Longtime staffer announces run for Allegan County Drain Commissioner
ALLEGAN — A man with more than a decade of experience in county drain operations hopes to become Allegan County Drain Commissioner.
Chris Machiela has spent 12 years working in drain operations in Ottawa and Allegan counties. He’s currently on the staff of Allegan Drain Commissioner Denise Medemar and previously worked in a similar role under Ottawa County Water Resources Commissioner Joe Bush.
Machiela is running as a Republican and is currently the only candidate for the position on the county's candidate list for the August primary.
“I am running to serve Allegan County residents who depend on the smooth operation of the 849 drains, and growing, that cross our county,” Machiela wrote in a release. “If elected, I intend for our operations to be transparent and open to all who believe the drain commissioner’s office can be helpful.”
Machiela is a resident of Overisel Township and previously worked as an excavation contractor. He said he hopes to “modernize the operation” by bringing the county’s drain information and operation “to the field” through GIS-friendly devices.
“I am a hands-on guy who understands it's oftentimes necessary to get your boots and hands dirty in the field, examining drain operations to ensure existing drains are maintained and, where necessary, construct new ones,” he wrote.
The drain commissioner is responsible for the operation and maintenance of established county drains and storm water management systems. County drains include open ditches, streams, underground pipes, retention ponds or swales — shallow channels with gently sloping sides, similar to a ditch — that convey storm water.
The drain commissioner is also responsible for the accounting of expenditures, maintaining records, and for conducting routine inspections and maintenance of drains within county drainage districts.
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Medemar was first elected drain commissioner in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She was previously the deputy drain commissioner for eight years, according to Sentinel records.
The Sentinel did not immediately hear back from Medemar on Tuesday.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Longtime staffer announces run for Allegan County Drain Commissioner
