A special Barry County Commission night meeting set for late March has been moved back to April 11 at the Tyden Center at 7 p.m. Commission Chair/Commissioner Heather Wing said that an unresolvable conflict forced the change.
The meeting is to take public opinion on amendments to the Agriculture Preservation Board ordinance and establishing an Open Spaces Ordinance, both dealing with the buying of development rights from property owners.
The committee of the whole meeting is not an official public hearing, but to give the public a chance to learn about the changes, weigh in with their opinions and ask questions. During discussion at last week’s commission meeting, several commissioners had concerns about the changes, leading to the special meeting.
Stacy Byers, on the staff of the Kent County Agricultural Preservation Board and the Agriculture and Open Space Preservation Board in Ingham County, was with chairman of the Barry County Agriculture Promotion Board, Paul Wing, to explain the changes in the ordinance.
Since the issue was complex with many variables, the meeting, “will answer all the questions and concerns. It’s a good practice that leads to making good decisions,” she said.
In other business Tuesday, Administrator Michael Brown said auditors Gabridge & Company PLC has completed two weeks of field work and everything “seems to be going well.” The firm will prepare a draft review leading up to a report to the board, Brown said. //
Also, commissioners agreed to:
*provide a resolution for full faith and credit for an irrevocable line of credit for the Little Thornapple River Intercounty Drain
*reappoint Jack Nadwornik to the planning commission
*change notice #1 for an Office of Community Corrections grant
*buy replacement bullet resistant vests for the Sheriff’s Office with funds coming from the Diverted Felon’s Fund.
*appoint Nancy Kinney, Barbra Scott and Patricia Giar to the Animal Shelter Advisory Board.
*re-appoint Don Bowers and Ruth Perino to the Community Health Authority Board and re-appoint Jack Nadwornik to the Planning Commission for a three-year term.
*re-appoint Craig Stolsonburg and Commissioner David Jackson to the Tax Allocation Board and also Jackson to the Brownfield Development Authority.
*appoint Jim Brown and Stuart Cowan to the Solid Waste Oversight Committee.
*agreements between the county and Reynolds Land Surveying and Mapping P.C, Arrow Land Survey, Pathfinder Engineering, Inc, Crane Land Survey, Carr & Associates LLC, Exxel Engineering and Jonker Land Surveys PC for 2019.
*appoint Robert Carr, Michael Pratt, Ken Vierzen, Steven Koerber, Randall Jonker and Cindy Koster to the Barry County Remonumentation Peer Review Board.
This article was amended to correct the Barry County auditor's company name
