The January 28, 2025, Board of Commissioners meeting kicked off with Chair John Teeples resigning his appointment as Chair.

The new Board had mistakenly voted Teeples to serve as chair for a two-year term, due to the fact that a resolution for a one-year term was not provided at the beginning of the year. With Teeples resignation and a resolution, the term was corrected to a one-year term. The Board then voted unanimously to reappoint Teeples as Chair for the 2025 term.

Commissioner Allison Miedema expressed objection to the graphs on pages 137 and 139 of the agenda packet, which draw comparisons of the 2024 and 2025 Board Appointments and Standing Committee Appointments.

Miedema reminded the commissioners of Chair John Teeples’ words in the rough draft of the Board Rules from the January 7, 2025, meeting. Teeples had said that the Board “must be open and receptive to changing preconceived opinions based on what we hear observe and learn.” Miedema said he also stated that preset voting blocks are a breach of our fiduciary duties, and that ostracizing particular members is an affront to the portion of the county that has elected them and will not be tolerated.

“…[W]e now have graphs that label us into groups of a majority and a minority,” Miedema said. “It doesn’t take long to analyze who the four are in the minority, it’s Commissioners Joe Moss, Sylvia Rhodea, Kendra Wenzel, and myself—the four courageous conservative parents that ran for office. We abolished DEI, and we stopped the woke agenda that was being promoted here in the County government.”

Miedema continued: “It’s very interesting that this graph doesn’t fall along party lines… Each one of us ran with either an R for Republican behind their names or a D for a Democrat… There’s no litmus test that you need to prove that you’re a Republican or a Democrat…The people deserve to better understand who they’re voting for so they can know if their values and their thoughts about local government align with someone running for elected office.”

Commissioner Jordan Jorritsma asked Miedema, “Are you feeling ostracized that we put you on more committee assignments? Would you rather be on less? I’m confused.”

“What Commissioner Miedema is talking about,” Commissioner Joe Moss interjected, “is the fact that there have been labels created to create division…”

Commissioner Josh Brugger brought forth a motion to add a five-person ad hoc committee entitled the Appointment and Alignment Committee. The purpose of the new committee will be to review candidates and make recommendations to the Board for adjustments to term expiration dates.

• Brugger shared that Miedema and others had concerns with the elimination of the Talent & Recruitment Committee because there would be a gap in the process.

• The other reason for adding the committee was in recognition of the challenges with aligning expiration dates on appointments and determining bylaws.

• In response to a question from Commissioner Sylvia Rhodea, Teeples assured the Board there would continue to be a process of open and transparent postings of these positions.

The next action item was to vote on ratifying the contracts listed in the packet. Miedema raised concern about the $45,000 contract designated for Community Spoke, an organization that facilitates between government and nonprofits. She asked the Board to pull the contract out of the ratification process to allow more discussion.

• Rhodea added that earlier in the day the Trump Administration had put a pause on grants and loans, raising questions about what funding will be available to cities, counties, and states that are promoting ideas that go against the president’s agenda. She pointed out that Community Spoke has verbiage on their website contrary to that agenda. “We need to be careful,” Rhodea said, “and look at what organizations are promoting and what is involved in our contracts.”

• Brugger stated that he planned to keep the contract on the agenda and vote to fund them. He added that the Grand Haven Community Foundation is one of their supporters, and if they’re behind it, he had no reason not to be.

• Teeples chimed in, “I think that’s where I’m at too… We have a history of supporting this in this county. I see no reason to change it now.”

• Barry said that when he read through the scope of the responsibility and the services, he didn’t hear anything that sounded like DEI. He continued, “I wish they didn’t use all the buzzwords in the description of the services they’re doing, but I understand the needs that that they’re trying to meet with that.”

• In response, Wenzel announced that the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance (LNA) website (under which Community Spoke is sandwiched) lists in their mission statement their commitment to operating DEI inclusion internally and to helping advance the adoption of DEI in Ottawa County.

• Moss commented that the pausing of the federal grants by Trump Administration is a monumental step in making sure that no grant money is used to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and Green New Deal Social Engineering policies that waste tax pay dollars and do not improve the people’s lives. The Administration is moving to eliminate and defund this DEI ideology as the policies are discriminatory and divisive and which is why a myriad of corporations have abolished DEI across the board—Tractor Supply, Harley Davison, Walmart, and now Target.

• Moss continued that in addition to his hesitations about LNA being a huge proponent of DEI, “I am concerned with some of the gay pride events they go to, and what they’re promoting. Are they sponsoring these events? Is Ottawa County contributing financially to those events?… Any organization that will so boldly promote these ideologies on their website and bake it into a commitment to how they will operate is not an organization that that I believe this Board should support.”

• Rhodea agreed that there is some good work being done, but that sometimes the County should take a step back and see if it should be handling something on its own. “Is it really necessary for us to be partnering with an organization that we don’t completely agree with to get that work done?” Rhodea asked. “Or is there another partner that that could take on this work instead?”

• Commissioner Jorritsma said that until there is a better option, he thought the Board should support the contract, adding that they could review it next year and determine if there is a better opportunity.

Yes votes: Commissioners Joe Moss, Sylvia Rhodea, Allison Miedema, and Kendra Wenzel.

No votes: Commissioners Josh Brugger, Doug Zylstra, Phil Kuyers, Jim Barry, Jordan Jorritsma, Jacob Bonnema, and John Teeples.

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

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

As though giving the Board a chance to reconsider, Teeples explained to the Board that the drawbacks of having an open discussion of ongoing litigation in a settlement discussion is that you may limit your negotiation abilities to finish the settlement.

• Moss explained that while the terms and the dollar amount are clear, it was premature for the board to be working on it. Both he and Miedema agreed the proposal should go back to Litigation Council and the Insurance Authority Board to continue working on it.

• Brugger had a different reason for voting as he did. He said that for him, transparency outweighed leverage.

“$190,000 payable in thirds to his attorney, to himself and one third was going for non-economic loss. $190,000 total with three other essential terms: that Ottawa County agrees to resend his termination of employment dated February 29, 2024, and remove any reference to the termination from his employment file, and Ottawa County agrees to accept his resignation dated effective February 22, 2024, and will place Gibbs’ letter of resignation in his personnel file. It also includes a release of all claims by him against the County and, of course, no admissions of liability which are other standard terms of any type of agreement. It settles his arbitration case, which is a contract matter, it settles the current pending claim in the federal court of appeals, and it would settle any state claims as well.”

“…Mr. Gibbs took to the Press not only making disparaging comments about the Board but also spreading malicious falsehoods against individuals including myself. His claim that I had a history of inappropriate relationships to secure raises was both patently false and deeply harmful to my reputation… I ask that the discussion occur in open session so the residents of the county are made aware of Mr. Gibbs’ actions during his tenure. I am concerned that if a financial decision is conducted in closed session and finalized it would send a troubling message to the residents of Ottawa County and beyond that, integrity can be sacrificed for convenience, and that those who weaponize dishonesty and character assassination can ultimately potentially profit from their behavior… I hope the commission will demonstrate the courage to do what is right even when it is not easy.”

• According to Zylstra, he had voted no because he didn’t agree the Board had cause to fire Gibbs at the time. He added that he understood the letter from Gretchen, but none of that in his eyes was sufficient cause or proven.

• “Mr. Gibbs,” Moss explained, “had an opportunity to resign. He could have. He specifically said he would. And then, instead of actually doing it, he hired a lawyer.” Moss continued, “I think that the principle here is less about the dollar amount and more about the fact that he wants both to be paid and to have his termination rescinded.”

• Brugger detailed how he wanted Moss and the other commissioners who were involved to apologize. Beyond that he wanted to move the topic into “the rearview mirror” and settle the issue. He added that he didn’t believe everything that transpired was accurate as Moss had represented.

• Moss responded to Brugger’s comment. “I take offense at what you said… I want to remind the Board that this process of termination was not something that one commissioner did. This was a Board decision and a Board process—there were closed sessions, there were confidential memos, there was information shared with the Board, there were complaints made by employees. As Chair, I facilitated that process. I did not create the information.”

• According to Teeples interpretation, it could cost up to $300,000 in their own attorney fees if they were to lose on any of the federal claims, adding that in his opinion, the case had not been documented the way it should have been to support a proper defense.

• “We can’t just patch things and make everything happy and rosy when people misbehave,” Rhodea said. “I’m not going to get behind rewarding him for making repeated bad decisions.”

• Jorritsma explained he would be voting yes because that is less of a gamble with taxpayer money.

• “There is always another risk, too,” Rhodea said, “when you put a stamp of approval, so to speak, on somebody’s behavior—which basically we will be rewarding bad behavior. If that’s the decision of this Board, and that’s very offensive to people who he has hurt by his behavior, there is some risk to consider as well.”

• Teeples said that everybody knows about John Gibbs, so he’s not off the hook even if the Board accepts this settlement. He’s going to have to live with everything that’s happened, and it comes down to the need to make a practical decision for the sake of this community.

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

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

After the vote, Corporate Counsel Jack Jordan clarified that Kallman Legal was not the law firm representing the County on that Gibbs’ case because of their own conflict of interest in that matter.

In her closing commissioner comment, Rhodea had this to say:

“Precedence matters. Local government matters. It’s where policy is applied to meet the needs of everyday people. I’m encouraged by the bold actions of President Trump this week and honored to represent the people as part of the America First Trump majority of Ottawa County. While there are disagreements on this Board, I take great hope in the bold leadership happening on the national level and how that will impact our people here in Ottawa County. So, I look forward to continuing to work towards making sure that our “Pro People” agenda is implemented here.”

January 28, 2025, Ottawa County Board of Commissioners Meeting.

Ottawa County Board of Commissioners
Regular Session
January 28, 2025

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