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CASS COUNTY — Beginning March 16, the Cass County Board of Commissioners will host committee of the whole meetings in lieu of business meetings on the third Thursday of each month.  

At the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Commissioners March 2, commissioners voted to adopt a new meeting schedule. Previously, the board met on the first and third Thursdays of each month to discuss and vote on business. Moving forward, the board will hold a regular meeting the first Thursday of the month, and a committee of the whole meeting the third Thursday. 

“The first of the month we have to have our business meeting so we can pay our bills for the County and conduct business for the month,” Chair Jeremiah Jones explained to the board at the March 2 meeting. “The COW would be for proposing agenda items so we could have discussions in greater detail, and we’d have less questions and more clarity for the public and for the commissioners.”  

Committee of the whole meetings allow commissioners the opportunity to have more relaxed discussions about agenda items without having to vote on the items during the same meeting. This schedule also offers constituents two weeks to share concerns or ask questions of their commissioners. While no action will be taken, COW meetings are still official public meetings with the opportunity for the public to comment. Public comment is limited to three minutes per person, and speakers are encouraged to comment on topics relating to agenda items.  

“If there were any issues that came up that had to have decisions, like extra bills, any changes that have time constraints like the grants, anything legal with the courts and sheriff’s department or the prosecutor’s office, or anything like that, we’d have a business meeting after the COW,” Jones said.  

All meetings begin at 5 p.m. on the second floor of the Cass County Administration Building, 120 N. Broadway, Cassopolis. All are open to the public and held in compliance of the Open Meetings Act.  

A full meeting schedule is below: 

• March 16, 2023 — Committee of the Whole 
• April 13, 2023 — Regular meeting 
• April 20, 2023 — Committee of the Whole 
• May 4, 2023 — Regular meeting 
• Mary 18, 2023 — Committee of the Whole 
• June 1, 2023 — Regular meeting 
• June 15, 2023 — Committee of the Whole 
• July 6, 2023 — Regular meeting 
• July 20, 2023 — Committee of the Whole 
• August 10, 2023 — Regular meeting 
• August 17, 2023 — Committee of the Whole 
• September 7, 2023 — Regular meeting 
• September 21, 2023 — Committee of the whole 
• October 5, 2023 — Regular meeting 
• October 19, 2023 — Committee of the Whole 
• November 2, 2023 — Regular meeting 
• November 16, 2023 — Committee of the Whole 
• December 7, 2023 — Regular meeting 
• December 21, 2023 — Committee of the Whole