Commissioner Allison Miedema requested that the $28,000 allocation for legal services toward the Crockery Lake be removed from the FY2025 Budget Adjustments to be voted on separately.

• Miedema explained that the Board already has spent $20,000 toward legal services regarding Crockery Lake, and that there doesn’t seem to be a cap on the fees. She said that the 2023-24 Board approved spending money on water restoration efforts and that she doesn’t “support the ongoing usurping of the Board leadership from the 2025-2028 leadership to usurp the past duly elected Board’s vote.” She added that she believes the money should be put into “actually restoring water efforts versus trying to fight something that a past Board voted on.”

• Commissioner Josh Brugger said that he would be voting yes on spending the $28,000 on legal fees, calling it a “worthwhile effort.”

• Commissioner Sylvia Rhodea agreed with Miedema.

• Chair John Teeples said the litigation was approved by the Board, these were the costs, and that at this point the Board couldn’t pull back.

The motion to approve the legal fees associated with the Crockery Lake passed.

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

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

When the final interviews dwindled to only one candidate, the Board resolved to pause the process until the regular June Board meeting. Chair Teeples opened this discussion reassuring the Board and the public that finding a new administrator is the Board’s top priority.

• “There’s no drama where we stand today. There’s no urgency… Gary Rosema and Ron Franz have both expressed a willingness to stay on as we need them… This is a wonderful place to live and work… I have not lost a single moment of sleep over this issue. We have this under control… We still have over 30 candidates, folks, who have expressed interest… and there’s more coming… We have nothing to worry about at this stage. If there was I would tell you. This process will play out. It will work fine. We have nothing to worry about.”

• Commissioner Joe Moss agreed with Teeples and reminded those present that it’s not abnormal to go through multiple rounds in a search. “If this takes a little bit longer to get the right result,” he said, “then that’s completely fine with me.”

• Interim Administrator Gary Rosema had emailed solutions to the Board for moving forward. One of his suggestions was to get past the summer months and resume the search in September. “There’s no reason for this not to be successful,” Rosema said. “We’re going to continue to move forward and do the best we can for Ottawa County.”

• Miedema thought it was important for the commissioners to look back so that they could look forward. She wondered about the September timeframe for reopening the search since that is budget season, and typically they will have more meetings. Additionally, Miedema suggested the Board discuss lengthening the end of the public interview time.

• Moss thanked Teeples for his positive attitude throughout the search. He assured the Board and the attendees that there are people who work for the County because they want to, because it’s an amazing place to live, work, play, and raise a family.

• Chair Teeples said that for next steps, the candidates remaining in the pool from Double Haul will be contacted to determine if they are still interested. New applications that come in will be forwarded to administration. Teeples reiterated Rosema’s proposal to re-open the search publicly toward the end of August and redo the process in the first of September.

• Commissioner Doug Zylstra asked that the Board continue to look internally for candidates. “I’d like to see us keeping in mind their talents and their potential with this organization,” he said. He cautioned the Board from “thinking someone from a nationwide search is the best answer.”

• Several commissioners expressed their appreciation for Rosema and Franz.

• Thursday, June 26, at 3pm: The Idema Explorers Trail on Green Street near Stearns Bayou will be dedicated.

• Tuesday, July 1, at 10am: There will be a “groundbreaking” for the new VA building. Commissioners Kendra Wenzel and Josh Brugger will be sharing a few words. Also at that time will be an opportunity to check out the site before renovations begin.

June 24, 2025, Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Ottawa County Board of Commissioners
Regular Session
June 24, 2025

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