Board of Commissioners Breakdown
February 2023 |
|
|---|
|
|
(L-R): Vice Chair Pro Tempore Jeff Heppler, Vice Chair Tami Rey, and Chair John Taylor |
|
|
|
|
We are committed to building a new Kalamazoo County — a county that works for everyone.
Welcome to the inaugural edition of our new monthly Board of Commissioners newsletter! Kalamazoo County Government is committed to transparency and accessibility, so we're excited to bring you this first edition full of important updates from our team.
We're committed to providing services that promote health, equity, and well-being so you can live your best life. That's why we've been working hard to make our government more accessible and accountable to the people it serves. We want to be sure that we are supporting the needs of all our residents—no matter who they are or where they're from—so that everyone can get the support they need to feel safe and secure in their community.
We want to thank our residents for engaging with us as we continue our work on behalf of everyone who lives in this great community! This month, we reappointed Sue Brodasky to the Animal Services & Enforcement Advisory Board, Michael Sanford and Martin Janssen to the Board of Public Works, Michael Boersma and Bionca Stewart to the Environmental Health Advisory Council, Tim Charron, Kelly Quardokus and Richard Kline to the Older Adult Services Advisory Council, Toni Thompson and Marion Hill to the Parks Commission, and Curtis Aardema and Tafari Brown to the Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority Board. We're grateful to have such an engaged community of residents as we continue working toward a brighter future.
Want to get involved with your local government in another way? Check out our current openings and apply today.
|
|
|---|
|
Here are a few things we accomplished this month:
- Approved a Resolution to Adopt a Settlement Agreement in Connection with Opioid Litigation Initiated by Kalamazoo County Government.
- Approved execution of a contract with Marathon Health to implement a multi-employer health center to provide easy access to healthcare at little, or no, cost to the employee while potentially lowering costs to our self-funded health plan.
- Approved execution of the Expo Center Contract with West Michigan Convention Services for the Grand Rapids Comic Con Event for the period of April 12-16, 2023.
- Approved an Agreement with TridentCare for Portable X-Ray, Ultrasound & EKG Services in the Kalamazoo County Jail.
- Approved execution of Contracts with Custer for $1,085,337.01, Trellis for $661,269.11, and Michigan Office Environments for $161,693.49 for Ancillary Furniture for the New Justice Center.
- Approved execution of the Expo Center Contract with the Home Builder Association of Western Michigan for the Home Expo for the period of March 6-13, 2023.
- Issued a Proclamation Honoring John Schmidt for 25 Years of Service in the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office.
|
|
| | |
A Message From the Administrator |
|
|---|
|
|
|
Every February, communities across the nation celebrate Black History Month as a way to learn about the contributions of Black people and recognize their achievements. From the earliest days of American colonization, when enslaved Africans were forced to do the labor that built our early settlements, to the current day, people of African descent have resisted injustice with courage and resolve.
At the County we are constantly striving to be more inclusive and welcome people of all races, religions, and ethnicities; this month is a great reminder that we can all do better every day in reflecting that diversity.
From new buildings to fresh initiatives and a fully equipped leadership team, we're proud of what we've accomplished so far. But we're even more excited about what's ahead: a new Kalamazoo County that's dedicated to increasing equity for all of its residents.
We're proud of Kalamazoo County's new direction, and we can't wait for you to see what we have in store! |
|
|---|
|
|
|
|---|
|
|
Around the County
From the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County |
|
|---|
|
The goal of the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County (RCKC) is to provide the safest and most convenient road system possible for all users. The RCKC considers communication to be a key part of this goal and utilizes multiple communication channels in order to have as broad a reach as possible.
One of the RCKC’s main communication tools is the collection of service requests. Service requests are road-related reports that range from roadside issues to potholes, signs, winter maintenance, etc. In addition to our scheduled projects and maintenance, the RCKC receives and responds to service requests daily. With over 1,270 miles of roadway, we rely on the public to also be our eyes on the roads. Service requests can be submitted by calling our office at 269-381-3170, or here on our website.
RCKC Connect provides another opportunity for the RCKC to communicate with the public. RCKC Connect is a mass notification service. Messages from RCKC Connect include road construction updates, unexpected road closures, detours, and other important RCKC news. Citizens receive messages through any communication method they specify, such as home, mobile, or business phones, email, text messages, and more. Citizens may pick the areas of interest they wish to receive notifications about. Click here to sign up.
The RCKC also posts information and updates on social media, including Facebook. In addition, press releases about current issues are shared on RCKC Connect, as well as on the website here. The RCKC continually provides tools to communicate our work in public service.
|
|
|---|
|
| |
|
 | |
|  |
|
|
|
|
