The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners and the Three Rivers City Commission will both hold regular meetings as planned this evening, Tuesday, September 15. Both are accessible via the Zoom online meeting platform, which is also accessible by telephone.

During public comment periods, members of the public can request an opportunity to speak using the chat function of the online platform, the “raise hand” feature, or by pressing *9 if attending by telephone.

County Commission (5 p.m.)

The County Commission meets through a Zoom meeting link for anyone who wishes to attend remotely. Attendance requires entry of the access passcode of 426271. It is also possible to phone into the Zoom sessions by dialing 312-626-6799 and entering the meeting’s conference ID code, 892 1681 7754, along with the passcode.
Tuesday’s county meeting will include a public hearing and a likely vote on a grant application for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) pandemic relief funds provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and administered as a grant by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The $217,975 grant is already awarded to the county pending the commission’s approval.

Also up for County Commission approval on Tuesday:

1. Enhanced early retirement incentive letters of understanding with the general employee and District Court union bargaining units.
2. Nominations for appointment to the St. Joseph County Commission on Aging’s board of directors, including a slate of six candidates: John Galvin, Loyid Stemen, Sarah Apwisch, Stephen Boland, Jon Withers, and George Letts.
3. Nominations for appointment to the Solid Waste Management Planning Committee, including a slate of five candidates: Eric Shafer, Aaron Cullifer, Lee Zimmerman, Robert Robinson, and Kathy Pangle.

The meeting will also include standard monthly reports and updates from the county administrator, finance director, and various department and committee heads.

City Commission (6 p.m.)

The City Commission normally meets at Three Rivers City Hall but instead currently continues to hold its meetings via Zoom as a pandemic precautionary measure. The city’s Zoom meeting channel uses the conference ID code of 267 406 2635, and there is no passcode. The Zoom meeting can also be accessed using the same telephone number as the county commission meetings, but by entering the city’s conference ID code instead.

Under Action Items at the City Commission are the following items:

1. The purchase of Axon Fleet 2 communication systems equipment for the Three Rivers Police Department, with installation, for a total cost of $64,953.
2. A resolution to purchase of five tax delinquent properties within the city, some on multiple lots, from St. Joseph County at a total of $59,256.04.

Also up for discussion and a possible vote is the sale of the Carnegie Center for the Arts Building, currently owned by the city, to the Carnegie Center itself. However, the city attorney will be asking the commission for further direction regarding ongoing negotiations between the Carnegie Center and the Three Rivers Woman’s Club concerning the lease of the space it occupies in the building.

Dave Vago is a writer and columnist for Watershed Voice. A Philadelphia native with roots in Three Rivers, Vago is a planning consultant to history and community development organizations and is the former Executive Director of the Three Rivers DDA/Main Street program.