CERT class starts soon

Published 12:43 am Friday, September 7, 2007

By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS -Undersheriff Rick Behnke reminded the Cass County Board of Commissioners Thursday CERT, which stands for Community Emergency Response Team, starts class Monday, Sept. 17.
"This is an opportunity for citizens to become involved in helping with emergency situations and major events such as the fair," Behnke said.
Classes will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Cass County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), 130 N. Broadway, Cassopolis on Wednesday nights for eight-weeks.
The series will culminate on Nov. 7 with a simulated disaster exercise and graduation.
Classes are free, but pre-registration is required.
For questions contact Patti Kolden at the Cass County Sheriff's Office by dialing (269) 445-8644, ext. 217, and join the ranks of the 130-plus Cass County CERT volunteers who have completed the course to date.
County Administrator Terry Proctor said two resolutions related to amending the Nov. 9, 1989, Cass County E911 service plan and adopting a monthly 911 surcharge within the county were tabled because the Legislature has not acted yet. "That's caught up in the political debate on the (state) budget," Proctor said. "We'll have to put it on a future agenda after the Legislature acts."
Proctor said new Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Smith (445-1460) is working on 13 projects, including a Sept. 20 tabletop exercise and a $600 LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee) grant.
On Saturday, Michigan State University Extension organized an agricultural tour for the board. Nine of the 15 commissioners signed up to participate.
Commissioners approved the sale of two forfeiture parcels on Bulhand Road for $198,000 to RBS Properties of Elkhart, Ind.
The board on June 7 authorized an auction, which Meadows Auction Services conducted Aug. 25.
Commissioners also approved six motions to "clean up" the budget for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, including an additional $8,000 to the medical examiner's budget for more deaths and autopsies than anticipated; $990 for the sheriff's SCAAP (State Criminal Alien Assistance Program) grant; $5,500 for the sheriff's justice training grant, which showed a fund balance of $13,804.25; $45,000 for the Department of Human Services (DHS) child care fund budget, which had a fund balance of $79,180.90; and $28,000 for the social welfare fund budget, with a $51,812.32 fund balance; and a $10,000 drain fund loan to Drain Commissioner Jeff VanBelle from the delinquent tax revolving fund. He will assess various drain districts to repay the sum by March 3, 2008, at an interest rate of 5.32 percent per annum. The $10,000 compares to $15,000 last year, Bickel noted.
Proctor explained that SCAAP pertains to federal payments to localities that incur correctional officer salary costs for incarcerating certain undocumented aliens.
"Our county occasionally arrests undocumented aliens who end up in our county jail," Proctor said. "We're able to get a little reimbursement back from the federal government for having that person in our jail. It amounts to about $990 for the last year."