Lenawee County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Lenawee board approves $75K per solar project for MPSC intervention, denies Tecumseh Products purchase

The Lenawee County Board of Commissioners voted 5-3 on Aug. 12 to spend up to $75,000 per project to hire Foster Swift Collins & Smith to intervene in the Rouget Farms and Glacier Meadows solar cases at the Michigan Public Service Commission. The board also authorized the county administrator to negotiate Host Community Agreements for both projects (7-1) and unanimously denied a proposal to purchase the Tecumseh Products property.

Board

The board also approved three proclamations: #2026-15 for Overdose Awareness Day and Recovery Month, #2026-16 recognizing Michigan Works! Southeast, and #2026-17 recognizing the Center for Excellence's 30th anniversary, all unanimously. It accepted the 2025 Lenawee County Financial Audit and approved a $34,350 contract with Abonmarche Consultants for a facilities space utilization assessment, also unanimously.

The denial of the Tecumseh Products purchase had been recommended by the Personnel/Ways & Means Committee on Aug. 11, which also recommended eliminating the MSC Nutrition Director position and reclassifying Nutrition Director and Cook III pay grades, accepting the Abonmarche proposal, approving a two-year Polco pilot program not to exceed $40,000, approving a Riga Twp. law enforcement contract, and a CLEMIS Authority Participation Agreement via Resolution #2026-17. All recommendations were carried by the committee and later approved by the full board.

Accounts Payable

The Accounts Payable Committee on Aug. 20 approved vouchers totaling $4,796,636.10, including $469,883.51 from the general fund. Both motions carried.

Other recent meetings

Several other meetings were held in the past two weeks, but minutes have not yet been published. The Veterans Affairs Executive Committee met Aug. 14 to consider a Deputy Veterans Service Director recommendation. The Parks Commission met Aug. 17 to review a 2027 capital plan request for the Parks Division, among other items. The Homeland Security and Local Emergency Planning Committee met Aug. 18 to consider three grant requests totaling $23,588 for hazmat training and equipment, including a Norfolk Southern prop train exercise. The Board of Health met Aug. 19 to review accounts, reports, and a Quarter 3 finance report.

Coming up

• **Land Bank Authority** – Aug. 25: Review property applications for 602 & 616 French St., 410 E. Beecher St., and 2000 W. US-223 BLK, plus a blight elimination grant for 140 W. Main St. in Addison.
• **Materials Management Planning Committee** – Sept. 2: Review the draft materials management plan, recycling and organics pilot updates, and finance reports.
• **Accounts Payable Committee** – Sept. 3: Approve minutes and accounts payable vouchers.

County committees approve $3.87M in vouchers, sealcoating contract

The Lenawee County Accounts Payable Committee approved $3,865,935.54 in vouchers at its Aug. 6 meeting, including $191,816.11 from the general fund. The approval was the largest single financial action taken by county committees in the past week. Other decisions included a sealcoating contract for county lots and the closure of four capital projects with returned balances.

Accounts Payable Committee

The committee approved the accounts payable edit listing totaling $3,865,935.54, with $191,816.11 from the general fund. It also approved the minutes of the July 23, 2026 meeting. Both motions carried. No other business or public comment was conducted.

Physical Resources Committee

The Physical Resources Committee approved a $15,646.71 proposal from K&B for sealcoating South Complex lots, plus a $1,500 contingency. It also closed four capital projects, returning unspent balances:

• Judicial Chiller repair project CPBS 2607, returning $1,500
• MSC Gym roof replacement project CPMS 2603, returning $37,650
• Physical Resource Building carpet replacement project CPBS 2604, returning $2,500
• Physical Resource Building roof replacement project CPBS 2605, returning $5,000

Building and grounds maintenance updates were reported, including jail pipe replacement and chiller repairs. No public comment was made.

IT/Equalization Committee

The IT/Equalization Committee approved the July 2, 2026 meeting minutes by motion. No substantive decisions were made. Staff reported on upcoming server capital improvements, website accessibility features going live, and ongoing equalization work.

Other recent meetings

The Materials Management Planning Committee met Aug. 5 to review a rough draft of the Materials Management Plan and its approval timeline. The agenda included updates on recycling and organics pilots and a finance report. No decisions were recorded; minutes have not been published.

The Criminal Justice Committee met Aug. 6 with routine approvals and departmental updates. Two items were under consideration but not decided: a CLEMIS Authority Membership Agreement and a law enforcement services contract with Riga Township.

Coming up

• **Personnel/Ways & Means Committee** – Aug. 11. Will consider reclassifying the Nutrition Director and Cook III positions, requests for RFPs for facilities space utilization, a Riga Township law enforcement contract, a CLEMIS membership agreement, and a closed session under state law.
• **Board of Commissioners** – Aug. 12. Will hear the 2025 county audit presentation and a Lenawee Now update, consider consent agenda items, and discuss unfinished business regarding Rouget Farms and Glacier Meadows, including a community host agreement. An Overdose Awareness & Recovery Month proclamation is also on the agenda.

Lenawee County Aging Board Approves FY2027 Budget, Ends Curbside Meal Line Item

The Lenawee County Department on Aging Advisory Board approved its FY2027 draft budget and voted to remove curbside meals as a budget line item effective October 1, 2026, citing declining participation in the program.

Department on Aging Advisory Board — July 23

The board took three recorded actions, according to official minutes:

• Approved meeting minutes from May 28, 2026.
• Approved removal of curbside meals as a line item in the FY2027 budget.
• Approved the Lenawee Department on Aging FY2027 Draft Budget.

The curbside meal elimination takes effect October 1, 2026, the start of the county's fiscal year. No dollar figures for the overall budget or the meal program were included in the minutes provided.

Parks Commission — July 20

The Parks Commission met to approve June 15, 2026 minutes, review a finance report, and hear a parks monthly report. Two requests were on the agenda: a Bicentennial Soccer Program and gravel for the Ramsdell Lot. Minutes have not yet been published, so no outcomes or vote tallies are available for those items.

Accounts Payable Committee — July 23

The committee met to review and approve the Accounts Payable Edit Listing and approve minutes from its previous meeting. The agenda described the session as routine financial approvals with a public comment period. Minutes have not yet been published, so specific voucher amounts are not available.

Coming Up

Several county committees meet in the week ahead. Residents can attend or follow the agendas below.

• **Materials Management Planning Committee — August 5.** Will review and discuss a rough draft of the Materials Management Plan (MMP) and its approval timeline. The agenda also includes updates on recycling and organics pilots and a materials management finance report.
• **Accounts Payable Committee — August 6.** Will review and approve the Accounts Payable Edit Listing and approve minutes from July 23, 2026.
• **Criminal Justice Committee — August 6, 10:00 AM, Chambers, 301 N. Main St., Adrian.** Will consider a CLEMIS Authority Membership Agreement and a contract for law enforcement services with Riga Township. Departmental updates are scheduled from the Sheriff, Prosecuting Attorney, Public Defender, Emergency Management, Medical Examiner, and Courts.
• **Physical Resources Committee — August 6.** Will vote on closing four facility projects: Judicial Building Chiller Repair, MSC Gym Roof Replacement, Physical Resource Building Carpet Replacement, and Physical Resource Building Roof Replacement. The committee will also discuss MSC renovations and receive a Drain Commission monthly report.
• **I.T. / Equalization Committee — August 6, 1:30 PM, Chambers, 301 N. Main St., Adrian.** Will review July 2, 2026 minutes and receive finance, IT, and equalization reports. No specific decisions or dollar amounts are listed on the agenda.

Lenawee County committees approve $2.09M in vendor payments, advance solar project legal strategy

Lenawee County's Accounts Payable Committee authorized $2,087,796.19 in vendor invoices this month, the largest single financial action among recent county meetings. The committee also approved a separate round of recommendations from the Personnel/Ways & Means Committee to spend up to $75,000 on legal intervention for two large-scale solar energy projects.

Accounts payable and county spending

The Accounts Payable Committee approved $2,087,796.19 in accounts payable vouchers on July 9, with $407,899.51 drawn from the general fund. The committee also approved its June 25 meeting minutes and adjourned at 9:42 a.m.

The Board of Commissioners met July 8 in a largely procedural session, voting on a consent agenda that included accounts payable payments, committee minutes, and setting dates for September and December 2026 meetings. Minutes from that meeting have not yet been published.

Solar energy projects and legal counsel

The Personnel/Ways & Means Committee on July 7 recommended the Board of Commissioners authorize up to $75,000 to hire the law firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith to intervene in two large-scale solar project applications. The vote was 5-0.

The same committee recommended, also 5-0, authorizing negotiations for host community agreements for the Rouget Farms and Glacier Meadows solar projects. Host community agreements typically set terms between a developer and the local government for a project within its jurisdiction.

The committee's other recommendations, all passed 5-0:

• Appointment of Lt. Chris Hudson to the board.
• A $1,280 amendment to the MGT timekeeping contract.
• A CivicPlus ADA website accessibility contract costing $12,739.83 in the first year and $22,504 on a recurring basis.

These items are recommendations; final action rests with the Board of Commissioners.

Veterans relief grants approved

The Department of Veterans Affairs Executive Committee approved three relief applications July 10 totaling $4,724.90:

• VRF Application 26-007: $817.05
• MVTF Application TGFA-2547: $3,390.21
• MVTF Application TGFA-2557: $517.64

The committee also adopted Veterans Relief Fund policy updates, approved a special meeting date, and appointed an interview and hiring committee for the Deputy Veterans Service Director position. All votes were unanimous 3-0.

Emergency 911 District Board

The Emergency 911 District Board approved minutes from its May 14, 2026, meeting on July 9. A budget report showed expenditures at 37%, and the board discussed staffing and radio upgrades. No dollar amounts or specific decisions on those topics were recorded in the available minutes.

Other meetings

The Airport Commission met July 6 for a routine session covering approval of May 4, 2026, minutes, a finance report, and public comment. No substantive decisions were listed on the agenda, and minutes have not yet been published.

The Board of Health met July 15 and approved its agenda and June 17, 2026, minutes, each by a 3-0 vote. No other items were discussed.

Coming up

• **Parks Commission — July 20:** Will consider a Bicentennial Soccer Program request and gravel for the Ramsdell Lot, plus finance and monthly reports.
• **Accounts Payable Committee — July 23:** Will review and approve the next round of accounts payable vouchers.
• **Department on Aging Advisory Board — July 23:** Will hear a presentation on a wheelchair accessible van update and the director's report.