YouTube video of the Sept. 12, 2025 Ottawa County Board of Commissioners special meeting courtesy Ottawa County, Michigan
OLIVE TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Sept. 12, 2025) – The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners needed just over an hour on Friday to apparently fill a vacancy that has been in place for more than 18 months.
On a 7-4 vote, the governing panel chose Deputy City Manager Patrick Waterman of the Grand Rapids suburb of Wyoming to enter into contract negotiations with for becoming the new County Administrator. The one-time Deputy Administrator emerged from 58 applicants to be one of five finalists that went through two separate public discussions this week.
Four incumbent Commissioners from the previous board – Joe Moss, Sylvia Rhodea, Allison Miedema and Kendra Wenzel – voted for Muskegon County Administrator Matthew Farrar. Moss flatly told Waterman during his public interview on Wednesday that he should not have even applied for returning to Ottawa County, drawing the ire then of Commissioner Jacob Bonnema, and of Board Chairman John Teeples on Friday.
Also missing out were former Holland Mayor Kurt Dysktra, City Administrator Chris Kukulski of Billings, Montana, and Ottawa County Director of Strategic Impact Paul Sachs. Ottawa County has not had a permanent operational leader since John Gibbs was relieved of his duties on February 29th of last year. Retired Sheriff Gary Rosema is the third Interim Administrator retained by the board since that time.
A timetable for when Waterman would assume his new duties will be established once contract terms between him and the board are finalized.
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