Ottawa County makes big changes to committees in first meeting of 2024

OTTAWA COUNTY — While there were significantly fewer surprises than last year, there were some changes made during the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners' organizational meeting Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Joe Moss and Sylvia Rhodea were unanimously re-elected to their roles as chair and vice chair, respectively, but committee memberships were significantly changed. Moss, who has sole appointing discretion as board chair, reverted committee membership back to five members each.

That's a switch from Moss’ approach last year, when he allowed all commissioners to serve on any committee they were interested in, leading to a board quorum in each meeting. Reducing to five members per committee is, however, in line with board operations prior to 2023.

Doug Zylstra, the board’s lone Democrat, said he appreciated Moss opening up committees last year.

“I think that was a positive change ... and one I’d be very disappointed to see undone,” Zylstra said. “Moving away from that, for me, is a negative.”

Moss said last year’s structure was meant to help familiarize new commissioners with board operations.

“One of the main reasons I asked all of the new commissioners, all the commissioners, to be on more committees than usual was so they could learn the county government,” Moss said.

“That’s not necessarily what needs to happen this year. Everybody has done a really good job of learning county government and I hope our committees can be a little simpler this coming year.”

There are also two new standing committees this year, in addition to the typical five of finance and administration, planning and policy, talent and recruitment, health and human services and board rules. There's now a broadband committee and a strategic planning committee.

Committee assignments

It's true Ottawa Impact members have a majority on the board, but committee assignments are weighted even more heavily in their favor. Seven of the 11 board members — 63.6% — are affiliated with the group. Of the 35 standing committee assignments, 29 were given to those seven commissioners — 82.8% of seats.

Moss will sit on six of the seven committees. Gretchen Cosby sits on five committees, followed by Rhodea, Allison Miedema, Roger Belknap and Kendra Wenzel with four each. OI commissioner Lucy Ebel, who is facing a recall election in May, is on two committees.

Rebekah Curran has three committee assignments, while Zylstra, Jacob Bonnema and Roger Bergman — all vocal opponents of OI — have one each.

• Planning and Policy: Belknap (chair), Bergman, Miedema, Moss, Rhodea

• Finance and Administration: Cosby (chair), Belknap, Curran, Moss, Wenzel

• Health and Human Services: Rhodea (chair), Cosby, Ebel, Moss, Zylstra

• Talent and Recruitment: Miedema (chair), Bonnema, Cosby, Ebel, Wenzel

• Board Rules: Moss (chair), Belknap, Curran, Rhodea, Wenzel

• Strategic Planning: Moss (chair), Cosby, Curran, Miedema, Rhodea

• Broadband: Miedema (chair), Belknap, Cosby, Moss, Wenzel

The board also re-instituted the Mediation Committee, an advisory group formed in November to focus on Health Officer Adeline Hambley’s lawsuit against the board. The committee expired at the end of 2023 and was reformed. It consists of Moss, Rhodea, Cosby, Miedema and Zylstra.

Reverting to five-member committees will slightly alter how the board operates in 2024.

In 2023, items voted on in committee meetings moved to the consent agenda, meant for routine business, because a majority of board members were involved in their initial discussion and vote. Now, with less than a majority on each committee, items will be brought individually to the board for action.

The move will, at least in theory, lead to more robust discussions during regular board meetings as opposed to during committee meetings. There were several times in 2023 when the action item section for a regular board meeting was empty, with dozens of consent agenda items.

Appointments to community boards

Appointments to community boards were also approved Tuesday.

There are 37 appointments spread among 28 boards and commissions. Thirty of those — 81% — went to OI commissioners.

Belknap leads the way with seven, followed by Moss with six, Cosby with five and Wenzel with four. Miedema, Rhodea and Bergman each got three appointments, Ebel and Curran had two each, and Zylstra and Bonnema both received just one.

Of note, Wenzel was appointed to the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, replacing Bonnema. The organization handles matters in the Holland and Zeeland areas. Bonnema represents Zeeland and parts of Zeeland Township and Holland Township, while Wenzel represents part of Georgetown Township.

Bonnema asked to stay on the MACC, and Zylstra made a motion to keep Bonnema on the board instead of Wenzel, but the motion was voted down 6-5. Zylstra, Bonnema, Bergman, Belknap and Curran supported the motion.

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Zylstra also motioned to add Bonnema to the Ottawa County Insurance Authority, replacing Rhodea, but that was voted down by an 8-3 vote.

Bonnema issued a statement on committee and board assignments following the meeting.

“In fact, only commissioners loyal to Ottawa Impact received multiple committee assignments, continuing a pattern of lies, single-mindedness and authoritative control over the Ottawa County agenda,” Bonnema wrote. “Ottawa County voters asked for a change toward liberty. Joe Moss, Sylvia Rhodea and their big government cronies are nothing but the same.”

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ottawa County makes big changes to committees in first meeting of 2024