The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners approved the following items on their consent agenda at their Nov. 19 regular session:
• The uniform and gun allowance for non-union sheriff’s office personnel, including the sheriff, undersheriff, court bailiff s, and marine deputies, in the amount of $14,975. They also approved a contract renewal for jail inmate food service for $86,500, the purchase of a new fingerprint scanner for $10,298.
• A grant application to the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Northwestern Michigan College for $20,000. If this application is successful, this would allow the sheriff’s office to send an employed recruit to basic police training and fill an open position.
• Amendments to Verizon Wireless’s and AT&T’s tower space lease agreements allowing them to expand their 5G services. The modifications will come at no cost to the county and will not change rental figures but will slightly decrease the overall loading on the towers. Verizon is modifying its equipment on the Maple City tower and AT&T is on the Maple City, Omena, and Northport towers.
• A three-year contract renewal with Motorola Solutions and NICE Public Safety & Justice for maintenance on the 911 radio console and recorder for $30,000. “I fought tooth and nail … over this outrageous quote,” Emergency Management Director Matt Ansorge explained in an executive document, but the county is required to have a maintenance contract for the radio consoles.
• Chief Deputy Clerk Jennifer Zywicki’s purchase of six months of other governmental service credit from the Municipal Employee Retirement System of Michigan in the amount of $12,785, to be paid by Zywicki.
• Many service contract renewals requested by the senior services department, including foot care services budgeted at $52,500; medication management services at $120,000; dental services at $20,000; laundry services at $2,000; Meals on Wheels at $75,000; volunteer coordination and transportation at $100,000; and the Senior Companion Program at $8,000.
• An out-of-state travel request from senior services Director Lena Vander Meulen to attend the American Society on Aging 2025 conference in Orlando, Florida, in April.
• A contract renewal with Rehmann Robson in the amount of $5,700 for their assistance in preparing, filing, and mailing 1059-C forms to the IRS.
• An amendment to the county’s tire recycling agreement with the Livonia, Michiganbased vendor ERG for two tire collection events in 2025.
• A contract with Bay Area Recycling for Community for two mattress collection events in 2025, in the amount of $5,096.
• A public hearing for the county parks and recreation commission’s five-year master plan, to be held Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m.
• 2% allocation requests to the Grand Traverse Band. The following agencies applied: the parks and recreation commission, the Energy Futures Task Force, emergency services, Habitat for Humanity, Homestretch Housing, SEEDS, Housing North, county planning, senior services, the sheriff ’s office, and the VFW. The total amount requested is $560,198.19.
• New desk chairs for each employee of Leelanau County, as the current chairs are worn out and in need of replacement. A total of 129 chairs were purchased from Staples in the amount of $48,501.
• Allowing T-Mobile to temporarily use the county’s electrical power at the central tower site for one month in exchange for $750. According to executive documents, T-Mobile ran into complications in scheduling electrical service hookup after the county approved a tower lease agreement with the company in June. This will let T-Mobile get their equipment operational sooner.
• Approved the 2024-2025 Michigan Association of Counties annual membership dues in the amount of $12,000.
