Three departments gave their annual reports to start off the meeting. PowerPoint presentations of their community impact and plans for the future can be found in the meeting’s agenda packet. The departments that presented were:

• Public Defender’s Office

• Community Action Agency

• Parks & Recreation

The commissioners considered proposals regarding a new position for Legal Services. The change would move day-to-day legal services to an in-house position. Corporate Counsel to the Board of Commissioners, which currently handles the day-to-day legal advisement, will continue in the same format using billable hours. With the proposed structure, a Director of Legal Affairs position would be created to serve as a salaried, in-house legal advisor handling the County’s day-to-day legal matters. Litigation will continue to be handled by an outside firm via the Insurance Authority.

Reasons behind the proposal included cost savings (with the in-house counsel being salaried), more capacity to handle the day-to-day workload, and the option for a second legal opinion. Additionally, current Interim Corporate Counsel Ron Bultje and day-to-day attorney Doug Van Essen, plan to retire.

The motion was to approve the creation of a Director of Legal Affairs position and salary, which would be posted immediately upon Board approval.

• Commissioners Allison Miedema, Doug Zylstra, Joe Moss, and Sylvia Rhodea expressed concerns about moving forward with the in-house position before the Board had more clarity on how the changes impacted Corporate Counsel and day-to-day operations. Commissioners wanted assurance that the Board would maintain Corporate Counsel to the Board, in addition to the new position. There also was discussion about maintaining proper oversight for the Director of Legal Affairs.

• Commissioner Jordan Jorritsma pointed out that the motion wouldn’t change the Board’s current contract with Dickinson Wright but would merely add a Director of Legal Affairs, which would take Van Essen’s place.

• Miedema countered that Bultje—who represents Dickinson Wright—was intending to retire. Therefore, it would make sense to gain clarity now on what this plan impacts.

• Commissioners Jacob Bonnema and Phil Kuyers seemed perturbed, commenting, “We shouldn’t drag our feet,” and “We’re over thinking it.”

• Rhodea suggested a couple of different amendments to add assurances around the yet-to-be defined outside counsel. Zylstra wanted to postpone the vote. Neither commissioner garnered enough support. Rhodea ended up withdrawing her final amendment, believing it didn’t do enough to “clean up the mess” of the proposal.

• Moss explained that the reason there is all this discussion is that this is a big change. “We are changing the way that our legal support is going to function…. [and] moving it into this new position. I’m not against that. And we also permanently maintain a relationship with Corporate Counsel… I’m comfortable with that. I don’t know how to get to there right now, because we’re making such a big change and the rest of it is not here.”

• Bultje and County Administrator Patrick Waterman explained that this change only impacts the internal day-to-day operations. Corporate Counsel will continue to be filled by an outside firm that is directly accountable to the Board of Commissioners. They each explained in their own way the benefits of having internal legal support and a firm that represents the Board of Commissioners when needed.

By the end of the discussion, Rhodea had made an amendment that passed. The final motion read: To approve the creation of a Director of Legal Affairs position to be posted immediately upon Board approval, as a position which does not replace Corporate Counsel to the Board.

Those voting yes: Commissioners John Teeples, Phil Kuyers, Jacob Bonnema, Jordan Jorritsma, Joe Moss, Sylvia Rhodea, Jim Barry, Josh Brugger, and Kendra Wenzel.

Those voting no: Commissioners Doug Zylstra and Allison Miedema.

Public Health had submitted the annual, State-required Plan of Organization to the Board for approval and the Chair’s signature.

• Miedema made an amendment to remove the Wear One (a free condom program) and Youth Assessment Survey (YAS) (a controversial survey given to middle and high school students) from the Plan prior to approval.

• Both Bultje and Bonnema argued that the Plan represents a report of what the Health Department has done, and this would not be the time to discuss forward-facing issues.

• Miedema countered that the Plan includes strategic planning and future implementations.

• Rhodea added she is equally concerned that about the direction commissioners are being given about their responsibilities “Are we going to abdicate our elected responsibility of oversight to an unelected Administrator or have an unelected Health Officer direct the County without substantial input from the Board?” She then asked if commissioners merely approve budgets and plans of organization or are they responsible for the direction and priorities of departments, ensuring they reflect the values and the priorities of the community as stated in the Michigan Guide to Public Health.

• Rhodea shared that the Trump Administration has taken a stand on the YAS survey, and how back in 2022, Right to Life endorsements were pulled from multiple county commissioners due to the progressive sexuality activism of the Health Department creating the Wear One campaign—which at that time, made condoms accessible to minors—and promoting the “over sexualized” YAS to 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. The Health Department also was exposed nationally by Libs of Tik Tok for its “over-the-top guide to child sexuality, which went so far as to include information on infants being sexual from birth,” Rhodea said.

• As for the County’s new online immunization waiver system, Rhodea has observed that parents who participate are required to use compelled speech while subjected to incomplete information, which could be considered vaccine propaganda for parents with religious objections.

• Pointing out that there is no longer an HHS Committee, Rhodea asked where the Board is to address these Health Department issues. She added that history has proven that oversight is necessary.

• In 2023, Rhodea shared, the Board sought to better align the values of the community with the contents of the Health Department’s Plan. Some things were changed, proving it can be done. That was also the year the Board passed the Resolution to Protect Childhood Innocence. In closing, Rhodea asked if, based on what the County is continuing to do, the Board is following that resolution or beginning to revoke it.

• Moss said the way he understood the Plan was that it was being done for accreditation. He suggested adding to the end of the YAS and Wear One paragraphs that the programs would no longer be continuing as of 3/24/2026, explaining the addition would provide clarity on the future outlook of those programs.

• Bultje and Kuyers disagreed with Moss’s suggestion, saying that discussion was better suited for the Planning and Policy Committee. Brugger agreed. Teeples added that he didn’t know enough about the programs to discuss them and was concerned the topic would turn political in the media the next day.

• Rhodea responded that like it or not, “there are a lot of political things that happen within the Health Department,” adding that the best thing the Board could do would be to provide more oversight.

• Commissioners came to consensus to move the discussion about the controversial Health Department programs to committee for review.

The motion to approve the Ottawa County Department of Public Health Local Plan of Organization passed.

Those voting yes: Commissioners Phil Kuyers, Jim Barry, Jacob Bonnema, Doug Zylstra, Jordan Jorritsma, John Teeples, and Josh Brugger.

Those voting no: Commissioners Joe Moss, Sylvia Rhodea, Kendra Wenzel, and Allison Miedema.

The following seats were voted on and approved:

• Community Mental Health Board, Public Seat (Commissioner): Sylvia Rhodea.

• Community Mental Health Board, Public Seat to end March 31, 2028: David Parnin.

• Community Mental Health Board, Public Seat (2) to end March 31, 2029: Donna Bunce and Robert Davis.

• Community Mental Health Board Primary Consumer Seat: Robin Wick.

• Community Action Agency Advisory Board Consumer Sector: Britney Brown.

• Veterans Services Committee War Veteran seat was a vote that brought discussion, regarding one nominee in particular: Mark Northrup. Wenzel mentioned he hadn’t had a “consistent amount of skin in the game,” and was inappropriate on social media toward Moss. Rhodea said Northrup had demonstrated bitterness and hostility over an extended period of time against those who disagreed with him. In contrast, Teeples claimed Northrup had dedicated his whole life to vets and is a vet himself. The first vote resulted in a tie between Mark Northrup and Terry Sheffield, with one vote going to Larry Jackson. The tie-breaking vote went to Mark Northrup with six votes (Commissioners Teeples, Barry, Zylstra, Bonnema, and Jorritsma).

• Land Bank Authority Township Representative seat—the first two rounds of voting did not produce a Board majority. The third round appointed Russell TeSlaa to the seat.

The meeting closed with commissioners thanking the high caliber of people who had applied to be on the County boards.

March 24, 2026 Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Ottawa County Board of Commissioners
Regular Session
March 24, 2026

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