COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County of Commissioners voted 4-1 during their Thursday work session to bring forward to next week’s meeting requests to reclassify certain employees in the County Clerk, Prosecutor, Treasurer and Circuit Court offices.
Commissioner Teri Norris said all of the affected employees met six of the ten criteria for reclassification that was developed by the finance committee.
Commissioner Don Vrablic cast the only no vote due to financial concerns.
Seeking reclassification are four deputies from the Clerk’s office, a felony clerk in the Prosecutor’s office, a deputy in the Treasurer’s office, and the administrator in Circuit Court.
Formal action is expected to be taken next Tuesday.
In other business, Commissioners voted to bring forward to the first regular meeting of 2018 the process of finding a new Manager for the Branch County Memorial Airport after Dean VanNasdale decided not to renew his contract for this year.
Commissioners also agreed to bring forward two requests from Amy Duff from the Branch County Commission on Aging. One would increase the weekly hours of the bookkeeper for this year from 35 to 40 so that research and development can be conducted into a potential lunch program at the COA. Duff says patrons at the center have expressed a great interest in lunch service during two open forums.
The other request was to establish a policy for criminal background and driving history checks on employees and volunteers. Duff says this policy would ensure only safe employees and volunteers will work with vulnerable Branch County seniors. She expects that a policy like this will be mandatory in order to obtain future federal and state grants.
