At their first regular session of 2025, the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners approved the following items on their consent agenda:
• The 2025 county board rules of order and procedure as amended. Changes included new language saying that “all public bodies … are required to comply with the requirements of the Open Meetings Act,” removing references to off-site participation from the COVID19 pandemic era, and changing the usual start times of meetings from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and 7 to 6:30 p.m. The rules for public comment went unchanged, despite some campaign talk from last season criticizing the previous board for adding a rule that the first of two public comment periods be limited to items on the meeting agenda.
• Renewing the employee health plan through Blue Cross/ Blue Shield for 2025.
• Several documents from the county sheriff’s office, including accepting a $12,000 anonymous donation; approving and allowing a charity golf outing to benefi t and maintain the K-9 program, which is down to one K-9 unit as of Tuesday; and allowing the office to apply for the 2025 marine safety grant.
• Leelanau Conservation District work order No. 1, for conservation and technical assistance, in the amount of $47,000, and work order No. 2, soil erosion and sediment control, with funds to come from the collection of countyapproved erosion permit fees.
• The final stages of adopting the 2025-2029 parks and recreation plan. Now, the adopted plan is being sent to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
• Renewing the annual maintenance contract with Rehmann for Barracuda Essentials software, which is the county’s email spam and virus filter as well as archival software for complying with FOIA requests.
• Appointing Scott Earl to the construction board of appeals for a five-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2029.
• An agreement with Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan (AAANM) to provide Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act benefi ciary outreach and assistance services for seniors. AAANM will pay the county $700 for outreach activities plus $100 per program enrollment, up to 10 enrollments in this grant period. The contract is effective Sept. 1, 2024, through Aug. 31, 2025.
• Several documents from the facilities and maintenance department, including a request for proposals for a new mower, a contract for computerized maintenance management software for two years in the amount of $6,085, a request for proposals for mechanical engineering services regarding the planned government center cooling tower, and an agreement with Machin Engineering for construction administrative services for the Leland Dam pedestrian bridge in the amount of $4,000.
• Declared approximately 130 old desk chairs at the government center and the sheriff’s office as surplus to be sold or disposed of, with any money from the sales to go into the capital building fund.
