With only one action item on the agenda and only one public comment, the January 14, 2025, Board of Commissioners meeting seemed laser focused. The single action item, finalization of the Board Rules, was important enough to call a Special Meeting.

At the January 9, 2025, meeting, the commissioners had in-depth discussions and several edits to the Board Rules. The purpose of this Special Meeting was to vote on the final draft.

Board Rules are worth debate and scrutiny. It is the Board Rules that establish how the new Board will operate and the procedures it will be follow, likely determining how effectively it will function.

With the final draft of the Board Rules before them, Chairman John Teeples asked the Board if there was any further discussion before voting on approval.

Commissioner Allison Miedema shared a list of edits. Most were grammatical tweaks; however, one request garnered more debate.

Miedema made a motion to change Rule 2.3, fourth paragraph, so that the Chair would need Board approval for his appointments for active commissioner assignments on non-standing work committees, county and community-based commissions authorities boards such as CMH, Parks and Recreation.

• “If you go back in our history of the county…” Miedema said, “It’s actually how I’m motioning… This was historical practice. There was always a detailed sheet for full transparency to the public at the very first organizational meeting.”

• Chairman Teeples responded that last week the Board had clarified that the clause dealt with community-based committees as distinguished from standing committees, which Rule 5.1 already addressed. “So,” Teeples continued “this [the way the Rule currently reads] isn’t a change of anything. It’s a clarification of words.”

• Commissioner Sylvia Rhodea said that when the original Rules states that the Chairperson shall appoint committee assignments, “committee assignments” referred to committees like Health and Human services and Finance, which are normal standing committees. All the extra committees are not addressed. Rhodea added that the way this was handled can be seen on previous agendas—the Board members do vote to approve other appointments.

• Rhodea added that if Teeples decides he wants to go ahead with the change, it would contradict his statement of not wanting to accrue power and authority as Chair, since the change would give him more power and authority than prior Board Chairs.

• Teeples responded that the Board didn’t change this rule that says the Chairperson makes these assignments, and that what Rhodea was saying was that the practice was different than the Rule states.

• Rhodea reiterated that the Rule did not speak to the non-standing committees. She added, “If you want this to now happen, you clearly can do that. But let’s just be clear about what it says.”

• Miedema told Teeples, “If you want to have the responsibility and you want the power to make all these [appointments] for yourself, then that’s how we’re going to go. If you’re asking for the consensus of the Board, you’re putting forth the work, and you’re asking for affirmation from your fellow Board members. I think you would be showing us that you don’t want it to just come from your authority.”

And with the end of the discussion came a vote on whether to amend the Rule to require the Chair to get Board approval for the extra committee appointments.

The yes votes were Commissioners Moss, Rhodea, Zylstra, Wenzel, and Miedema.

The no votes were Commissioners Kuyers, Barry, Bonnema, Jorritsma, Brugger, and Teeples.

The motion failed.

The yes votes were Commissioners Zylstra, Brugger, Jorritsma, Kuyers, Barry, Bonnema, Moss, and Teeples.

The no votes were Commissioners Miedema, Rhodea, and Wenzel.

The motion passed.

January 14, 2025, Ottawa County Board of Commissioners Special Meeting to finalize Board Rules.

Ottawa County Board of Commissioners
Special Meeting
January 14, 2025

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