COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Veterans Affairs Office has a new vehicle for their clients following action by the Branch County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
The Commissioners formally approved the purchase by the V.A. Office of a used 2016 Chevrolet Trax from a private seller in Coldwater for no more than $8,000.
The office needed the additional vehicle due to the increased demand for transportation services for County Veterans attending medical appointments, the expansion of transportation services in 2026 to include destinations beyond Battle Creek and Ann Arbor, and the need for a vehicle with improved fuel efficiency.
The sale is contingent upon a satisfactory free vehicle inspection from a local repair shop.
In other business, the Commissioners formally approved a bid from DH Roberts of Jonesville to build a new Branch County Sheriff’s Department patrol vehicle and evidence storage garage.
The winning low base bid of $913,746 was one of four bids submitted for the project. Administrator Frank Walsh says DH Roberts also submitted a couple of deductions which lowered the price by $27,000. The two deductions would adjust the amount of insurance required and reject the use of a web-based project software. That would bring the total bid down to $886,746.
The garage will fill a long-standing need for additional vehicle and evidence storage that was deferred during the initial construction of the current Branch County Jail.
The Commissioners also gave formal approval to increasing the rates being paid to building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical inspectors.
The Branch County Building Department has contracted out for such inspections over the years. Fees for those inspectors will increase to $55 per inspection from the current rate of $52.25 which has been in effect since January of 2024. The new rates go into effect on July 1.
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