Berrien County’s ongoing effort to address needs at its facilities is now moving at a slower pace as the funds run down.
In 2023, the county compiled a list of properties in need of work, prioritizing the projects by urgency. At the time, the Berrien County Board of Commissioners allocated more than $15 million in federal ARPA funds for the work and contracted with Bacciocchi Construction Services to manage it all. Speaking to colleagues this Thursday, Commissioner Jim Curran said the administration committee has been updated by the buildings and grounds director on the latest, and not everything on that list can be addressed.
“Really the bottom line is there’s not enough money to go around,” Curran said. “We appropriated or we set aside $15 million to do all this, and I can tell you that if you remember, we prioritize these one through five. One were the most critical — life and safety, those type of things. We have accomplished that.”
So, the top priority projects are all done. However, Curran said lesser projects, many cosmetic, haven’t been undertaken. He said of the money left, a big chunk will have to go to upgrades at the Juvenile Center.
“Roughly $7.6 million. That’s what we have left over out of the 15. We need to set aside three and a half million of that for the juvenile center.”
Among other things, Curran said the center needs its own dedicated water and sewer lines separate from the nearby medical facility. The building also needs wiring work.
Curran said other projects identified as priorities back in 2023 will still get done, but the list will have to be whittled down gradually over time.
