Page 30 - Scene Magazine November 2023 47-11

CalCo Admin Update
BY KELLI SCOTT
Calhoun County Administrator/Controller
local radio personality Richard Piet. Twice a month, Richard will discuss with one of our County officials current topics of interest to our residents.
Next steps to get the TACC up and running, at least on a limited expansion basis, include:
• Amended Articles of Incorpora-
• The County building in Marshall for residents of all other townships, cities and villages.
The first episode, which came out in mid-October, was with Health Officer Eric Pessell, who shared information about COVID-19 in our community and how to get vaccines at the Public Health Department clinics. He also shared information about a recent award the Calhoun County Public Health Department received for its pro- motion of opioid use harm reduction and work to decrease hepatitis C and HIV in Calhoun County.
tion to be approved by the County Board of Commissioners, to reflect the TACC’s new legal boundaries excluding townships and villages;
It will take a lot of election inspec- tors to help operate these sites, and the Clerk’s Office is starting the recruit- ment process now. Election inspectors are paid positions, and the Clerk’s Of- fice staff will work with you to find a shift that works for your schedule. For more information and to apply, visit calhouncountymi.gov/workelections.
Environmental Health Newsletter Released
The latest edition of the Envi- ronmental Health Newsletter from
the Calhoun County Public Health Department (CCPHD) is out now. It includes data and information about Lyme disease, which has been increas- ing since 2020, along with food prepa- ration tips for the holidays, winter safety and preparedness recommen- dations, and information about World Food Day and National Lead Poison- ing Prevention Week. Read this latest and past editions of the Environmental Health newsletter at the bottom of the website, calhouncountymi.gov/EH.
Once again this Veterans Day, Calhoun County participated in the National Association of Counties‘ (NACo) and the National Association of County Veterans Service Offi-
cers’ (NACVSO) Operation Green Light from November 6-12. By shining a green light, we continue to want our Veterans to know that they are seen, appreciated, and supported.
The second episode in October was with Sheriff Steve Hinkley, and then the first in November will feature Cal- houn County Veterans Affairs Director Aaron Edlefson in honor of Veterans Day. You can access the podcasts
• Possible engagement of a transit con- sultant, pending a federal grant re- quest from the City of Battle Creek, to assist with the formative work in 2024 and 2025, to include plans for leveraging maximum state and feder- al funding, and determining whether to request a dedicated millage, which would be legally limited to be levied on properties, and approved by tax- payers, within the four cities.
on our website, calhouncountymi. gov/podcast, and soon wherever you get your podcasts. We are excited to offer this new, on demand method for sharing information about Calhoun County, to complement our newsletters and social media posts. We’ve found that audio resonates better with some audiences and allows for more detailed explanations and answers than written posts offer.
Information about the Transporta- tion Authority of Calhoun County can be found on our Project Page, https:// calhoun-county-mi.civilspace.io/en/ projects/transit-authority, and the
City of Battle Creek’s Transportation Authority page, https://www.battlec- reekmi.gov/834/Transportation-Au- thority-of-Calhoun-Coun.
Clerk Kimberly A. Hinkley con- tinues to seek election inspectors
for the 2024 election year, as newly legislated Early In-Person Voting will become mandatory for certain elec- tions. Proposal 2, passed by Michigan voters in 2022, now requires nine days of early in-person voting in Michigan,
Operation Green Light for Veterans
New Countywide Transit Authority Initially Limited in Scope
Election Inspectors Sought for 2024
The County Board of Commission- ers adopted Articles of Incorporation on Sept.7, forming the new county- wide Transportation Authority of Cal- houn County, TACC. The next step was to determine the legal boundaries, and service map, of the Authority, based on the option for every political subdivision within the County to be
30 SCENE 4811 I CELEBRATIONS
New podcast series
included or not. The deadline for that “opt out” decision was Oct. 9, 2023, and the result was that the TACC will initially be limited to providing public transit services within our four cities – Albion, Battle Creek, Marshall, and Springfield., due to all 19 townships and four illages choosing to opt out of being included in the new Authority’s district map.
beginning the second Saturday before election day, for all state and federal elections. There will be two sites in Calhoun County:
Calhoun Coun- ty Government is the topic of a new podcast called Inside Calhoun County, produced and hosted by
• The Kool Family Center in Battle Creek for residents of the cities of Battle Creek and Springfield, as well as Pennfield and Bedford Townships.
Here’s what’s going on in Calhoun County.
• Appointments of county residents to the TACC board, and an initial Board meeting to adopt bylaws and a budget;