DOWAGIAC —Thursday was County Administrator Charles Cleaver’s 130th day on the job, but his second in March in a “challenging and enjoyable” position still stands out, even if Cass should become a regional digital imaging hub.

“Cass County is an enjoyable place. When I was in Saginaw County I used to brag about southwest Michigan and how warm and friendly people are,” Cleaver told Dowagiac Rotary Club at Elks Lodge 889 as the guest of City Clerk James Snow.

“They kind of threw me a wrench the second day I was here,” he said. “Ten hours into my new job and we have a mediation which was technically binding arbitration with law enforcement officers. The arbitrator decides the issues. My intent was just to be a fly on the wall, but after we go back and forth a couple of times, everybody starts looking at me for direction,” Cleaver said. “I asked commissioners on the negotiating team about their priorities — wages? benefits? — and they gave me a little direction. I sent a message back with the mediator, who I happened to golf with in September at Shanty Creek. The message was we’ll give you the benefits you’re asking for, but we’re sticking firm on zero for pay increases. Twenty minutes or a half hour later, they came back, we agreed to a settlement and everybody was happier. So, it was a pretty successful second day, but I did not anticipate being that active, but I’m always looking for ways to save money,” which amounted to some $20,000 with the equalization contract.

In fact, he had just come from an equalization meeting about “redefining expectations.”

The county has been investigating digital imaging, but “we haven’t gotten much further than we were a couple of years ago. I’m trying not to be too aggressive or push too hard with these issues, being the new guy with 130 days on the job,” Cleaver commented, “but I don’t want to be where we’re at a year from now.  Same thing with the Parks and Rec pole barn, which we’re moving forward as quickly as the architect will allow us to. It should be up by the end of the year.”

Digital imaging allows departments to scan documents and to move them through a systematic program attaching electronic signatures. “It streamlines the process and makes things much more automated,” he said. “There are a couple of ways we’re looking to go. We’ve talked to Livingston County, which coincidentally, is talking to Saginaw County. Those guys owe me because I helped them with an employee issue, and I have no trouble reminding them of that. Another idea I have is to make us the regional hub for digital imaging by maybe collaborating with Barry County, Hillsdale, Branch, St. Joseph and Calhoun. Their fees would feed the person we’d have to hire to do that. We’re looking at all kinds of things right now. If the city is willing to collaborate, I’m ready to talk.”