By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Cassopolis Vigilant
CASSOPOLIS - The Cassopolis Village Council Monday evening approved the purchase of a used boom lift, not to exceed $15,816.20 at last night's meeting, for use by the Department of Public Works.
Tree trimming should be not only safer, but easier from now on.
Also approved was the purchase of bleachers for a new diamond at Don Horne Park for $1,590.
Mowing in the Village will again be done by M.T.L, of Dowagiac for $348 per time.
The council also agreed to put the annual audit of the village out to bid. Yeo and Yeo has done the audit for the last 12 years, through three different clerks.
With bills of $40,000, with an additional $16,000 for work in helping get the accounts prepared for the audit, the council would like Treasurer Cynthia Ash and Clerk Paula Beauchamp to do more in house.
Ash explained to the council a consistent internal process for the Village accounting needs to happen.
Trustee Maxine Snipes noted the books are still a year behind, as far as being transferred to the general ledger.
Whether training of the clerk was blocked by the village manager, as expressed by Trustee Vince Hawkins, or just left undone by Yeo and Yeo, that was not determined. What the council did agreed was the cost of the annual audit was very high above most other communities.
In other business, a special hearing on three dangerous properties was set for 7 p.m. on April 19. The three in question are owned by Grace Hendrickson, Christopher Hebron and Katherine Franklin.
Village President Julia Bell presented the administrative appointments which include the Village Manager Art Sciorra, Fire Chief Frank WIlliams, and Fire Chief Bill Fitzgerald, among others. All were approved.
In his manager's report, Sciorra said the ambulance board is still concerned pack pay could be owed by 2003.
Three bids are expected by April 24 for a combined ambulance service for the areas three villages and five townships.
The three include Niles' SMACS, Life EMS of Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, and Life Care of Battle Creek.
Township supervisors John Gore and Nadia Wallace are still working on other pieces of the puzzle, Sciorra said.
A meeting will be held on April 30, after the information and bids are received.