Page 2 — Thursday, May 11, 2023 — The Hastings Banner
say in determining the salary for elected offi-
cials, which includes the county treasurer,
register of deeds, clerk, surveyor, prosecutor,
drain commissioner and all eight of the coun-
ty commissioners. Although, most commis-
sioners were explicit in saying that they were
not arguing for wage increases for them-
selves.
The reason the county board cannot touch
the compensation for elected officials is
because, in 2018, it implemented what is
called the County Officers Compensation
Commission, a third-party board that research-
es and sets appropriate wages for those who
have been elected to their positions, excluding
judges. The board is a tool designed by the
state and the county is beholden to follow its
statutes in how the commission operates.
Barry County utilized a compensation com-
mission once before, but abolished it in 2004
before reinstating it in 2018.
Because the decision-making power is in
the hands of the compensation commission,
county commissioners are unable to enhance
pay during this time of hyperinflation.
The compensation commission consists of
seven individuals that were appointed by
county commissioners. Appointees are regis-
tered electors that reside within Barry Coun-
ty and any member or employee of the legis-
lative, judicial or executive branch of anylevel of government cannot be part of the
commission.
The commission meets every even year
and sets wages for elected officials for the
following two years. The commission met in
2022 and set wages for 2023 and 2024. It will
meet again in 2024 to set wages for 2025 and
2026, but in the meantime, is not permitted to
meet and revisit the previously set salaries.
Worried that the county would start losing
employees, or face an inability to attract new
employees, the county board has been
enhancing pay.
Late last year, the board approved econom-
ic impact payments to county employees.
Full-time employees that were employed on
Nov. 22, 2022, when the payments were
improved, received $2,000 on Dec. 22, 2022;
$1,000 on April 13 and will receive another
$1,000 on July 20.
This week, the board also approved a 3
percent wage increase in 2023 on top of the
regularly-scheduled 2 percent increase for the
year. This bump in pay will cost the county
$455,804 this year alone.
The same scenario will play out in 2024,
when employees are scheduled for a 2 per-
cent raise in addition to another 3 percent
approved by the board. In 2025, the board
will provide a 1 percent increase on top of the
scheduled 2 percent raise.County board members have probed any
available avenues to circumvent the compen-
sation commission and accommodate for this
unprecedented time of inflation. Last week,
they even discussed dissolving it. But, if they
did, the wages the commission set will remain
in place through 2024 regardless.
“I was here before we had that (compensa-
tion) commission and it was a problem,”
Commissioner Mike Callton said. “It was
very awkward for commissioners or elected
officials to be voting on their own raises. And
it wasn’t being done properly and things
weren’t keeping up. Going to that commis-
sion solved that problem....Some people have
talked about getting rid of that. I would not
suggest that.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, County Board Chair
Dave Jackson said the board plans to work
through one of its state representatives to
bring the matter to Attorney General Dana
Nessel’s office to see if they can get an
exemption.
“I don’t have anything against the compen-
sation committee – it’s the laws they’re going
by,” Commissioner Jon Smelker said. “We
are treating our elected officials like second
class citizens. We need to take the responsi-
bility and we’re the ones that should control
the wages there – not a compensation com-
mittee that don’t have to answer to no one.”the battle over which entity gets to green-
light these projects has been going on for
years. Just last term, similar legislation
moved through the State Senate but ultimate-
ly died in the House before the current bills
were brought forth.
As someone who has served as Barry
County’s planning and zoning director for 30
years, Jim McManus has had a front-row seat
to the power struggle.
“I think this has been submitted on multi-
ple occasions and hasn’t gotten anywhere,”
McManus noted.
“(If the bills pass,) It would have a signifi-
cant effect on our process and on the county,
especially because we have so much space,
and most of it has some form of resources on
it,” he added. “If they take it away, the citi-
zens would not have the ability to participate
in the process, but it would lessen our work-
load tremendously over time. There are posi-
tives and negatives.”
The Department of Environment, Great
Lakes and Energy already holds oversight
power when it comes to mining oil, gas andminerals – sand and gravel mining would be
added to this existing jurisdiction. By hand-
ing off this power to EGLE, proponents say
the state would be able to launch a stream-
lined and uniform application process that
would make it easier to develop these sites,
thus, helping free up the supply chain.
Taking decision-making power away from
individual townships has its share of positives
and negatives. McManus highlighted a little
bit of both, citing the fact that the process of
permitting sand and gravel mines throughout
Barry County can become both time-consum-
ing and expensive. The new laws would lift
that burden off of local units of government.
Still, those who argue against this legisla-
tion are quick to point out that local township
officials have a better read on safety concerns
and effects on the quality of life for residents
who live nearby.
State Representative Rachelle Smit, who
previously served as a clerk in Martin Town-
ship, is in her first year in the House. She has
quickly found that sand and gravel mining is
a hot-button issue in her District 43, which
includes the south and southwest slices of
Barry County, where sand and gravel mining
projects are commonplace.
“Personally, it has been the number one
concern in my district that I represent in
Barry County, is having the state mandate the
permitting of these gravel mines,” Smit said
in an interview with The Banner. “Before I
was even elected in November, I was having
people reaching out to me after the primary,
making me aware of this and their strong
opposition to the state controlling that.”
As a former township clerk, Smit also
said she knows the importance of equippinglocal government with decision-making
power.
“Any time you start removing control from
the local level, it brings in a lot more issues,
per se,” Smit said. “The state, obviously, it’s
much bigger with having EGLE issuing these
permits. They’re out of touch with the local
level, and it’s understandably so. They don’t
have the employees on the ground working
(or know) the best interests of the communi-
ties either.”
Smit did acknowledge the importance of
keeping a steady supply of aggregate material
flowing through Michigan but added that she
does not support the package of bills in their
current form.
The power and influence that the aggregate
industry holds have already given members
of the industry a leg up when it comes to
negotiating with local townships over new
sand and gravel sites.
State law has instructed local municipali-
ties to permit the extraction of natural
resources, like sand and gravel, unless the
townships can otherwise prove that it will
lead to “very serious consequences.”
Unlike the permittance for any other kind
of land use, the burden of proof is placed on
the local government to prove these conse-
quences, which essentially restricts them
from using full discretion.
The county planning commission and local
township boards are often forced to green-
light a gravel project even when constituents
rally against it.
“We can’t say no,” McManus said. “To me,
the way they did the law, the planning com-
mission takes a brunt of grief and public ire
when (we) are handcuffed.”J-Ad Graphics seeking summer fun guide submissions
J-Ad Graphics is in the process of putting together its summer fun guide, and we
want to be sure to include information on your event. If you are organizing a summer
event this year – concert, festival, sports tournament, church event, etc. – please email
all the pertinent information to [email protected].
Those who submit information should include the “who, what, where and why” of
the event, along with the date, time and a website link for more details (if applicable).
Please include your contact information in case we need to follow up for further
information.Biblical author to visit Hastings
Jean E. Syswerda, co-author with Ann Spangler of the best-selling “Women of the
Bible: A Year-Long Study of 52 Remarkable Women,” will visit Hastings to discuss the
book and participate in a book signing. Syswerda and Spangler’s book has sold over 1
million copies to date.
The meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 18 at the Green Street
United Methodist Church gathering place (lower level), 209 W. Green St. in Hastings.
Syswerda, who lives in Allendale with her husband, is an author and a former editor
and associate publisher at Zondervan Publishing House, where she said her passion
grew for Bibles that encourage readers to dig deep into God’s word. She has written
numerous books and Bible studies and is also the author of “My Bedtime Story Bible”
for infants and toddlers and the “Super Heroes Bible” for elementary-aged boys.
Syswerda will discuss the book and provide an opportunity for questions from the
audience. Following her talk, there will be a potluck luncheon. All are welcome to
attend this special event. More information is available by contacting Terri Trupiano at
[email protected] or by calling 616-648-5505.Television show American Pickers looking
for homes to visit in Barry CountyBarry County residents with barns filled with rusted treasures could have an interest-
ed buyer.
Hosts of the long-running television show American Pickers plan to stop in Michigan
this summer, and they’re asking local residents with unique and extensive antique col-
lections to reach out to them.
American Pickers first debuted in 2010 and has been a fixture on the History Chan-
nel. The show documents the adventures of hosts Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby as
they travel around the country on the hunt for antique items to purchase and sell at their
Nashville-based antique shop called Antique Archaeology.
The show’s cast has previously made its way through Michigan and will return in
July to film new episodes.
The show’s producers are looking for leads – anyone with a unique item or collection
ready to sell.
The show does not visit stores, flea markets, malls, auction businesses, museums or
any establishment open to the public. The show puts an emphasis on historically signif-
icant or rare items.
Those interested in reaching out to the show can send their name, phone number,
location and description of the collection with photos to [email protected]
or call 646-493-2184.
The show also maintains a Facebook page – facebook.com/GotAPick – where resi-
dents can reach out.Women’s group to gather
The Stoney Point Women’s Club will meet at noon on Sunday, May 11, at Good Time
Pizza in Nashville, 501 Main Street. Spouses of group members are also invited to
attend.
This meeting will conclude the regular club meetings for the 2022-23 season. Regular
meetings will resume on Thursday, September 14.MSU W.K. Kellogg Experimental Forest to host
research field dayThe Michigan State University W.K. Kellogg Experimental Forest will host a field day
on Saturday, June 10, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to showcase ongoing forestry research
and outreach programming that supports Michigan’s forest industries and arborists. The
public is invited to attend.
W.K. Kellogg Experimental Forest, an MSU AgBioResearch station in Augusta, is
home to 716 acres of forestland that supports world-renowned research on tree breeding
and genetics, planting techniques and plantation establishment and management.
“Kellogg Forest hosts research and management programming designed to main-
tain healthy forests for Michigan residents, develop quality wood products for Mich-
igan consumers and sustain Michigan’s $21 billion forest-products industries,” said
K.J. Kettler, manager of Kellogg Forest. “MSU faculty discoveries in the areas of
tree breeding, tree genetics and tree planting have informed conservation and man-
agement efforts worldwide, and much of that work is done right here in Augusta,
Michigan.”
Following a pancake breakfast featuring Spartan Pure Maple Syrup, MSU faculty,
alongside industry experts, will discuss ongoing research and the findings that apply to
forest management across Michigan. The W.K. Kellogg Experimental Forest Field Day
will feature two separate tours of the research facility, with topics including oak wilt, a
sawmill demonstration and maple syrup and oak regeneration, tree scanning and tree
genetics.
More information about the field day and registration is available at canr.msu.edu/
news/w-k-kellogg-experimental-forest-to-host-research-field-day-june-10.NEWS NEWS BRIEFSBRIEFS
Lake O council reaches
contract agreement with new
Village Manager Ben Geiger
Molly Macleod
Copy Editor
The Lake Odessa Village Council and Ben
Geiger reached an employment contract
agreement on Monday, making it official that
Geiger will take the reins as Lake Odessa’s
newest village manager.
On Monday, May 15 at midnight, Interim
Manager Gregg Guetschow’s contract will
expire and Geiger will take over as village
manager.
Last month, council members voted to
extend a conditional offer of employment to
Geiger of Nashville. First elected to the board
in 2010, Geiger recently ended his tenure as
chairman of the Barry County Board of Com-
missioners. After a failed run for state repre-
sentative last fall, Geiger briefly took a break
from public service and worked as a long-
term substitute teacher for Lakewood Public
Schools.
Geiger is a lifelong resident of neighboring
Barry County and is a familiar face to many
Lake Odessa residents.
“I would like to thank the interim manager
and the council for the opportunity to be here
in Lake Odessa. This is my home. This is a
destination,” said Geiger on Monday. He
went on to say how he looks forward to work-
ing with village staff and learning the ins and
outs of the job.
Geiger interviewed for the village manager
position along with Adam Stacey, a former
Clinton County commissioner and Patrick
Marsh, a city manager from Nevada. Geiger
was chosen unanimously by the council to be
the next manager for Lake Odessa.
In February, the council voted to set a sal-
ary range of $80,000 to $100,000 for the new
manager, depending on qualifications and
experience. Geiger’s salary will begin at
$80,000, reflecting his lack of experience asa village manager. Additionally, Geiger’s
contract directs him to continue his education
and receive either a certificate or degree relat-
ed to being a village manager.
The contract gives Geiger the option to
pursue continuing education through Sagi-
naw Valley State University’s certified publicmanager program, Central Michigan Univer-
sity’s public administration graduate certifi-
cate program, an International City/County
Management Association Credential Manag-
er designation, an advanced degree in public
administration or management or any other
program of an equivalent nature upon prior
approval of the council. The village will
reimburse Geiger for his continuing educa-
tion costs.
Though he is starting out at the low end of
the range, Geiger’s performance will be eval-
uated a year from now and appropriate salary
increases will be made, if any. The council
can opt for mid-term salary increases as well,
should the need arise.
Guetschow emphasized that even though
Geiger may not have as much practical man-
agement experience as other candidates, his
employment is an investment for the future of
Lake Odessa.
“I think it is important to emphasize (that)
a number of provisions in this contract are
not standard. They relate to professional
development. We took great care – Presi-
dent Banks and I – to incorporate those
provisions,” said Guetschow. “...It empha-
sizes, I think, the important role that (the)
council and Mr. Geiger will play with one
another to bring him along in terms of the
development, the skills (and) the shows of
support of council for that development.
What’s contemplated here is obviously
investing in a long-term relationship ... I
think it is a valuable component of this
agreement because of what it says about that
future relationship.”
Guetschow will finish out the week as
Lake Odessa’s interim manager before Gei-
ger takes over on Monday. Geiger and Guet-
schow are currently working together in
hopes of a smooth transition.MICHAEL KINNEY
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STATE MOUNTS, continued from page 1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
COUNTY BOARD , continued from page 1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The Lake Odessa Village Council
approved a contract for Ben Geiger’s
tenure as the village’s new manager on
Monday. The Barry County native will
take the reigns officially on Monday, May- (Photo by Molly Macleod)