CMH leverages OI absence to grant six-month funding extension to social programs

OTTAWA COUNTY — Four social recreational programs in Ottawa County will have funding for the next six months after a somewhat volatile Community Mental Health Board of Directors meeting Monday, Dec. 18.

In September, the board was tasked with approving 63 annual contracts for the upcoming fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. Among them was the $290,799.92 contract for the Momentum Center, which has drawn the ire of Ottawa Impact and its supporters over its focus on social determinants, according to the center's director, Barbara Lee VanHorssen.

More: Momentum Center leader looking to clear up ‘mischaracterization’ of organization

OI is a far-right fundamentalist group formed by disgruntled residents over school mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. It now controls six seats on the 11-member board of commissioners, three of whom also sit on the CMH Board.

During the meeting Monday, more than 50 people were in the gallery, with 31 voicing support for the Momentum Center and 10 voicing their opposition.

VanHorssen's organization was accused of "pushing a political agenda," "using clients as social experiments" and spouting "diversity, equity and inclusion propaganda."

"There's no hard data," said Vanessa Wilhelm of Grand Haven Township. "Everything is just a mystery. We want to know our money is going to something productive."

"We need to be sure that what we support meets our community's desires," said Renee Leighton of Robinson Township. "Not propaganda ... be any sex you want to be. We need parameters on what you will and won't support — because all of that stuff is lies."

Supporters of the Momentum Center say the criticism is simply fear-mongering, coming from those who don't support inclusion or the LGBTQ+ community.

"These issues are trickling in from the big board," said Eric Sooy of Zeeland Township, referring to OI commissioners' comments labeling DEI programs "Marxist" and local Pride events "grooming."

"These morality tests are working their way in — if your lifestyle is in line with what mine is," Sooy said. "If the county has the money for excessive legal fees and settlements, then there's enough money for social recreation programs."

The Momentum Center was one of four programs whose funding was put in jeopardy in September.

The others are:

• Heritage Homes Inc. for $216,000

• Indian Trails Camp, IKUS Life Enrichment for $138,499.92

• Pioneer Resources for $81,364.72

All four organizations rely on the county's mental health millage as their primary source of funding, according to budget details. In March 2016, Ottawa County voters approved a 10-year mental health millage, which generates an estimated $3.2 million annually.

The Momentum Center's roughly $290,000 contract comprises about 43 percent of the organization’s budget.

In September, the OI-backed commissioners on the CMH Board — Sylvia Rhodea, Gretchen Cosby and Lucy Ebel — wanted to delay approving all four contracts for further review, but funding would've expired.

At that meeting, board member Christian Kleinjans' — who recently announced his candidacy in a special recall election against Ebel — suggested approving funding for three months. Since then, the matter has been taken up by the CMH "millage steering committee," which plans to make a recommendation.

The board planned to discuss a one-month extension Monday at the recommendation of CMH Executive Director Lynne Doyle — but several board members felt it was unfair to the organizations.

Board member Terry Goldberg deviated from the stated resolution and instead moved to fund all four programs for the current fiscal year, saying more time won't change the position of the OI-aligned members on the board.

"There are people here where data isn't going to change their mind. They're convinced the Momentum Center is trying to indoctrinate people and is turning them into socialists."

He said organizations shouldn't have to fear their funding could be withdrawn from month to month.

"Why are we becoming the masters of delay? We're stringing people along," he said.

New board member Stephen Rockman said he wanted to "present his evidence" to the board about the Momentum Center, displaying to the room what he said was a picture of VanHorssen attending a drag queen event.

More: Ottawa Impact looks to appoint anti-'woke' candidate to CMH board

"Does this have anything to do with social recreation programs?" Kleinjans cut in.

"No," Rockman said.

"Then why are we talking about it?"

Kleinjans suggested a "middle of the road option," proposing to amend Goldberg's motion to a six-month funding extension to allow the steering committee enough time to evaluate and come up with a recommendation.

When no other board member seconded his motion, the measure failed. The board then tied in a 4-4 vote on Goldberg's original motion to fund the programs through the fiscal year. Goldberg, Kleinjans, David Parnin and Chair Vonne VanderZwaag voted yes, while Cosby, Ebel, Rockman and Donna Bunce voted no. (Rhodea left the meeting before the vote was taken.)

After that vote, Kleinjans reintroduced the six-month proposal as its own resolution, which would guarantee funding for the first two quarters of 2024, through June 30. The motion was approved 5-3 with Bunce, Goldberg, Kleinjans, Parnin and VanderZwaag voting yes and Cosby, Ebel and Rockman voting no.

VanHorssen said she's disturbed by the attacks she and the center have received and welcomes more productive conversations to promote understanding of the center and its work.

"There were too many accusations levied against the center and against me personally tonight for me to be able to address those in three minutes," she said during the meeting's second public comment period. "But I also want to ... urge and encourage people to contact me. I want to answer those questions. I want to have those conversations."

The center seeks to create a community where all people are visible and connected, providing social and recreational activities for those with mental illness, addition and disability.

The center is “social and recreational,” meaning it doesn’t offer clinical services. It does, however, refer members to therapy when appropriate. Therapists also refer patients to the Momentum Center for a "positive behavioral health environment."

"Clearly there are many needs in our community and all of us need to work creatively and collaboratively with each other in order to meet more of those needs," VanHorssen said. "Depriving people of services and denying them the gift of a caring community serves no one and can do immeasurable damage."

Grand Haven-area resident Roger Williams, who runs the far-right conservative blog Restore Ottawa, recently claimed that VanHorssen's cultural immersion trips "appear to be little more than luxury vacations."

VanHorssen said the claim is not only untrue, but immersion trips help raise funds for the center — not hinder them.

"They're kind of doubling down on the whole idea," she told The Sentinel. "They've created this myth in their mind that our cultural immersion trips are luxury vacation trips on the taxpayer dollar. And to make it worse, they say we glorify other countries while bashing our own."

In reality, the trips allow Ottawa County residents to experience other countries by interacting with local citizens, trying new foods and taking part in excursions that tourists don't typically seek out, like a coffee experience in Honduras and a traditional medicine experience in China, she said.

"During each trip, we were totally integrated with the society we were visiting and got to know the people and how they live their lives," said Grand Haven resident Jane Curtis, who's participated in several of the experiences.

"Barbara makes sure that each experience has the very best possible guide and each has turned into our forever friend. ... It felt wonderful to support the Momentum Center and have a fantastic experience."

VanHorssen said a recent trip to Morocco was a success, and participants got to experience nomadic life.

"I organized that trip — no Momentum Center resources, no tax resources went into it," she said. "I was able to raise $2,000 for the Momentum Center and I got to spend time in a country that's not polarized by race or religion."

Past trips have included Tibet, Kenya and Egypt. To learn more about the program, visit momentumcentergh.org/cultural-immersion.

Board member resigns

Also during the meeting Monday, VanderZwaag announced board member Jason Monroe resigned Sunday, Dec. 17. Monroe made headlines in July when he used an ableist slur in communications with a magazine reporter.

More: Ottawa mental health committee member uses ableist slur in leaked email

"Miles, I'm concerned about you," Monroe wrote to the journalist. "You seem to have fallen victim to the deadly woke mind virus. I'm happy to say, there is a solution. It's either that, or you're re*****d. In which case, there is no solution. Please let me know if I can help."

Monroe, who was appointed to the board in March, served only nine months of his three-year term, which was set to expire in 2026.

The board has seen significant turnover this year, with longtime member and former chair Robert Brown resigning suddenly in August after reading emails Bunce sent to the board criticizing the system of being "broken."

— Sarah Leach is executive editor of The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: CMH leverages OI absence to grant six-month funding extension to social programs