Ottawa CMH delays $727K in funding as Momentum Center debate continues

OTTAWA COUNTY — The future of four Ottawa County social recreational programs is in limbo after the Community Mental Health Board of Directors held a contentious meeting over the contract for one specific nonprofit that has been "mischaracterized," according to its director.

At its monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 25, the board was tasked with approving 63 annual contracts for the upcoming fiscal year 2024, which begins 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 Barbara Lee VanHorssen.

OI is a group of far-right fundamentalists disgruntled over school mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic that now controls six seats on the 11-member board of commissioners, three of which currently sit on the CMH Board of Directors.

VanHorssen said her organization has been accused of “creating racism” and “grooming children,” and alleged public comments during commission meetings laid "the foundation for cutting us off."

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

“I’ve been trying to be charitable and just call it mischaracterization, but it’s feeling a lot more like malice lately, (and) it’s getting into the community," VanHorssen told The Sentinel in June.

About 30 people from Ottawa, Kent, Muskegon and Mason counties made public comments Monday asking the board to renew the center's contract, calling the organization a vital resource to connect residents with mental illness, addiction and disabilities with the greater community.

Dr. Ed Swart, former CMH clinical director, said data indicates proper support for individuals struggling with mental health and developmental disabilities leads to better health outcomes.

"Contact and connections is what keeps us healthy," he said. "There's nothing to replace it if we take it away."

Commissioner Gretchen Cosby, a member of OI, denied targeting the Momentum Center, although she admitted sending an email Sunday to her fellow CMH board members discussing the center's funding.

"I thought I was emailing only my fellow commissioners," Cosby said, alluding to Lucy Ebel and Sylvia Rhodea, the co-founder of Ottawa Impact. Cosby said she drafted the email "while on the road" and didn't realize emails between board members were not confidential.

She went on to accuse fellow board members of "leaking" her email to the public, although she didn't identify a specific recipient.

Because the board is a public body, emails between members are subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The Sentinel did not have a copy of the email as of publication time, but has filed a FOIA request for the correspondence.

Terry Goldberg, board secretary, said Cosby's comments were insincere.

"You say it's not about the Momentum Center, but we're only talking about the Momentum Center," he said. "We need to get over this target. We're making judgments on this group."

Cosby referenced an incident at the center that involved the police. VanHorssen explained it was a "marijuana exchange" in the center's Grand Haven café, and was "handled appropriately" by staff. She said it was the only drug-related incident in the center's six-year history.

Goldberg said other CMH-funded programs have occasional police involvement for a variety of reasons.

Vonnie VanderZwaag, vice chair, asked if Cosby intended to discuss funding for all social recreation programs that have contracts with CMH. Cosby replied, "I haven't actually thought that through."

Rhodea suggested putting off all social recreation contracts to give time for further review, but the current contracts expire next week. She later agreed with board member Christian Kleinjans' suggestion to approve funding for three months to allow more time for discussion.

The other contracts not renewed in full Monday were:

• Hertiage Homes Inc. for $216,000

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

• Pioneer Resources for $81,364.72

In total, $726,664.56 of CMH's annual budget was not approved Monday.

All four organizations rely on the county's mental health millage as their primary source of funding, according to CMH 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.

The center seeks to create a community where all people are “visible and connected,” VanHorssen said.

“We provide social and recreational activities and facilitate community conversations. We focus on mental illness, addition and disability, but you don’t need to have a clinical diagnosis or referral,” she said.

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.

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Membership to the Momentum Center costs $1 per year. There are currently around 275 members, which the center hopes to grow after the Grand Haven location recently moved into the former Rendezvous Restaurant.

The center holds events and support groups Mondays-Fridays, including in-house activities like yoga, crafting and bingo, plus frequent group trips to farmers’ markets and volunteer opportunities.

— 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: Ottawa CMH delays $727K in funding as Momentum Center debate continues