OLIVE TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Oct. 30, 2023) – … And on the third day, the board hit the pause button – again, so what’s another week in something that some Ottawa County Commissioners had wanted for about 10 months.
Following less than a five-minute resumption of a special meeting convened to discuss the future of the County’s Administrative Health Officer, the governing panel agreed to “pause” the proceedings for another week. Board Chairman Joe Moss (R-Hudsonville), who had asked for this meeting earlier this month against Adeline Hambley, stated why he wanted a continuance.
Moss had initially asked for a nine-day recess, but Hambley’s attorney said that she had a court commitment on an unrelated case on November 8th, so this meeting’s resumption was moved up two days as a result. No other action was taken at this session.
Last week, the county board heard about 14 hours of testimony over a two-day period. At issue is Hambley’s actions and comments about budget cuts to the county Department of Community Health for 2024, as she claimed that trimming direct county funding to pre-COVID 19 outbreak levels would lead to the closure of the department.
Seventh District Commissioner Rebekah Curran of Jenison was among a majority of board members who won election last November on a platform of reforming the Health Department following a series of health mandates handed down during the novel coronavirus outbreak of over three years ago.
Hambley, appointed by the previous county board in one of its last acts last December to succeed the retiring Lisa Stefanosky, filed a lawsuit against the board and the county over an initial attempt to dismiss her at the January 3rd administrative meeting. That litigation is still pending, and Hambley is expected to take more legal action if she is discharged … next Monday.
This special meeting on Hambley’s position resumes next Monday, November 6, at 9 AM in the administration room of the Fillmore Street complex in West Olive, with a live stream via the county’s YouTube Channel.
I am disappointed at the actions of this board of commissioners
Their decisions hurt Ottawa county.
A county that was growing as a welcoming diverse area, a county where under the direction of the health officer had unintended pregnancies drop by 87%
Religious zealots have no business trying to legislate this county
Open minded caring citizens are outraged and terrified of what comes next