Administrator unveils service-animal, IT policies and 2026 staffing list totaling 147.625 FTE

The county administrator presented a trio of items intended to shape operations and the upcoming budget: a new service‑animal policy drafted to reflect federal and state requirements, a consolidated information‑technology policy that centralizes email and IT rules, and a 2026 position allocation list that details permanent staff counts used as the foundation for the 2027 budget.

On the service‑animal policy, the administrator said the draft largely mirrors statutory definitions, noting that Michigan law defines a service animal as a dog or miniature horse individually trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability. The administrator said the policy grew out of a court request that exposed the county’s lack of a written standard for accommodating service animals.

The proposed IT policy consolidates previous email and technology provisions into a standalone document that applies countywide. The administrator said the rewrite incorporated staff feedback and had input from a commissioner who reviewed it in draft.

Finally, the administrator provided the 2026 position allocation list — described as the first step in building the 2027 budget — and said the county currently lists 136 full‑time equivalents plus 11.625 part‑time equivalents, totaling 147.625 permanent FTE. The administrator noted seasonal employees are tracked separately and fluctuate by department (parks, etc.).

Commissioners said they expect to spend considerable time reviewing the policies during upcoming meetings and will use the allocation list to shape personnel and budget discussions for the next fiscal year.