Ron Welton, speaking for the Barry County Parks & Recreation Board, requested the Barry County Board of Commissioners committee of the whole approve a total of $10,000 in recreation grants the recreation board has recommended for 2019. They received 10 requests for $33.000, Welton said, all were deserving projects.
The committee of the whole Tuesday recommended approval of the Parks & Recreation board’s choices:
*A $5,000 grant to Barry Township to create a playground at William Smith Memorial Park in Delton to provides recreation and entertainment for Delton families and visitors. The project is to be ongoing; the grant will fund the first phase of the $20,000 project.
*A $3,000 grant to the Village of Freeport to upgrade the men’s and women’s bathrooms at CJ Moore Park to handicap accessible to benefit village and Irving Township residents. The only handicap accessible bathrooms at the park now are at the Community Center, available only when the Freeport District Library is open.
*A $2,000 grant to Central Elementary School, Hastings Area School System, to improve the school playgrounds by painting paved surfaces, adding picnic tables and storage space.
In other business, the committee recommended:
*renewal of the $396,465 liability, vehicle physical damage and property and crime insurance coverage though the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA) for one year, requested by Administrator Michael Brown.
“There were no significant changes from last year; the coverages are the same,” Brown said. There will be an adjustment of $1,200 in the premium because two county vehicles had been sold, so the effective premium is “closer to $395, 265,” Brown said.
The county gets a substantial refund every year and expects about $130,000 this year. MMRMA is a public entity self-insurance pool that provides liability and property coverage to municipal governments across Michigan, with more than 400 local municipalities as members, he said.
*approval of the county’s taxable value and Headlee Rollbacks and also the 2019 L-4029 form to allow the county to collet summer taxes. The form is sent to all local treasurers so taxes can be collected, Equalization Director Timothy Vandermark said.
*amending a contract with the state to increase its Swift and Sure probation program grant by $3,000 for a new total grant of $123,000, requested by Tammi Price, manager of the courts adult specialty court programs.
*buying a Microsoft SQL Server from low bidder CDW-G for $7,630.26 to replace an 11-year-old server in the Register of Deeds Office, as requested by IT Director Dave Shinavier, speaking for Barb Hurless, Register of Deeds, with funds to come from the office automation fund.
The committee of the whole’s recommendations will be addressed at the next regular board meeting.
