CASSOPOLIS — A short meeting Thursday evening allowed the Cass County Board of Commissioners to attend to several items of routine business.

During its regular meeting Thursday, the Cass County Board of Commissioners approved routine items, including its 2020 meeting schedule, the 2020 holiday schedule and more. Chief among the items approved was an update to the board’s rules of procedure, which dictate how the board conducts open meetings.

Perhaps the most significant changes to come from the updated rules of procedure is that the board will now host meetings at 6:30 p.m. rather than 7 p.m., and the new rules do not require the board to host a Committee of the Whole meeting in addition to the regular meeting. Previously, the board would host a Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss items before the regular session, where items would be voted on. Now, discussion will take place either during the regular meeting or during a scheduled workshop.

Commissioners said both changes would benefit the county by saving time.

“The [6:30 p.m. meeting time] will benefit the county, because in the winter, having the meeting earlier will make things a little bit easier,” said Commissioner Roseann Marchetti, vice chair of the board of commissioners.

The board also added a second public comment section to its rules of procedure. Now, there will be one public comment section for residents to comment on meeting agenda items and a second for residents to comment on non-agenda items.

“This is something we have done in the past that has worked very well,” Marchetti said.

Along with an update to its rules of procedure, the board approved a meeting schedule for 2020. All meetings will be hosted at 6:30 p.m. at the Cass County Administration Building, 120 N. Broadway St., Cassopolis. Any changes to the meeting schedule will be posted in accordance with the open meetings act.

The 2020 regular meeting dates are as follows:

• Jan. 9

• Jan. 23

• Feb. 6

• Feb. 20

• March 5

• March 19

• April 2

• April 16

• May 7

• May 21

• June 4

• June 18

• July 2

• July 16

• Aug. 6

• Aug. 20

• Sept. 3

• Sept. 17

• Oct. 1

• Oct. 15

• Nov. 5

• Nov. 19

• Dec. 3

• Dec. 17

Commissioners also approved Thursday:

• A grant policy to define how the county uses grant funding and financial assistance. The purpose of the policy is to ensure proper oversight of all funds appropriated to the county, minimize the county’s risk of non-compliance with grant requirements and ensure proper administration and account of all grants, according to the policy document. The policy applies to any Cass County program, department, elected official or division preparing and submitting grant applications to agencies outside of the county government.

• The purchase of a phone recording server from Word Systems Inc. in the amount of $21,529.

• A letter of understanding between Cass County, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council. According to Undersheriff Clint Roach, the letter allows the sheriff to appoint officers to the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team at his discretion, but limits the assignment of an officer to a period of not more than five years, unless there are no qualified applicants available.

“This is just an understanding between the sheriff and the union about how this is going to happen,” Roach said. “There has never been anything in place.”