With no agenda or action requests, the Health & Human Services Committee received updates from four departments:

• Department of Public Health, Adeline Hambley
• Community Action Agency, Jennifer Brozowski
• Department of Health and Human Services, Kendra Spanjer
• Department of Veteran Affairs, Jason Schenkel

Historically the Health & Human Services committee only received program reports during the “Discussion Item” section of the agenda—there was no discussion. With the current Board’s focus on transparency, the public saw three discussion items on the agenda and heard three discussions, which did not happen with the previous Board.

• The Committee is considering a policy review

• Michigan legislature is looking at a bill to mandate homeowners to have their well and septic inspected every five years

• Ottawa County currently does point-of-sale inspections, which require inspections before a home can be sold. The County has a monopoly on inspections and doesn’t allow private companies to compete. Realtors have reported long wait times for these inspections and a desire to operate like Kent County, which doesn’t require inspections and allows residents to make their own choices for who will inspect their property.

• Environmental Health is asking for a full-time position to help with staffing pressures, but the position has the cost of $85,602

• Before approving the full-time position, some commissioners would like to bring the people involved to the table

• Commissioner Joe Moss said the first thing to look at with a full-time position request would be the current needs, adding that there is a strong desire to reduce backlog, reduce costs, if possible, and reduce delays

• Moss suggested that he could work with realtors and Environmental Health staff to look at reducing the workload without having to hire and fund a full-time position

• Commissioner Doug Zylstra wanted to have a grant fund the position, possibly not understanding that grants are also taxpayer funds that need to be spent responsibly and not like “free money”

• Trying to help alleviate the immediate pressure, Commissioner Sylvia Rhodea asked if Environmental Health would consider a short-term hire. She was told hiring short-term is relatively rare.

• Since current needs are being met, the discussion landed on taking the time to sit down and find the best way forward

• Rhodea explained the Board needs more time to gather information

• The Committee was provided with more data on March 18, 2024, from the annual report put out by Ottawa Food

• Ottawa County has a huge number of nonprofits and many of them overlap services, especially in food security

• Moss expressed the need for focusing on delivering core government services, and when things are not mandated, it is important to thoroughly analyze that the County is spending taxpayer dollars wisely

• Rhodea mentioned that what stood out to her was the cost of the Ottawa Food coordinator position versus the cost of goods being provided to the people. At one point, Public Health was asking for $120,000 for the position. But what amount of funds were being used for those in need?

• Rhodea wondered if there was a more economical way to get the food to the people

• Zylstra made a motion to fund the Ottawa Food coordinator, but the motion failed

• Ottawa County has historically given large amounts of funding to local nonprofits without requiring updates on what the recipients were doing with the funds

• With discussion like this not happening in the past, Zylstra asked about the goal of the discussion

• Commissioner Gretchen Cosby told him that the goal is “to make sure we are using the resources efficiently and effectively for our community.”

• Cosby will set up a meeting with the Health Department and others to discuss the best path forward with the position and evaluate the metrics

• Fiscal Year 2023 added $777,893 to the Department of Public Health Fund Balance of $3,401,599, as reported during the budget process. The FY23 total for the fund is $4,179,492. A balance of $2,355,237 in taxpayer dollars remains in the fund after budget adjustments, and the FY24 amended budget allocation from the fund.

• The intent of the discussion was to point out the substantial amount in the fund and the fact that the money is sitting unused until the next budget season

• During the 2023 Budget process, there was confusion with different funds and where money was coming from with the Public Health budget

• County contributions were made from two funding sources to the Health Department: General Fund and Public Health Fund Balance, for a total of $6,605,082

• During the FY24 Budget Process, the public was led to believe that taking from the Public Health Fund was not normal. Historically money is taken out of the fund balance for the budget.

• Focus is on the Health Department due to things that have happened over the last year that didn’t happen in other departments. But the County could look at all departments and consider making a policy.

• Zylstra asked about the Parks Fund Balance, as it is high. Karen Karasinski, Fiscal Services Director, explained that the Parks Fund Balance is restricted because it is part of a millage.

Ottawa County Public Health Department Planning and Promotions Manager, Lisa Uganski, found her way back to the podium uninvited. This is the second time in under six months.

• The Public Health Department employees are not accustomed to oversight and questions and that showed on Tuesday, March 19, 2024

• Uganski and Health Director Adeline Hambley became unprofessional and disrespectful to the Board during the discussion period

• Uganski interrupted Commissioner Cosby on multiple occasions and scoffed at the idea that Cosby was a 30-year nurse who cares for the community

• Hambley vocally doubted and challenged Cosby’s statements while standing at the podium

When government fails at oversighting by allowing departments to run themselves with no questions asked, and then a new board comes in that doesn’t automatically rubber-stamp everything they ask for, the result is departments throwing temper tantrums.

Ottawa County Board of Commissioners
Health & Human Services Committee
March 19, 2024

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