CASSOPOLIS — Commissioner Robert Ziliak, R-Milton Township, Thursday night urged the Cass County Board of Commissioners to consider a hiring freeze.

“We’ve got about five months to go before the new budget takes effect,” the 2010 chairman said. “I’m thinking there might be a reduction in force based on our revenue. Maybe we should implement a hiring freeze at this time so we do not get someone on board now and let them go in a few months. I’m just throwing out that we need to be looking at that at this point.”

County Administrator Charles Cleaver said the state authorized the withdrawal of $170,000 remaining in its revenue sharing fund balance.

“The state, as you know, did vote to cut our revenue sharing by a third in spite of the fact that in 2004 they promised to restore us in whole, which they did with some counties, but we’re being cut despite their word.

“Revenue sharing was increased $15 million for counties, which is about 10 percent. If that’s accurate, that means I anticipate us getting $75,000 or $80,000 more than projected.”

Commissioner Roseann Marchetti, R-Edwardsburg, said Tuesday’s joint planning session from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Road Commission will involve 44 participants from Dowagiac, Silver Creek Township, Wayne Township, Mason Township, Marcellus, Vandalia, Porter Township, Volinia Township, Marcellus Township, Howard Township, Newberg Township, Pokagon Township and Milton Township.

Cleaver reported that at 5:05 p.m. “we finally got confirmation of the energy grant we’ve been working on since I’ve been here. I’ve been extremely busy. I thought I was busy in Saginaw County, but I’ve found a new definition for busy since I’ve been here.

“It’s been a long, tedious process, but (this) morning I’ll be making phone calls. There are no general tax dollars in the solar project and boiler. The $10,000 consultant fee is. We were approved at $181,000, but the RFPs (requests for proposals) came in lower and I think the grand total is $144,000 and some change.

“We’re going to put a little clock on how much these grants save us, so schoolkids can go on our Web site and be able to see that. Nine weeks ago when I got here, we had plenty of time. Now we are facing a July 31 deadline, but the consultant assures me 30 days will be plenty of time. I’m very confident.”

“I want to thank you for jumping in and saving it,” Commissioner Ann File, R-Cassopolis, said.

Cleaver attended a collaborative law enforcement meeting at the college, where former St. Joseph County sheriff and state Rep. Matt Lori, R-Constantine advised, “That’s exactly what the governor’s looking for.”

Cleaver also attended a three-day administrators conference where collaboration was again the buzzword.

“Oakland County is doing cloud computing and is looking at a regional effort with other municipalities to store information and save all of us some money,” Cleaver said. “Kent County is doing a reverse purchasing program,” which he described as the opposite of eBay, with companies bidding lower, providing municipalities savings.

“Kalamazoo County I talked to about digital imaging, also Livingston and Saginaw counties. Equalization, Commissioner Skip Dyes and I have a meeting Monday afternoon. Manatron has dropped its price $20,000 trying to keep us for a year. Kent County has a great ‘dashboard’ like the governor is calling on all of us to do.”