upon receiving a MSHDA tax credit by the April 2023 application cycle
Summary:
Dwelling Place sees this as a vital opportunity for Ottawa County to leverage these precious funds towards a strategically significant affordable housing project. A $2 million investment would yield a $14.3 million project with 46 apartments all priced affordably for persons making at or below 80% of
the Area Median Income for Ottawa County. It’s location within downtown Holland also places this project in an area with numerous opportunities for economic growth and could also spur future housing projects in this area of Ottawa County. Dwelling Place has secured rezoning and site plan approval from the City of Holland, including support from the city through the use of a tax abatement called a “Payment in lieu of Taxes” or PILOT for this project. If approved for ARPA grant funding, Dwelling Place will then apply to MSHDA by October 3, 2022 to secure 9% LIHTC (low income housing tax credits) to finance the project and will also apply again in April of 2023 if not secured during the October 2022 application cycle. If not awarded State LIHTC financing, the $2 million in County ARPA grant funding would not be necessary.
Department of Strategic Impact Samaritas ARPA Funding Request: The Board approved Samaritas's request for $1.5 million in ARPA grant funding, contingent upon receiving a MSHDA tax credit by the April 2023 application cycle
Summary:
Samaritas Affordable Living of Spring Lake, owned by Samaritas Affordable Living Spring Lake Limited Dividend Housing Association Limited Partnership, is a proposed new construction building of 43 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom affordable housing units serving families, couples and seniors in Spring Lake, Michigan. The site will accommodate housing units with rents available at affordable rates for income earners at 30%, 40%, 50%, 60% and 70% of the Area Median Income for Ottawa County. In addition, some units will be available up to 80% AMI through an approved income averaging approach. Additionally, of the 53 units, 8 will have project-based vouchers from the Muskegon Housing Commission focused on those with special needs or disabilities. Samaritas has secured the necessary support from the Village of Spring Lake for this project. Samaritas is requesting a $1.5 million investment by Ottawa County to help close their funding gap in order to meet rising costs and score competitively with efficient use of State tax credits. As Ottawa County competes against projects across the state for LIHTC (low income housing tax credits), this support leverages significant tax credit equity into needed housing options for those who want to live in Ottawa County. If approved for ARPA grant funding, Samaritas will then apply to MSHDA by October 3, 2022 to secure 9% LIHTC to finance the project and will also apply again in April of 2023 if not secured during the October 2022 application cycle. If not awarded State LIHTC financing, the $1.5 million in County ARPA grant funding would not be necessary.
Broadband Infrastructure Pre-Engineering Design and ProForma: The Board approved $46,964.77 in ARPA Funding to hire GrayBar Inc to commence with pre-engineering of a middle mile broadband infrastructure network, and preparation of a network proforma, for the County's unserved/underserved areas.
Summary:
After obtaining a more accurate picture of current internet accessibility across the County via the recently completed Broadband Data Collection survey, DSI staff and partner Urban Wireless Solutions are moving on to Phase II of the Digital Inclusion Strategy. Phase II involves developing a pre-engineering design for a middle mile broadband architecture, along with preparing financial feasibility analyses of that design. The end result of the project will be a documented and executable network model that Ottawa County can use as its blueprint to achieve their vision for broadband accessibility.
DSI has identified GrayBar/Fujitsu to conduct this design work. The middle mile engineering is a critical step for the County to determine what it will cost to build the necessary infrastructure that is accessible for private-sector ISPs to "piggy-back" (for a yet-to-be-determined fee) to deliver their services to underserved areas, especially in the County's more rural areas. With these engineering and cost-modeling data, DSI can then seek/secure grant funds, and local contributions as necessary, to deploy the network design. If the business/network model makes fiscal sense, partnerships with private-sector ISPs are secured, and necessary funding is acquired, DSI is targeting fiscal year 2023/24 for construction.
Eviction Prevention Program ARPA Funding Request: The Board approved the 58th District Court's request for $2 million in ARPA grant funding over 3 years to support the Ottawa County Eviction Prevention Program.
Summary:
The Ottawa County 58th District Courts in partnership with Good Samaritan Ministries is seeking catalyst funding for the County-led Ottawa County Eviction Prevention Program (OCEPP). This funding will enhance and stabilize programming that was perfected throughout the COVID-19 pandemic through the initial infusion of various federal aid initiatives; a program that has already shown to be effective in addressing a housing instability crisis for area residents. The request is for $2M over a 3 year period, FY23-FY25. The suggested ARPA priority bucket area for this request is "affordable housing".
Retirement Agreement for Ottawa County Health Officer: The Board approved the Retirement Agreement for Ottawa County Health Officer.
Summary:
Ottawa County Public Health Officer Lisa Stefanovsky has indicated that she plans to retire effective March 31, 2023. Because it is a prolonged process to hire a new Health Officer, which is subject to approval of both the Board of Commissioners and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the County plans to start the hiring process immediately. The proposed Retirement Agreement reflects that Lisa will continue to perform her duties as Health Officer until her successor is formally appointed by the Board and approved by the DHHS, but no later than March 31, 2023. If the new Health Officer is appointed prior to March 31, 2023, Lisa will continue to serve as an internal administrative officer at the Public Health Department until March 31, 2023 in order to provide a smooth transition for the Department of Public Health during a very busy time. In the event that the Board of Commissioners terminates her prior to March 31, 2023, the County will pay her three months of her salary and benefits.
2023 Capital Improvement Plan Item: The Board approved the 2023-2028 Capital Improvement Plan.
Summary:
The Capital Improvement Plan is a multi-year planning document developed to fund capital projects with a focus on preserving current assets and accounting for future needs.
FY2022 Budget Adjustments: The Board approved the 2022 budget adjustments per the above schedule.
Setting of Public Hearing on the FY 2023 Ottawa County Budget: The Board approved the setting of a public hearing on the FY 2023 Ottawa County budget for Tuesday, September 13, 2022 to be held in the Ottawa County Board Room, 12220 Fillmore Street, West Olive, at 1:30p.m.
Community Mental Health Board: The Board approved Steven Savage to fill one Primary Consumer vacancy beginning immediately and ending March 31, 2024.
Community Corrections Advisory Board: The Board approved Linda Haveman to fill one General Public vacancy beginning immediately and ending December 31, 2022.
