Emergency Management Director Lou Hunt reported on the storm that rolled through Ottawa County on May 15, 2025, and the damage left in its wake.

• Power outages: 13,000 Consumers Energy customers, 1,600 Holland BPW customers (which covers Park Township), and 3,200 Grand Haven BPW customers. Minimal outage was experienced by customers of Zeeland BPW.

• Holland BPW power restorations mostly were done by noon on Sunday, May 18. Consumers Energy restorations, covering the greater county, took longer.

Based on FEMA Definitions:
• 4 destroyed homes
• 21 major damage homes
• 12 minor damage homes
• 11 affected
• No significant public damage
• Per Equalization Office – $8.1 million (private losses)

• The National Weather Survey identified an EFO (lowest level tornado) in Zeeland Township with winds of 65–85 mph and straight-line winds in Waukazoo Woods of 90 mph at the treetops.

• Waukazoo Woods experienced some of the heaviest damage. Hunt said there were a lot of trees on houses, some that came through two-story homes and made it to the ground floor.

May 27, 2025, Board of Commissioners meeting—storm damage images.

Commissioner Jim Barry lives near one of the hardest hit areas. The residents he talked to shared the general sentiment of “At least nobody got hurt,” and told of neighbors taking in neighbors.

The Board of Commissioners voted to move three items on the consent agenda to Action Items.

• Commissioner Zylstra explained he doesn’t agree the Housing Commission should be bound to state law. He moved to table the issue and bring it back to the Alignment Committee. The motion failed.

• Next, Zylstra said that a policy already is set up to appoint members of the public to boards and commissions and that the motion on the table calling to strike the phrase “subject to ratification of the BOC (Board of Commissioners) would “invalidate” the current policy. It was unclear how following state law would invalidate a policy.

• Commissioner Allison Miedema noted that state statue surrounding appointments trumps the county policy, and the statue is clear how appointments are made. The Board Chairperson appoints members to the Housing Commissioner.

• “As long as I am chairman,” Chair John Teeples said, “I’m going to defer to the recommendation of the committee.”

The motion to approve the amendment to Housing Commission Ordinance 400.4.2 section 400.4.2.4(b) striking the phrase “subject to the ratification of the BOC” passed. The Housing Commission bylaws are now in compliance with state law.

Yes votes: Commissioners Josh Brugger, John Teeples, Jacob Bonnema, Jim Barry, Phil Kuyers, Allison Miedema, Joe Moss, Kendra Wenzel, and Sylvia Rhodea.

No vote: Commissioner Doug Zylstra.

Commissioner Jordan Jorritsma was absent.

• Commissioner Moss shared that President Trump had tried to slash 90% of the GLRI funding in 2019 but was later encouraged not to by members of Congress. “The resolution presented today,” Moss said, “asks us to advocate on behalf of Congress… It’s much more a pass-it-and-then-you’ll-get-to-see-what’s-in-it type of thing.”

• Moss added that on day one in office, President Trump abolished race-based environmental justice initiatives. Organizations within Ottawa County have received grants from GLRI in the past. One example was the Audubon Society. Moss researched Audubon by asking three questions:

1. What’s their stance on DEI?
   • He found their website to be filled with progressive language and information about creating things like dedicated space for LGBTQ bird lovers. They have a public climate pledge.
2. How much money do they pay their CEO?
   • In 2021 their former CEO was making $1.2 million working zero hours and a new CEO working full-time receiving $700,000.
3. What is their true purpose?
   • Audubon operations are consolidated with the National Audubon Society Action Fund. Their money is wrapped inside a political organization whose mission aligns with the Democratic Party to mobilize millions of Americans and advance equity, diversity, and inclusion.

• Kuyers asked if Moss approves of the new administration, then why wouldn’t he (Moss) think the Trump Administration would fine tune the proposal?

• Moss replied that he didn’t know if the proposal would change or be adjusted.

• Rhodea said she would support the proposal if it had already been through high scrutiny at the federal level. “But right now,” Rhodea said, “it feels like a blank check.”

• Brugger shared that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 has been introduced by US Reps Hillary Scholten and Bill Huizinga, and that he looks at it as an encouragement to them to continue on their work and a bipartisan effort to put the Great Lakes at the forefront of Congress’s mind.

• Barry commented that there are projects that have a positive impact here in Ottawa County and that some of the issues that Moss was concerned about are likely to be addressed. “But,” he said, “to reject this because of things like that I think it’s akin to throwing the baby out with bath water so to speak.”

• Miedema wondered if the money may not have been spent well and that perhaps the increase would not be needed if it’s gone through with a fine-tooth comb.

• Teeples said he is quite confident that given everything that’s going on in Washington under DOGE, including the scrutiny of the DEI issue, the resolution is going to be analyzed carefully before it ultimately gets implemented. He said GLRI has brought value to West Michigan.

The motion to approve the Resolution supporting continued funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative passed.

Yes votes: Commissioners Josh Brugger, John Teeples, Jacob Bonnema, Jim Barry, Phil Kuyers, and Doug Zylstra.

No votes: Commissioners Allison Miedema, Joe Moss, Kendra Wenzel, and Sylvia Rhodea.

• Rhodea explained that there is an accreditation system for the Health Department, and that there have been numerous references to personal health information. Residents are highly protective of their personal information, especially coming out of covid. Rhodea doesn’t want information shared out of Ottawa.

• Additionally, Rhodea said that a lot of the information gathering is done by national nonprofits and NGOs—many which don’t align with MAHA—rather than the federal MHS and MDDHS. “There are a lot of concerns,” she added, “that those contracts are meant to bypass transparency because they are not bound by government transparency and disclosure measures… The entities involved in this process are very progressive…”

• Rhodea acknowledged that the process is not the fault of our local health department. The problem is that the department is working within a public health system that is governed and influenced in this way. She added that the way the process works highlight the need for a state level change.

• Teeples pointed out that the MPHI contract has a HIPPA paragraph and also Exhibit D privacy requirements for sensitive projects. He said that if there were a violation of that confidentiality it would be a breach of the contract.

• Moss said that he appreciated that the vendors chosen by the county health department will not be MPHI, adding that MPHI is extremely woke, the far left of the left, and that it’s captured ideologically.

The motion for the ratification of the MPHI contract failed.

Yes votes: Commissioners Josh Brugger, John Teeples, Jim Barry, Phil Kuyers, and Doug Zylstra.

No votes: Commissioners Allison Miedema, Joe Moss, Kendra Wenzel, Sylvia Rhodea, and Jacob Bonnema.

• Moss said he was thankful for the direction of the Trump Administration and for the proactive work they’re doing; that it’s reaching all the way down to the local level.

• Miedema appreciated the meeting with Lakeshore Advantage and hearing how important energy is to the economic community. She also appreciated the Trump Administration stepping in and putting a pause on the closing of the JH Campbell Plant.

• Bonnema said that the storm damage was heavy on his heart, and that he was trying to think creatively about what departments they could deploy to pitch in.

• Regarding the Campbell Plant, Rhodea said: “We really dodged a bullet with that one. I’m very thankful for the emergency order that was put in place but mindful of the fact that it’s only a 90-day reprieve for us.” She also wanted to make sure families are aware that the covid vaccine is no longer on the schedule for back-to-school immunizations.

• Other commissioners shared about their attendance at the various Memorial Day events.

May 27, 2025, Board of Commissioners meeting.

Ottawa County Board of Commissioners
Regular Session
May 27, 2025

Ottawa County Administration Building
12220 Fillmore Street
West Olive, MI 49460