Cass County Sheriff Rick Behnke wants you. . . especially if you can do some sit-ups and push-ups.
The Sheriff brought his sales pitch along with some disappointing, but not entirely unexpected, news to the Village Council’s regular meeting, Tuesday, January 23.
For months, the Sheriff’s Department has sought to provide extra hours of police coverage for the Village, which would be funded through marijuana revenue received by Marcellus Township. Although the funding is there, the availability of staff is not.
Yet, we were so close. . .
“I called Jacqueline [Clerk/Manager Terrill] on a Friday to say I got someone to cover the weekend,” Behnke says. “I was so proud and she was excited. We both felt we had achieved a goal that we’ve worked on for so long and hard, and literally, two hours later I got a call saying he was not going to be available.
“So, now I’m going to give you my sales pitch. I’m looking for a few good people.”
The opportunity Behnke is presenting is a great opportunity for someone interested in law enforcement and there is no maximum age requirement. Behnke says one deputy started his career at 42 and another in his 30s.
Rather than wait to recruit a recent graduate of a police academy, as the Sheriff’s Department has done in years past, the practice now is to send interested individuals to the academy. Behnke says his department has sent five people to the academy at KVCC in the last three years. Of those five, three stayed, one didn’t make it and the other left within six months. According to the Sheriff, a state law now says that if a department sponsors someone in the academy, they have to stay with you for four years or else they have to pay back their funds. The annual cost per student is $28 thousand.
Behnke hopes to send four to the new police academy at Lake Michigan College, which begins in May.
“We are a representative agency to them so we are guaranteed spots. We’re looking for people who want to go. I’ve got six people right now we’re looking at, but past history shows half of those won’t pass the tests. They’ll pass the written test, but it’s that physical test. You got to be able to do some pushups and sit ups.”
Anyone interested in applying should contact Behnke or Undersheriff Clint Roach. The Sheriff’s Department is located at 321 M-62, Cassopolis; phone 269-445-8644. Applications are also available on the county’s website: casscountymi.org.
In other business, the Council adopted a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application for $483 thousand through funds allocated to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Housing Improving Local Livability (CHILL) program.
Once one wades through the governmental alphabet soup, the program’s intent is apparent: the funds are to be used for improvement projects on residences within the village.
First, however, the Village is required to solicit public participation, which it will do through a special meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 6, 7:00pm, at Village Hall. Anyone interested in learning more about the program and pending application are encouraged to attend.
According to Economic Development Director Sarah Ayers, the grant will help people conduct repairs on their homes.
“This is for owner-occupied houses and is limited certain types of projects: interior and exterior improvements to meet code requirements or rehab standards, energy related repair, improvements for persons with accessibility needs, remediation of lead-based paint hazards or asbestos abatement, and modest landscaping projects.”
Ayers reported that there are income requirements tied to the funds: One person, $42,000; two person, $47,900; four person home $59,850. Approved projects that cost $10 thousand or less do not have to be repaid. Projects between $10,001 and $40 thousand do not need to be repaid if the home has been owned for more than five years.
An element of the grant that made it especially attractive to the Village is that Marcellus would not be required to leverage any funds.
For more information, contact Ayers at marcellusdda@gmail.com or phone 269-646-5485.
The Council overwhelmingly approved a motion during its meeting to adhere to the Village ordinance concerning the assessment of garbage fees. The Village will charge every occupied residence a garbage fee per the Village ordinance which states that all occupied residences will be charged a fee for garbage pickup.
Beginning Friday, February 9, Borden Waste-Away will assume residential garbage service within the Village. The Borden carts are expected to be delivered February 3. Separate carts will be provided for trash and recycling, with garbage pick-up switching to Fridays. Recycling pick-up will be every other week. For exact dates, consult the Village calendar at villageofmarcellus.org/village-calendar.
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