The Barry County Board of Commissioners will make a decision on a millage proposal to fund a new Commission on Aging (COA) facility after an informational meeting and more research into options and costs.

 

The agenda for next Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting calls for a vote on the ballot language for millage to pay for a new, larger building for services for older adults in Barry County. If approved, the proposal would be technically a “special” election in the scheduled election Aug. 8 and must be submitted to the county clerk before May 2.

 

County Administrator Michael Brown provided an updated example of a schedule to pay off unlimited general obligation bonds of $6 million over 20 years.

With a millage rate of 0.1843, a projected 4.5 percent interest rate and using the example of a residential property’s taxable value of $50,000 with state equalized value of $100,000, the cost to the homeowner would be $9.22 a year, he said.

 

A two-hour Barry County Board of Commissioners meeting April 25 was designed to give commissioners options for a new Commission on Aging building or to undertake a three way shift of county offices to accommodate the facility in larger quarters.  Commissioners toured the three buildings before the 1 p.m. meeting at the COA.  Commission Chairman Ben Geiger said no decisions would be made at the meeting, but information given to help them to, “make the best decision we can.”

 

Bob Van Putten, from Land Mark Designs, went over the plans for a new COA building, pointing out areas where the COA has specific needs and how the building would meet those needs. The new 25,000 square foot building would be built on the existing Woodlawn Avenue site, closer to North Broadway/M-43. It would feature more classrooms, a computer center, exercise room, multi-purpose room, adult care space and offices. The current building will then be removed.

 

The other option would shift three county departments and upgrade each in the process.

It would move the COA to the Barry Eaton District Health Department building, move the health department to the Friend of the Court’s (FOC) building and the FOC to the former Michigan State University Extension office in the Courts & Law building.

The health department would have a 5,800 feet added to its current 13,400 square feet, a 6,000 square foot second story added to the 6,600 square feet of the FOC building with renovations only to the MSUE office. Renovation and addition costs for all three buildings involved in the relocating total $5.1 million. //

 

Preparing the health department building for the COA would cost an estimated $1.5 million for renovation and $1.2 million for an addition to the building for  a total of $2.7 million. To accommodate the health department, the FOC building would require $0.8 million for renovation and $1.3 for a second story addition, totaling $2.1 million.

Renovating costs to the former MSUE office in the Courts & Law building for the FOC would cost $0.3 million.

 

Questions from commissioners, and others, concerned millage rates, cost for a special election and loss of reimbursement from the state for FOC operating costs.

 

There was no disagreement on the need for an upgrade to the COA facilities. Staff said the roof was repaired several years ago for $400,000 and is again leaking. Catering food for its Meals on Wheels program is needed for lack of adequate kitchen facilities, executive Director Tammy Pennington said.  The biggest concern and the reason for the commissioners considering action, is the lack of space for its services. Demand for their programs and activities has far outpaced the room they have in the building. Pennington said.

 

Some questions remained. Van Putten said too few parking spaces at the FOC would still have to be considered and furniture and technology costs are not in the figures for a new COA building, or the cost of a special election. However, COA has money in its building fund they said could be used for furniture and IT, and they could also pay for a special election.

“We understand the question before us,” Geiger said then. “The status quo is not acceptable. It’s our responsibility to act.”