By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – On Oct. 20, 2005, the Cass County Board of Commissioners voted 11-1 to ask the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) to transfer administrative responsibility and all state and federal funds allocated to the Lakeshore Coordinating Council for Cass County to the Kalamazoo Community Mental Health Services Board for substance abuse administration, treatment and prevention services.
Commissioners further requested that the MDCH transfer governance designation for Cass County services from the LCC, a five-county alliance based in Grand Haven, to the Kalamazoo Community Mental Health Services board.
Only Dowagiac's commissioner, John Cureton, dissented in that 11-1 vote.
"This action is not necessary," Cureton said at the time, characterizing the move as a "raid."
Cureton and Commissioner David Taylor, D-Edwardsburg, have been Cass County's liaisons to the LCC.
Taylor might have joined Cureton in opposing the transfer, but happened to be absent on Oct. 20, 2005.
Such a move requires approval by the MDCH, which has yet to act after almost 15 months.
"Your two members on the Lakeshore board, who were never consulted in the first place, believe it is time to resolve this issue by revoking our original request," Cureton said in a prepared statement Thursday.
Cureton wanted the board to consider such a resolution Jan. 18, but Chairman Robert Wagel, R-Wayne Township, indicated it would more likely appear on a February agenda.
Had the action proceeded, it "would have ended a very satisfactory 10-year relationship" with the LCC. "It was done because Woodlands virtually demanded it. The contract is between this board and Lakeshore, hence, it is a case of the tail wagging the dog," Cureton wrote. "The change had nothing to do with good service, but was based almost entirely on personal friendships. This commission was told it would result in savings of $40,000 a year, but it would be hard to find one of our members who understands how that would be so. My opinion is that it was just 'fluff' to sway consideration. It was also a patent attempt by Kalamazoo to raid other organizations for its own benefit, since the exact proposal was made to Allegan County, which has completely rebuffed it. Allegan polled its service providers and found them to be well-satisfied with the Lakeshore relationship."
According to Cureton, "By a change to Kalamazoo, we would give up two full board memberships and two advisory members for a purely advisory relationship. The Kalamazoo organization is run by the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, so we would be giving our authority and responsibility to them."
"From the outset," Cureton stated, "the MDCH director, Ms. Janet Olszewski, expressed caution over possible disruptiveness of the action. She turned the matter over to her deputy, one Patrick Barrie, who 'sat on it' for about nine months. Mr. Barrie then went on to another position and the matter devolved upon Mr. Donald Allen, who has made no decision for four or five months, despite being pushed by both sides. This should pretty well tell us what the state thinks of the matter. I personally believe Ms. Olszewski told her subordinates to 'stonewall' it."
"The impasse has created a difficult situation for Lakeshore and its board members, who find it difficult to plan ahead while waiting for the 'other shoe' to drop," Cureton said. "They are good people who do not deserve to be treated in this manner."