Marshall County Commissioners Approve Agreement to Share Planning Services with City of Plymouth

  
 
The Marshall County Commissioners approved a contract between the county and the City of Plymouth for planning services.

Plan Director Ralph Booker has been providing services to the City of Plymouth for the past year in an agreement that was approved for the first time last year. Booker provides help to the city for a fee. The help may include zoning issues and paperwork, GIS information or a host of other inquiries.

This year’s contract was similar to last year’s for sharing services, only his compensation went up to $7,210. The commissioners approved the contract with a vote of 2-1 with Commissioner Kevin Overmyer with the dissenting vote. He stated that he voted the same way last year; he’s just not in favor of the contract.

Along with the contract, a Memorandum of Understanding was presented where Booker would be required to give an in-depth quarterly report to the commissioners on all services provided to the City of Plymouth. Phone calls, GIS hits, paperwork, materials used, meetings or any other business with the city within regular business hours is to be documented and presented in a quarterly report to the board, beginning in March.

Booker hesitated and questioned the need to provide all the figures requested. Commissioner Deb Griewank stated that the information is to gauge the amount of activity that is shared with the city to determine if the agreement “is a good deal”.

Griewank moved for the Memorandum of Understanding to be approved and Jack Roose seconded the motion. The document was approved with a 2-1 vote with Kevin Overmyer voting against the agreement. He stated, “It just seems too cumbersome.”