County board outrage of the week!

Lots to be outraged about and it's only Tuesday:

To authorize the Administration to solicit a proposal from RQAW Consulting Engineers and Architects to complete a Feasibility Plan for the Muskegon Prison facility. $44,200 (NO BID contract!)

To authorize staff to apply for funds from the Homeland Security
Department under the Port Security Grant Program (CFDA 97.056) in the
amount of $1,000,000 (one million) dollars with no match. ($1 MILLION???)

To authorize staff to apply for funds from the Homeland Security
Department under the Emergency Operations Center Grant Program,
CFDA 97.502 in the amount of $100,000 with Central Dispatch providing the 25% match ($25,000). ($ 1 million isn't enough?)


To approve the revisions to the Muskegon County Board of
Commissioners' Personnel Rules 1,5,9, 14, 17, 18,20,23,29,32
and 33. (read these changes. You can get fired if you don't identify yourself as a county employee when you are on line. Whistle blowers will get fired if they out badness. Not good at all!)

To approve an increase in the Initial Assessment rates for both Mercy Health Partners Life Counseling and Catholic Charities West Michigan to $90.00 per assessment from $60.00 and $70.00 , respectively. Authorization is also requested to increase the caps for both of their Community Mental Health Outpatient Mental Health Contracts to $20,000.00, effective May 1, 2011 through September 30,2011.

To authorize the Public Health Department to create and fill one Community Nutrition Specialist position to be funded 100% with WIC federal funds, with no effect on county general funds.

To accept the offer of purchase from Nugent Sand Inc., in the
amount of $7,925 ($500/acre).

To authorize the Human Resources/Employment and Training Department to solicit bids for an entity(s) to provide Energy Conservation Apprenticeship Readiness (ECAR) services for jobseekers from the City of Muskegon Heights.

The Community Development Director position is responsible for oversight of the Community Development Department as created in the FY2010 budget which consists ofthe Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), the Muskegon County Airport, and the Muskegon Area Transit System (MATS). The position has been vacant since October 1, 2009; in the absence of the position the County Administrator has assumed the oversight responsibilities of the department programs. Based on other Director positions in the County with the same level of responsibility the pay scale should be upgraded from ND00018 ($65,944 -$84,126) to ND00030 ($72,831 -$92,749).

The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners has been discussing and investigating the probability of purchasing laptop computers or other electronic devices to assist in their role as Muskegon County Commissioners.
It was suggested the Commissioners utilize their Flower Fund to purchase the electronic devices for each Commissioner. The software for the devices would be purchased via the Equipment RevolVing Fund.