OLIVE TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, June 27, 2023) – The turbulent current term of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners may take another turn on Tuesday evening.
During the scheduled biweekly business session, the governing panel is expected to vote on a resolution that would censure first-term Republican Commissioner Jacob Bonnema of Zeeland. It stems from a public confrontation, during the March 14th meeting, that Bonnema had with Administrator John Gibbs.
Bonnema then, in an email to the county’s Human Resources Director, requested an investigation into Mr. Gibbs for claims of harassment, threats, intimidation, insubordination, and indecent conduct.
Earlier this month, Director Marcie VerBeek told the board that, as a result of the investigation, it was determined that the claim was unfounded, the charges raised were not sustained, and the evidence gathered during the investigation did not substantiate the claim of harassment. VerBeek, by the way, has been at her post for 12 years, and was not part of the personnel changes instituted by the current county board during its January 3rd organization meeting.
Last week, the Ottawa County Republican Party voted to censure Bonnema over this matter, and the board’s resolution, drafted by chairman Joe Moss, asks that Bonnema be stripped of all his committee assignments through the end of the year.
The county board meeting begins at 6:30 PM in the county’s administration building (12220 Fillmore St., West Olive). An online link to the agenda and supporting documents is here.
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