BERRIEN COUNTY — The Berrien County Board of Commissioners set a public hearing for the draft budget next Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025 at 10:30 a.m., and received committee reports that included personnel actions, public-safety technology planning and descriptions of grant-funded public-space improvements.

Personnel: The personnel committee reported it reviewed and approved three advanced-step hires — two positions for the health department (public health promotion and prevention specialist and a business manager) and one court magistrate position. The committee also approved pension refunds and rollovers and forwarded a social-media proposal to the county administrator for cross-department coordination.

911 staffing and AI: Administration committee members reported that 911 Director Caitlin Sapsil said the dispatch center is short seven staffers and is recruiting. Sapsil told the committee that of roughly 94,000 administrative-line calls, about 91,000 could be handled by AI, allowing live call takers to focus on higher-priority lines and to provide language support and automatic escalation when a caller shows stress, the report said.

Grants and local projects: Finance committee members described a MEDC-funded project tied to Emma Hall Flats with an approximate total of $2 million, roughly $1 million of which was noted as coming from that grant, to create public space and related improvements. The county received multiple bid results on housing improvement work and motor-pool equipment and will send those to requesting departments for award decisions.

Why it matters: The public hearing for the budget is the next formal opportunity for residents to ask questions before the county adopts its budget. Staffing and technology proposals at 911 could change the county’s dispatch operations if funded and implemented; the MEDC-related public-space funds affect local downtown improvements and are likely to be administered in partnership with local cities and the county’s community-development office.

Next steps: The board will hold the budget public hearing on Nov. 20 at 10:30 a.m.; staff and department heads will return with funding details and procurement recommendations for committee-reviewed items.