Berrien County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Berrien County Board Appoints County Administrator, Approves Payments and Grants

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners approved a three-year employment agreement with Juan Ganum as County Administrator, effective September 14, 2026, with a base salary of $165,000 per year. The board also approved routine financial payments, grant applications, and other consent calendar items at its August 13 meeting.

County Administrator Appointment

The board voted 11-0 to approve the employment agreement with Juan Ganum, who will serve through September 30, 2029. The agreement includes annual salary increases matching those for appointed officials and a benefit package per the Non-Union Employee handbook. The appointment was part of the consent calendar.

Financial Approvals

The board approved the consent calendar, which included weekly bill pay and road payables. The auditing report for August 6–12, 2026, totaled $2,184,501.78, including two check runs ($1,800,436.78 and $384,065.00) and the Road Department's Accounts Payable Voucher #2633 for $1,307,629.07. The board also approved requisitions over $10,000 totaling $315,960.70 and purchase order change orders totaling $23,945.00. Notable purchases included two 2026 Chevrolet Tahoes for the Sheriff's Office ($113,858), dispatch tower fees to the State of Michigan ($48,644.24), and used Harley Davidson police motorcycles ($41,250).

Grant Approvals

The board approved applications for several grants, including the FY27 Emergency Management Performance Grant, a Materials Management Grant amendment, and the CDBG Grand Emergency Repair Program. The Emergency Management Grant will reimburse an estimated 9% of the Emergency Management Coordinator's salary and benefits, with a 50% cost match covered entirely by in-kind contributions. The Materials Management Grant amendment requests $182,813 in additional funds from EGLE.

Committee Actions

The Administration Committee, meeting August 13, approved six resolutions, including accepting a Local Prosecutor Grant, amending agreements for public defender office space, and approving a $8,627.02 fund request for Sheriff's Office motorcycle unit fuel and insurance. The Finance Committee advanced a resolution pledging full faith and credit for the Yore & Stoeffer Drain #569 Drainage District bonds, up to $2,514,580, to the full board.

Upcoming Meetings

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next two weeks.

Berrien County board's Aug. 6 agenda included $1.5M opioid grant, farmland preservation, bridge work

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners met Aug. 6 with a wide-ranging agenda that included a proposed $1.5 million opioid settlement grant cycle, a $251,000 farmland preservation grant, and several infrastructure contracts. Minutes have not yet been published, so outcomes are not yet known. The board also held a public hearing on an amendment to the Harbor Shores brownfield plan.

Opioid settlement grants

The board was scheduled to vote on a resolution authorizing a new three-year opioid settlement grant cycle from 2027 through 2029, totaling up to $1.5 million. The funding would support community-based opioid remediation projects, with up to $500,000 available each year. The resolution would increase the previous three-year allocation from $1.1 million to $1.5 million and would approve a competitive grant-style request for funding proposals outside the county's standard RFP process. The TEAM committee would review and score proposals, with final approval by the Board of Commissioners.

Land preservation and brownfield

The board considered accepting a $250,000 grant plus $1,000 in title expense reimbursement from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to purchase an agricultural conservation easement on 80.24 acres in Royalton Township. The resolution would authorize the chairman and county officials to sign related grant documents.

Separately, the board held a public hearing on the First Amendment to the Harbor Shores Parcels 1&2 Brownfield Plan, as recommended by the Finance Committee. The amendment follows input from taxing jurisdictions and was approved by the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority under Act 381 of 1996. The board was asked to find eligible activity costs and captured taxable value reasonable.

Road and bridge projects

The board considered several infrastructure items, including:

• $87,950 for engineering on the Coloma Rd. bridge rehab
• $134,500 for Log Cabin Rd. bridge replacement design
• $25,000 for professional engineering on Holle & Bujack Drain #235
• A $6,900 lump-sum agreement with Driesenga & Associates, Inc. for geotechnical services for Hinchman and Lincoln Road culvert/bridge replacements in Baroda Township
• A $14,667.73 one-year agreement with Spicer Group for NPDES/MS4 stormwater compliance assistance for the Road Department

These were part of a larger list of requisitions over $10,000 totaling $1,898,200.67 and purchase order change orders totaling $78,473.25.

Other business

The board also considered:

• Increasing the mileage reimbursement rate from 72.5 cents to 76 cents per mile, effective Aug. 1 through Dec. 1, 2026
• Adding a CommsCoach training module to the GovWorx 911 contract at $1,375 for 2026, bringing the 2027 total to $31,300
• Accepting $21,530 in MDHHS Local Sharing Funds for a countywide youth and family health assessment initiative
• Approving an auditing report for July 23–Aug. 5 totaling $4,351,676.92, plus two Road Department vouchers
• Receiving an update on the county administrator search

Sewage appeals

On Aug. 5, the On-Site Sewage Appeal Board met to hear three sewage permit appeals: Steve Kotz/Dig-It Excavating at 11323 Marquette Dr., New Buffalo; Tyler Vavra on W. Elm Valley Rd., Three Oaks; and Anne Hart and Walter Siewert on S. Lakeside Rd., Three Oaks Twp. Minutes are not yet published.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days.

Berrien County Board Considers $7.9 Million in Payments, Drainage Notes, and Multiple Grant Applications

Berrien County commissioners and committees met July 23, 2026, covering a packed agenda of financial approvals, drainage project notes, grant applications, and a County Administrator interview. Minutes have not yet been published for any of these meetings, so all items below reflect what was scheduled for consideration or vote — not confirmed outcomes.

Finance: $7.9 Million in Payments and Drainage Notes

The Finance Committee recommended approval of several auditing reports and payment vouchers totaling approximately $7,926,105.96 for the period ending July 22, 2026. The largest items were an Accounts Payable Check Run (#260723GB) of $4,870,328.05 and an Auditing Report for July 16–22, 2026, of $2,300,786.73. Additional items included a Road Department Accounts Payable Voucher (#2630) of $324,532.50 and a second check run (#260723GE) of $430,458.68.

The Board also considered $203,555.11 in requisitions and purchase order change orders, including $17,693.97 to Zeigler Motorsports, LLC for a snowmobile, $17,413.58 to Watervliet Charter Twp for Orchard Hill tipping fees, $22,675.00 to Roach Home Improvement, LLC for CDBG home repairs in Benton Township, a $20,000.00 increase to Eng Inc. for Williamson Drain #556 engineering, and a $70,000.00 increase to Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes, PLC for drain legal services.

The Finance Committee recommended the Board pledge the county's full faith and credit on three drainage district notes to reduce interest costs: Perry and Beach Drain #399 (not to exceed $529,350.28), Koranda Drain #282 (not to exceed $731,036.26), and Carlisle Ridge Drain #A17 (not to exceed $630,914.20).

Grants and Public Health

The Board reviewed multiple grant applications and acceptances:

• $100,000 Rural Health Transformation Grant from MDHHS (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027), with a proposed new Community Health Worker position.
• $50,000 Community Health Matching grant application to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation for the "Path to Adult Readiness" youth program (estimated December 2026 – December 2028).
• $20,000 from United Way of Southwest Michigan for the Nurse-Family Partnership Program (June 1 – December 31, 2026).
• $4,000 "For Good Major Grant" from the Berrien Community Foundation for blood pressure and A1C screenings at the Benton Harbor Farmers' Market (June 24 – October 21, 2026).
• $10,000 Children Special Health Care Services Family/Youth Engagement Grant application to MDHHS (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027; no match required).
• $20,911 Snowmobile Law Enforcement Grant application to the Michigan DNR, reimbursed at 85% ($17,774.35) with a county cash match of $3,136.65 from the Public Safety Millage Fund (October 2026 – April 2027).
• Approximately $110,000 Title IV-E Child and Parent Legal Representation Grant renewal application for the Berrien County Trial Court – Family Division (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027).

Infrastructure and Administration

The Board considered an agreement with MDOT to install broadband conduit between the Courthouse and Administration Center during MDOT's rebuild of M-63/I-94 Business Loop in St. Joseph. Estimated costs are $40,000 in 2027 and $140,000 in 2028, to be included in the Building and Grounds / Information Systems 2027 budget.

The Board also reviewed authorization of the 2025 Annual Financial Report for the Berrien County Road Department, required under Act 51, Public Acts of 1951.

The Administration Committee received a 9-1-1 services update from Caitlin Sampsell and considered a Sheriff's funds distribution request and a property use request.

Personnel

The Board held special meetings to interview two County Administrator applicants: Brad Kluczynski and Juan Ganum. Each meeting included a public comment period.

The Personnel and Human Services Committee recommended filling a vacant law clerk/research attorney position effective July 27, 2026, funded from unexpended salary funds within the Court's budget. The committee also approved pension refunds and rollovers and received a veterans services update.

Coming Up

The Berrien County On-Site Sewage Appeal Board meets August 5, 2026, to hear three sewage permit appeals: Steve Kotz/Dig-It Excavating at 11323 Marquette Dr., New Buffalo; Tyler Vavra on W. Elm Valley Rd., Three Oaks; and Anne Hart and Walter Siewert on S. Lakeside Rd., Three Oaks Twp.

Berrien County Board Slated to Act on $3.49M in Payments, $1.26M Road Vouchers

Berrien County commissioners had a busy two weeks of agendas covering millions in county payments, road department vouchers, health department renovations, and personnel changes. All meetings listed below are agenda-only — minutes have not yet been published, so final outcomes are not confirmed in the record provided.

County Payments and Road Vouchers

The Board of Commissioners was scheduled to vote on an Auditing Report covering June 25–July 8, 2026, totaling $3,490,452.78 in general county payments. A separate resolution would approve Road Department Accounts Payable Vouchers #2627 and #2628 for the same period, totaling $1,255,949.98. The road vouchers include $604,447.00 to Michigan Paving & Material Co Inc, $243,109.39 to Rieth-Riley Construction Co across two invoices, and $66,882.31 to Alta Construction Equipment.

A later Finance Committee meeting recommended approval of a second Auditing Report for July 9–15, 2026, totaling $1,745,760.87, plus Road Department Voucher #2629 for $249,478.53. Vendors listed on that voucher include Brusky Construction, Brown's Locksmith, and Rieth-Riley Construction.

Requisitions Over $10,000

The Board considered two batches of requisitions exceeding $10,000 each. The first totaled $516,297.22 across 12 items, including $147,850 to Empire for fence, gate, and security upgrades at County Electric and $121,750 to Empire for lighting upgrades at Silver Beach County Park. Excess-proceeds distributions from tax foreclosure cases were also listed: $88,242.81 to Diane Batson of Niles, $24,891.63 to PLC Watervliet, $17,673.34 to PLC Stevensville, and $15,555.89 to Ruth Bell of Benton Harbor.

The second batch totaled $686,586.92 and included $64,072.28 to Severence Electric for emergency traffic signal repairs at Pipestone and Meijer, $181,952.38 to Michelle Betchek for excess proceeds (case 2024-0140-CZ), and $50,000 each to the Berrien County Treasurer for EDC supplemental services supporting the Brownfield and Land Bank Community Authorities. CDBG Chill Grant-funded home repairs of $21,600 to Lakeshore Management and $24,034 to Roach Home Improvement were also listed.

Health Department Renovation and Funding

A resolution would approve a $44,229.11 contract with TRG Services, Inc. to reconfigure office space in the Environmental Health Division at the Napier Avenue Health Department site. The scope includes demolition, framing, drywall, doors, glass partitions, ceiling, HVAC, electrical, fire suppression, flooring, and painting. The Buildings and Grounds Superintendent would oversee the project and could issue change orders within available funding.

The Board of Health agenda included approval of Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health FY2025-26 Amendment II and a $7,139.16 funding increase for the Substance Use Disorder and Prevention Program, raising that program total to $275,071.37. Additional funding items included United Way-NFP funding, a BCBSM Community Health Matching Grant, and a WIC Urgent Maternal Warning Signs Education Initiative.

Personnel Changes

A resolution would reclassify the Election Coordinator position to Grade 6, with an estimated $8,534 in annual savings, and create a new Senior Deputy Court Clerk II position at Grade 6, with an estimated $8,534 annual cost. The County Clerk's Office estimates a net annual savings of $3,531.

The Personnel and Human Services Committee reviewed advanced step hire requests for an Accounts Payable Specialist and a Trial Court Accounting Assistant, plus updates on the vacant Printing Manager position.

Other Business

The Administration Committee heard updates from the Sheriff's Office and Road Department, reviewed a Sheriff's Funds Distribution Request, and discussed a property use request. The Finance Committee reviewed three full faith and credit resolutions (F2607281, F2607282, F2607283) presented by the Drain Commissioner, along with bid opening approvals and an administration construction update. Commissioner per diems for June 2026 totaling $5,135.26 were also recommended for approval.

Coming Up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days, according to the data provided.