OLIVE TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Jan. 1, 2024) – It may not be as provocative as a year ago, but the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners have a few “administrative” matters to tend to in the first meeting of 2024 set for Tuesday morning.
Among the first items of business is establishing a one-year tenure for Board leadership, which would be done if a resolution to that matter is passed. Joe Ross of Jamestown and Sylvia Rhodea of Allendale are the current board chairman and vice-chairwoman, respectively. Rules, meeting times and committee appointments are also among these initial items.
The Board is expected to approve a five-member Mediation Committee that would handle the current Hambley v. Ottawa County matter, with Moss, Rhodea and fellow commissioners Gretchen Cosby, Allison Miedema and Doug Zylstra comprising the panel. This committee would only act in an advisory capacity, with the full Board making any final decision.
Also on the agenda for the 9 AM meeting in the Administration Building of the Fillmore Street Complex (12220 Fillmore St.) are resolutions to provide for deposits of public monies, drainage district funds, and road commission funds into county coffers. A link to the agenda and supporting documents is here.
A year ago, the county board caused an upheaval at its first meeting in dismissing the County Administrator, appointing a new operational leader immediately; liquidated the office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; retained a new legal counsel for the county board; changed the county’s motto; and sought to replace the Administrative Health Officer with an appointee of its own. All this was done amidst accusations of violating the state’s Open Meetings Act in planning these actions beforehand, which state Attorney General Dana Nessel ruled that it did not, since the new county board members had not yet been sworn in.
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