By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - Cass County commissioners March 17 approved the purchases of a new animal control truck and two 2005 Chevrolet Impalas, three 2005 Ford Crown Victoria public interceptors and a 2005 Chevrolet CK 15706 special service.
Specifications for the animal control truck were submitted to four area Ford dealers. The bid accepted, $18,018.32, came from Siemans in Bridgman for a 2005 Ford half-ton super cab 4×4 pickup.
Vehicles purchased at the request of Sheriff Joseph M. Underwood Jr. total $123,702.40 from the motor pool fund. The Chevy Impalas cost $17,361.20 each from Shaheen Chevrolet for the Howard Township and Marcellus Village and Township police departments which contract with the Sheriff's Office for police protection.
The Crown Vics cost $19,913 each from Signature Ford. The special service vehicle costs $29,240.60, also from Shaheen Chevrolet.
In other business, commissioners approved a computer data circuit to network the Sheriff's Office with the drug team it shares with the Dowagiac Police Department.
Several solutions were considered, according to Information Systems Director Kerry Collins, including leasing the circuit from the telephone company or purchasing a microwave solution.
Amortized over four years, the cost for a leased circuit solution was $728 a month, or $34,944. Cost of a microwave circuit solution is $435 a month, or $20,880.
Collins recommended the Board of Commissioners approve the purchase of a microwave data circuit solution for $17,399 from Hi-Tech/SMR Communications of South Bend, Ind., and $3,481 from CDWG.com.
Commissioners also approved a new software applications specialist position in the Information Systems Department to support the new Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and the new reverse E-911 system and other software in the Sheriff's office and to approve a pay grade 8 for the position, which has a range of $32,621 to $42,407.
The position reports to E-911 Director Doug Westrick. CAD training is planned for the first week in May for five days in North Carolina. The position will be funded from the E-911 Central Dispatch budget.
County endorses
park improvements
The Board of Commissioners, in a cooperative effort with the county Parks Department, pledged its support in the funding effort for parking area improvements at Fred Russ Forest and Newton's Woods County Park in Volinia, between Dowagiac and Marcellus.
The board appropriated up to $8,500 for the necessary local match required for grant consideration from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
The Parks Department wants to develop approximately an acre of park land for an equestrian parking area.
Construction for this project began late in 2003 and since halted due to the lack of funds necessary to finish.
Recent research showed that Russ Forest is the only county park in southwest Michigan that allows horses on its trails.
Also, the need for this parking area, with support facilities, is in small part due to proximity issues that have arisen between equestrian and non-equestrian user groups.
Continued parking area development, when approved, will include: six inches of 22a top course aggregate over the entire parking area; a 16-foot by 16-foot picnic shelter with four tables; three security lights; a well with hand pump; 800 feet of two-rail, cedar split-rail fencing; four ADA picnic tables; and two two-sided park entrance signs.