By By NORMA LERNER / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – Cass County will operate with a full-time emergency management-homeland security coordinator per action of the Cass County Board of Commissioners Thursday afternoon.
It was unanimously approved to amend the general fund budget from half-time to full time, which increased the salary from $18,558 to $35,609.
Total expenses for the position with benefits and supplies went from $27,528 to $54,037, respectively.
About 40 percent of the salary is paid by a state grant.
The position became vacant last month upon the resignation of Patty Carlisle, who worked half time as emergency management coordinator for the sheriff and half time as senior safety coordinator for the Cass County Council on Aging.
Carlisle joined the City of Dowagiac as the city manager's secretary.
Sheriff Joseph Underwood Jr. and Terry Proctor, county administrator, re-evaluated the position in regards to the hours needed to accomplish the job, seek more grants and supervision of the position.
Under the amended budget plan, the new coordinator would report to the county administrator.
The description of the coordinator is to provide leadership and coordination to protect lives and property. This is to be accomplished through the support of countywide response teams and out-of-county state and federal support teams. Efforts are directed to prepare for, respond to and recover from disaster or emergency events.
The position was full time for a number of years and was later contracted, explained Proctor. Then it went full time again until there was a budget crunch in 2005 when it returned to half time. "We have been limping along with halftime when it's a full-time position," Proctor said. The new person would have to coordinate emergency management with the state and local levels with training from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other related courses. The hiree must work well with the police chiefs, fire chiefs and ambulance directors.
The office will be set up in the E 9-1-1 Building at 130 North Broadway Street. Interested persons are to apply to the county administrator's office at 120 North Broadway.
In another personnel issue, the board approved a new position of chief deputy clerk/register to assist Clerk-Register Barbara Wilson. The position is to assist the clerk-register with election work, manage the office payroll and other related functions and act for the clerk-register in her absence. Another assist will be in the newly automated register-of-deeds computer program which has been under installation and slated to go live on Jan. 14.
The position is a grade nine from $34,937 to $45,418. Applicants may also apply at 130 North Broadway.
The board adopted a resolution to proceed with raising the water level in Big and Little Crooked Lakes in the northwestern part of the county in Silver Creek Township. The Van Buren and Cass County drain commissioners were petitioned to maintain the lake levels which are below their legal levels. More than the required two-thirds of lake front owners are in support of the project.
Jeff VanBelle, Cass County drain commissioner, said Van Buren County will be the lead agent since the majority of the lakes are in Van Buren County. He said the assessment district has not been determined as yet, but the legal lake level was established in 1962.[ok]