First County Board meeting

Pat Yoder’s first St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday was a quick but uneventful experience.

Yoder, who took over as county administrator Monday, sat in on his first county commission meeting in 20 years, as he previously held the position from 1990 to 1994. The 63-year-old Yoder was hired for the job after Judy West-Wing retired in January.

Tuesday’s meeting was light on agenda items and concluded in less than 30 minutes.

Watershed to be discussed

The Prairie River Watershed and wetlands in St. Joseph County will be at the center of a presentation Wednesday.

Overseen by the St. Joseph County Conservation District and its counterpart in Branch County, the two-hour event begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Dresser Auditorium at Glen Oaks Community College.

Presenter Rachel Smith, coordinator of the Prairie River Watershed Protection Plan, will provide a look at area wetlands, and discuss their functions and how they influence water quality in day-to-day life.

New water meters in TR

Mayor Tom Lowry and members of the Three Rivers City Commission have authorized an upgrade of residential water meters. City officials estimate more than 1,300 meters will be upgraded in order to make it easier to read water meters and quickly identify leaks. Between installation and materials, the measure will cost just under $330,000. The city has been budgeting for the expenditure since 2011. The new units, which can be read by radio transmission, will be installed by early 2014.

Sheteron resigns

The Centreville Village Council is one person short after longtime trustee Christine Sheteron turned in her resignation this week.

Sheteron, 44, submitted a letter Monday to the village council. In it, she indicated she has no interest in working for what she called a non-working and uncooperative body of elected officials and community members.

Sheteron did not elaborate on specific issues that resulted in her decision to step down.

The balance of her term is expected to be filled at the village council’s April meeting. Meanwhile, the council appointed Gary McClain to fill a village council position that was already open prior to Sheteron’s departure.

People appointed to boards

A number of people were appointed or reappointed to various county boards Tuesday.

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners agreed to reappoint Dennis Bradley to the county’s Jury Board for a six-year term.

Action by commissioners also will see the St. Joseph County Transportation Board served for two more years by Allen Balog, Charles Thompson, Joseph Haas, Aaron Cullifer, Kelli Tackett, Connie Stoppenbach and Bruce Zakrzewski.

Three-year terms to the county’s Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Board were given to Gaylene Adams, Rebecca Black, Veronica Atkins and Dori Leo-Baranski.

Residents ask to meet with commissioners

Two Sturgis residents asked members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners if they would be willing to meet one-on-one to discuss plans for a proposed senior center in Sturgis.

Lois Ware and Bob Holt said they weren’t happy with the lack of answers during past meetings with representatives from the county’s Commission on Aging. They said the proposal is a major expense of taxpayer money and county leaders should make themselves available to field questions and take the time to meet with their constituents.

Board chairman John Dobberteen, whose jurisdiction includes the city of Sturgis, said the issue is in the hands of the COA and its officials are more at liberty to discuss the concept.

Ware and Holt said they object to the taxpayer money that could be spent to build a senior center in Sturgis. They suggested the money be spent to refurbish the current facility, the John H. Cassault Center on North Jefferson Street.

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