County maps future agendas

Darby Prater
The Enquirer

MARSHALL — The Calhoun County Board of Commissioners have a lot on their plate, but they're not saying grace yet.

The board met in a four-hour workshop Tuesday to discuss issues to be addressed on upcoming agendas.

While there are plenty of side dishes, the main course is the establishment of an allocation committee to oversee the revenues that will come in from FireKeepers Casino in Emmett Township. The county is expected to receive about $2 million per year based on the casino developers' projected annual revenue of $100 to $125 million. The county will receive 2 percent of revenues from electronic gambling machines at FireKeepers.

The three-member allocation committee will consist of a representative from the county, determined by the county board; a representative from Emmett Township, determined by the township board; and a third representative determined by the two aforementioned committee members.

"I think we need to make a decision fairly soon," County Administrator Greg Purcell said.

He said the third representative could be from "the most-affected" body of government in the county; but terms have not been set for determining how to tell which governmental body is most deserving of a seat on the committee.

Purcell wants to be sure the third representative is limited to two years on the board, then another entity will get a chance at the slot.

Once the county and Emmett Township representatives are determined, Purcell said they will meet with the county's legal counsel, Nancy Mullett, to establish by-laws for the committee.

"There's going to be a lot of arm-wrestling over who's going to get that third seat," Purcell said.

County Board Chairwoman Kate Segal, D-Battle Creek, wants to see the board appoint their committee member by mid-April, if not sooner.

"It's a big issue," she said. "... There's a lot at stake with that funding."

County 'side dishes'
• Looking into establishing a tether program for some offenders, specifically felony child support offenders. Requiring these offenders to wear a tether would save the county money and open up jail bed space.

"If you're thrown in jail for not paying child support, you're not going to be making any money," said Commissioner Mike Rae, D-Pennfield Township. "The number of felony child support cases keeps going up."

The county recently increased its jail bed revenues by $310,250, thanks to legal consultant Joseph Summerhill. He negotiated a per-bed increase from $58.14 to $63.16 for the housing of federal detainees under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

• Continued discussion over improvements to the county juvenile home, which has been inadequate for a number of years. Currently, there is no money allocated for replacement, but County Administrator Greg Purcell says the structure's design is flawed.

"The building is functionally obsolete in terms of its design," he said. "The newer juvenile homes are much more open, with open site lines. It really needs to be replaced."

Darby Prater can be reached at 966-0589 or dprater@battlecr.gannett.com.

Originally published March 5, 2008
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