By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Cassopolis Vigilant
CASSOPOLIS -- The Cassopolis Village Board will be meeting on Wednesday, April 30 at 6 p.m. for a work session to look into options to the rising cost of health care for village employees.
Village Manager Art Sciorra informed the board that Blue Cross/Blue Shield rates have gone up by 22 percent, which could amount to a $30,000 increase to the village.
They pay $130,000 a year now. "It's about to break the rubber band," Sciorra said.
Sciorra also informed the board members the U.S. Census Bureau has issued a correction in the 2000 census which increases the Village's official population by 138, up from 1,740 to 1,878. An area had originally been attributed to Dowagiac.
He is anxious to make sure that the revenue sharing adjustment and retroactive adjustments are made.
The annual Mayor's Exchange Day will be held with the Village of Concord on May 19 in Cassopolis, with board members traveling to Concord on May 21.
One area which the represenatives will be visiting whiile in Cassopolis will be Don Horne park, Sciorra said.
The baseball diamonds are in wonderful shape, he added, with new fencing, concession stand, score building, dugouts and back stop.
The fields have been resodded and the facility is now state-of-the-art, after damage from the tornado a few years ago has all been repaired.
Work was done with insurance money and also though the volunteers from the leagues which use the park.
Due to complaints from businesses in th downtown area, letters will be sent informing employees not to park in front of the buildings, to allow customers better access.
The board also designated the week of May 4-10 as Arson Awareness Week.
Gerry Hart resigned as Code Enforcement Officer.