A year after the Ottawa Impact controversy, here's what the commissioners accomplished

OTTAWA COUNTY — It’s been exactly one year since a slate of new commissioners took office in Ottawa County.

Eight commissioners, all then associated with Ottawa Impact, began their terms Jan. 3, 2023, and wasted no time bringing change (and controversy) to the county.

In the year since, meetings have gone into the wee hours of the morning, tension has ruled, and staff changes, lawsuits, budget cuts and battles have become the new normal.

With one year remaining in their terms, here’s a timeline of how, exactly, we got here:

2021

Ottawa Impact, a far-right fundamentalist group, is created by Joe Moss and Sylvia Rhodea after they unsuccessfully challenged the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners and Health Officer Lisa Stefanovsky over COVID-19 mitigation mandates.

2022

August: Ottawa Impact-backed candidates — Moss, Rhodea, Gretchen Cosby, Lucy Ebel, Jacob Bonnema, Rebekah Curran, Roger Belknap and Allison Miedema — defeat eight incumbents during the primary. With no Democrat challengers, they ensure a majority on the 11-member board.

November: Ottawa Impact candidates are officially elected. Cosby and Ebel defeat Democrat challengers Danielle Smith and Joe Spaulding. Incumbent Republicans Roger Bergman and Kyle Terpstra (who, at one point, was endorsed by Ottawa Impact) and Democrat Doug Zylstra earn re-election.

Dec. 13: The outgoing board votes to hire Adeline Hambley as the county’s next health officer, replacing the retiring Stefanovsky.

January 2023

Jan. 3: Commissioners are sworn in during an organizational meeting in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the Fillmore Complex. Moss is elected board chair, a decision announced long before the meeting, and the new majority shocks the community with a swath of added, surprise agenda items, including:

• Firing administrator John Shay and replaced him with former GOP candidate John Gibbs without conducting a public interview

• Eliminating the county’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office

• Attempting to replace Hambley, whose appointment had already been approved by the state, with Nathaniel Kelly, a safety manager for an HVAC company

• Replacing the county’s longtime corporation counsel with Kallman Legal Group

• Changing the county’s motto to "Where Freedom Rings"

Of note, Bonnema is absent during the meeting.

Jan. 4: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announces an investigation into the board’s actions Jan. 3.

Jan. 15: Two organizations — Vote Common Good and Ottawa Integrity — launch the Unifying Coalition of Ottawa County to oppose Ottawa Impact in November 2024.

Jan. 31: Cosby admits she reviewed applications, solicited by Ottawa Impact, for the health officer position before taking office.

February

Feb. 6-10: Commissioners' response to Sex Ed Week at Grand Valley State University means more problems for the embattled health department. Gibbs accuses OCDPH of sponsoring the event, with various events and booths focused on sex and protection. The department says it was incorrectly listed on the event's sponsor page and merely attended to conduct STI testing and provide resources. The department's attendance remains a point of contention for months.

Feb. 10: Hambley officially sues seven of the new commissioners — Moss, Rhodea, Ebel, Cosby, Belknap, Miedema and Curran — for their attempt to fire her without following the state's outlined procedure. That lawsuit is ongoing in 2024.

Feb. 16: Less than two months after hiring Kallman Legal Group, Ottawa Impact extends the county’s contract with the firm by one year. The split vote also adds a “just cause” firing provision, replacing the existing “at will” agreement.

The same day, Nessel announces the findings of her investigation. While she determined commissioners violated "the spirit” of the Open Meetings Act, she says they didn't actually break the law. Nessel points to the findings as reason to strengthen the state’s transparency laws.

Feb. 28: Commissioners vote 6-5 to force through a “correction” to the minutes of the Dec. 13, 2022, meeting when Hambley was hired. Moss says it's a simple measure to "correct the record," but other commissioners, including Zylstra, Bergman and Bonnema, suspect there's an ulterior motive.

March

March 2: Muskegon County Judge Jenny McNeill grants Hambley a temporary restraining order, preventing Ottawa Impact from firing her.

March 8: A second lawsuit is filed by citizens against Ottawa Impact commissioners, alleging officials violated the Open Meetings Act during their first meeting, despite Nessel's findings.

March 10: Kallman Legal Group files a motion to dismiss Hambley’s lawsuit, citing the “corrected” minutes of the Dec. 13 meeting to argue the board never took a required second vote to make her hire official.

March 13: Bonnema announces he's officially cut ties with Ottawa Impact, citing transparency and independence concerns. Days earlier, Terpstra confirmed to The Sentinel that, despite an endorsement, he never signed Ottawa Impact's contract nor accepted funding from the PAC. Curran says she was initially affiliated with Ottawa Impact but withdrew in early 2022. The three are no longer considered OI affiliated.

March 14: Moss takes the Ottawa County Housing Commission in a “different direction” by removing Zylstra and appointing two new members and Gibbs. The same day, commissioners approve an upgraded senior executive aide position. The upgrade costs over $37,000 and raises the job's salary to over $81,000 plus benefits.

March 24: Hambley amends her lawsuit, claiming commissioners retaliated against her by correcting the resolution to hire her and delaying various contract approvals.

March 31: Hambley's lawsuit finally heads to court. During the hearing, David Kallman suggests County Clerk Justin Roebuck and previous Board Chair Matt Fenske violated OMA in hiring Hambley, which Roebuck emphatically denies. McNeill leaves the restraining order in place, securing Hambley's job for the time being.

April

April 4: Roebuck denies that he, or any members of his team, violated OMA.

April 5: Kallman requests the OMA lawsuit be dismissed. He says the filing “fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted” and argues a "de facto official" (the commissioners before taking office) is not a legally recognizable label under the law.

April 11: The board votes to remove a policy, adopted in 2021, that limited the scope of resolutions to items on which the board held "specific administrative or legislative authority."

April 18: McNeill grants Hambley a preliminary injunction (in essence an extension of the restraining order). This motion allows Hambley to stay in her job until a trial can take place over the myriad claims she made that OI commissioners have repeatedly interfered with her ability to do her job.

April 27: Commissioners again delay funding approval for the Community Health Needs Assessment, despite ratifying a contract in January, over certain survey questions. OI commissioners criticize the questions of a different, unrelated youth assessment survey.

May

May 1: Kallman Legal Group files an emergency appeal over the preliminary injunction order in Hambley's case. Kallman asks the Michigan Court of Appeals to reverse McNeill’s ruling, dissolve the injunction and grant the commissioners summary dismissal of the proceedings.

May 2: The COA rejects Kallman’s appeal because McNeill’s order is not yet final.

May 9: Commissioners approve the CHNA funding agreement, which comprises several surveys and stakeholder interviews that gather input on the health needs of Ottawa County in partnership with local hospital and nonprofit partners.

May 10: The Sentinel acquires emails from Bonnema to Human Resources Director Marcie VerBeek, sent March 21, asking her to open a disciplinary investigation into Gibbs after what Bonnema described as a "threatening outburst" during a March 14 meeting. Bonnema claims Gibbs told him to “get out of my face" when Bonnema sought an answer to a question.

May 23-24: Ottawa becomes a “constitutional county.” After six hours of divided public comment, commissioners approve the resolution 9-1, with Zylstra dissenting and Bergman absent. The resolution repeatedly emphasizes the Second Amendment and the “right to bear arms,” as well as the protection of parental rights under the 14th Amendment.

It encourages law enforcement to act in a “constitutional manner” and says the board will not authorize or appropriate any funds or resources “for the purpose of enforcing any statute, law, rule, order or regulation that restricts the rights of any law-abiding citizen.”

The resolution is largely symbolic in nature. Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Kempker says his office will continue to provide professional, ethical law enforcement and correctional services with a focus on customer service.

June

June 4: Emails provided to The Sentinel detail a new policy giving Gibbs more control over county communications. The policy states all press releases must be sent to Gibbs for approval before being released to the public. Several exemptions were listed, but OCDPH was not among them.

June 6: Commissioners give initial approval in a committee meeting to upgrade the county's communications manager position to a communications director. Gibbs says the change could lead to the creation of a new department and enable the county to share more information through mediums like podcasts, photography and videography.

The same day, the Michigan Court of Appeals grants the board the right to partially appeal McNeill's ruling on Hambley’s lawsuit.

June: VerBeek, in a written response to Bonnema, says an investigation into his claims against Gibbs “did not substantiate the claim of harassment."

June 13: The new communications director position is officially approved. Bergman, Curran and Cosby, in a rare break from Moss and Rhodea, joined Zylstra and Bonnema in voting no.

June 16: Muskegon County Judge Matthew Kacel hears arguments on the OMA lawsuit.

June 20: Eight churches form the Ottawa Coalition of Unifying Congregations, saying “healing and reconciliation are deeply needed” in order for Ottawa County to move forward. The group opposes Ottawa Impact.

June 21: The Ottawa County Republican Party censures Bonnema for “opposing Republican Party principles, and for his frivolous, meritless claim" against Gibbs.

June 27: The board censures Bonnema in a 6-5 vote. Moss, Rhodea, Miedema, Ebel, Belknap and Cosby vote yes, while Bonnema, Zylstra, Curran, Bergman and Terpstra vote no. The approved resolution recommends Bonnema be stripped of one of his five committee assignments.

The same day, the board's "Resolution to Protect Childhood Innocence" passes 9-2. It prohibits county staff and resources from supporting “activities, programs, events, contents or institutions which normalize or encourage the sexualization of youth.” Zylstra and Bergman vote no.

The resolution comes after OI commissioners target OCDPH for having a booth at a Pride event in Grand Haven. Hambley calls the resolution "a trap."

July

July 3: A petition to recall Ebel is filed by Park Township resident Larry Jackson.

July 5: Ebel holds a press conference at the Fillmore Complex, claiming the recall is racially motivated. Petition organizers and local Latino leaders dispute this claim.

July 14: Judge Kacel approves a request from commissioners to dismiss the OMA lawsuit, but notes strengthening the state’s transparency laws would be a “good idea.”

July 17: The county’s elections commission, composed of Roebuck, then-County Treasurer Amanda Price and Probate Judge Mark Feyen, approved language for the recall petition against Ebel. The approval kicks off signature gathering. A total of 2,480 signatures in Ebel’s district are required.

The same day, plaintiffs in the OMA lawsuit appealed the dismissal. That appeal will be heard Jan. 3, 2024.

July 24: Patrick Waterman, hired as deputy county administrator in November 2022, resigns effective Aug. 4, citing an inability to establish a working relationship with Gibbs, along with a “lack of effective leadership and an eroding culture of employee trust." Gibbs places Waterman on administrative leave, effectively ending his time with the county immediately.

July 26: Ebel challenges the recall petition language against her. The appeal puts a halt to signature gathering.

August

Aug. 1: During a finance and administration committee meeting, Fiscal Services Director Karen Karasinski presents the initial proposed budget for fiscal year 2024, along with a capital improvement plan.

Aug. 8: After declining to share the name of his new senior executive aide, Gibbs’ hire is revealed to be 23-year-old Jordan Epperson, a former legislative aide to Northern Michigan State Rep. Neil Friske.

Aug. 10: During a budget work session, commissioners discussed potential changes, including creating a veteran’s department, increasing the corporation counsel budget and a potential budget reduction across county departments. Cosby suggests a potential 5% cut. No votes are taken during the meeting.

Aug. 15: According to documents obtained by The Sentinel, Epperson fell short of several required qualifications listed in the job posting, including a master's degree in business administration, experience serving on a major board and experience working internationally at the nonprofit level. Screenshots from his social media pages, now private or deleted, show controversial comments about women and immigrants, among other topics.

Aug. 17: Ebel’s recall appeal is delayed after being assigned to a Kent County judge and scheduled for Aug. 18.

Aug. 21: During another budget meeting, Moss expresses a desire to return the OCDPH budget to “pre-pandemic levels.” He suggested a general fund allocation of $2.5 million — the initial budget called for $4.7 million. OCDPH is also asked to remove all COVID-related grant funding from its budget.

Aug. 22: In a social media post, Hambley says OCDPH has been asked to submit a new budget with a near 50% cut. She warns the cuts could “significantly impair, and likely eliminate, various public health services.” She later tells The Sentinel her department could shut down in a matter of weeks if forced to operate within the proposed budget.

Aug. 25: Kent County Judge Mark Trusock rejects Ebel’s recall appeal during a six-minute hearing.

Aug. 28: Gibbs and Moss take over the health department’s social media channels and post a "press release" claiming they requested a “fiscally responsible” budget from OCDPH. That evening, Hambley says it’s critical for OCDPH to communicate quickly with the public.

Aug. 30: In a news release, Hambley says a new budget for the health department is being crafted by Karasinski with instructions to reduce funding in every line item. She warns this won't allow OCDPH to meet minimum service levels and could lead to state intervention.

Aug. 30: The recall effort against Ebel shifts its target to the May election cycle as signature gathering restarts.

September

Sept. 1: Residents file recall petitions against Commissioners Zylstra and Bergman over their “no” votes on the Resolution to Protect Childhood Innocence. Thomas Morren, of Spring Lake, and Rosalie Austin, of Holland, file duplicate language targeting Bergman and Zylstra, respectively.

The same day, Hambley files an emergency request with the Michigan Court of Appeals, asking the court to amend its previous ruling because she fears the board plans to fire her Sept. 5.

Sept. 5: A budget prepared for OCDPH by fiscal services is given to board members. Hambley says it’s better than the initial request, but still not enough.

The same day, Bonnema is removed from his vice chair role on the finance and administration committee and replaced with Belknap.

Sept. 6: A rally is held outside OCDPH’s building in Holland Township, drawing hundreds of supporters.

Sept. 8: Emails acquired by The Sentinel show a second finalist for the senior executive aide position, Ryan Kimball, had more qualifications and 20 more years of experience than Epperson. According to a heavily redacted email, VerBeek requested an additional meeting of the hiring committee.

Sept. 9: A new copy of the proposed budget includes an increase of more than $200,000 for the Veteran Affairs Department, moving it from $64,106 to $288,498.

Sept. 12: The board holds a public hearing on proposed budget.

Sept. 13: The county’s election commission of Roebuck, Price and Feyen unanimously approve the language of recall petitions against Bergman and Zylstra.

Sept. 17: In a YouTube video with Bonnema, Veteran Counselor Loren Snippe says: “There's not a service provided (to veterans) in another county that isn't provided in Ottawa County.”

Sept. 19: In a committee meeting, Hambley again pleads with the board to restore funding cut from the OCDPH budget, including a 48% cut to health education and nutrition and wellness. The budget is approved 7-2 to advance to the full board.

Sept. 20: Recall signature gathering against Zylstra is paused after he appeals the approval of language. Bergman does not appeal.

Sept. 26: After several hours of public comment and discussions, the board votes 7-4 to approve the proposed budget, including around $4 million in total cuts from OCDPH.

That night, Kallman emails Hambley’s attorney to inform her Moss intends to file notice of a termination hearing, along with charges of incompetency — the proper procedure for firing a health officer.

October

Oct. 1: Layoffs begin at OCDPH. Six people are terminated as a result of lost grants, OCDPH told The Sentinel.

Oct. 3: Rev. Jared Cramer of St. John's Episcopal Church in Grand Haven files a lawsuit in U.S. Western District Court, claiming Moss is using his position to “endorse a particular set of religious beliefs and exclude a particular set of religious beliefs.” Cramer, who publicly opposes Ottawa Impact, says he asked to provide an invocation before a board meeting, but Moss and Gibbs never responded to his requests.

Oct. 9: Ottawa County asks the state to approve Nathaniel Kelly as health officer.

Oct. 10: Legal confusion delays Hambley's termination hearing, which is eventually scheduled for 8 a.m. Oct. 23 after a lengthy recess. The date was later changed to Oct. 24.

Oct. 11-12: A three-judge panel for the Michigan Court of Appeals hears arguments in Hambley’s lawsuit. A day later, the judges determine Hambley was rightfully appointed, but the board can fire her as long as it follows proper procedure. The case is remanded to McNeill.

Oct. 13: In another court filing with McNeill, Hambley requests a preliminary injunction to prevent the board from firing her, or to delay the termination hearing and allow time for a judge to set ground rules.

Oct. 20: Details of the termination hearing are released. Retired Ingham County District Court Judge Thomas E. Brennan Jr. is selected by Kallman Legal Group to preside over the hearing. No commissioners can be called as witnesses, a decision Hambley's attorney, Sarah Riley-Howard, disputes. Witnesses requested by Howard include Gibbs, Karasinski, VerBeek, Waterman, Shay and Roebuck.

Oct. 23: McNeill allows the termination hearing to proceed, but says Hambley can seek relief if she's fired.

Oct. 24: The termination hearing begins with testimony from eight witnesses, including Roebuck, VerBeek, Karasinski, fiscal services manager Nina Baranowski, environmental health manager William Spencer Ballard, Shay, Waterman and Ottawa County IT Director Paul Klimas.

During the hearing, Ryan Kimball, 49, files a lawsuit against Gibbs, alleging age discrimination in hiring Epperson, 23, over him. Attorneys Robert Howard and Bradley Glazier say Gibbs violated the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act by saying he wanted Epperson for the job because he was “young” and could be “bossed around.”

The same day, the recall effort against Ebel turns in over 3,000 signatures for validation.

Oct. 25: Following the closure of the termination hearing, commissioners reach an agenda item titled “decision regarding removal of health officer.” Rather than voting, board members opt to take a recess until Oct. 30. Several commissioners say the proceedings didn't change their mind.

Oct. 26: After Klimas revealed during the termination hearing he'd never been asked to place a litigation hold — an order to not delete or destroy documents related to a potential lawsuit — Kallman Legal Group's Jack Jordan finally orders one. Howard asked Jordan to order a litigation hold in February.

Oct. 30: The board reconvenes its special meeting, but only briefly. Commissioners again vote to recess, this time until Nov. 6, before voting whether or not to fire Hambley.

November

Nov. 6: Immediately upon reconvening the special meeting, Moss calls for a closed session. Eight hours later, the board votes 7-3 to "accept a recommendation from counsel" in regards to settlement activity in Hambley’s lawsuit.

It wasn't immediately clear what the terms of the settlement were, but three non-OI commissioners, Zylstra, Bergman and Bonnema, voted no. Terpstra left prior to the vote. The board voted to reconvene at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14.

Nov. 8: The Sentinel reports the details of the settlement, which include paying Hambley $4 million — almost the exact amount cut from the OCDPH budget — to resign. The agreement also includes the resignation of Deputy Health Officer Marcia Mansaray.

Nov. 13: The Ottawa Food Board votes to pause operations after budget cuts move the organization's coordinator elsewhere in the department.

Nov. 14: Commissioners return for the fifth session of their special meeting, only to once again enter closed session. After more than six hours, board members returned and voted to recess until Nov. 28. The board claims a settlement was never formally reached, and commissioners were simply voting on whether or not to continue negotiations.

Nov. 16: In a new court filing, Hambley asks the court to enforce the $4 million settlement. Meanwhile, Benjamin Wetmore is hired as the new deputy administrator. Wetmore, 42, is an attorney licensed to practice criminal, real estate and nonprofit law in Texas. He moved to Michigan around 2021 and most recently worked as a legislative aide for Rep. Matt Maddock, one of several lawmakers active in Michigan's “Grand New Party,” a far-right offshoot of the Republican Party.

The same day, citing changes in his “personal and professional life,” Terpstra resigns from the board.

Nov. 21: Gibbs and OI-commissioners blame OCDPH for the suspension of Ottawa Food, leading to a tense discussion with Health Planning and Promotion Manager Lisa Uganski. Uganski repeatedly clarifies the department didn't make the decision to suspend Ottawa Food's programming, but rather the coordinator position “was essentially eliminated" after budget cuts.

Nov. 27: McNeill delays a hearing to consider if the board and Hambley had a binding settlement agreement. McNeill said a flurry of last-minute briefs, from both Howard and Kallman, needed more consideration. She delays the hearing until Dec. 4.

Nov. 27: After reviewing a series of challenges filed by Ebel on Thanksgiving Day, the Ottawa County Clerk’s Office announced the recall effort against her successfully gathered enough signatures to trigger a special election.

Nov. 28: Commissioners vote to enter mediation on Hambley's settlement during a sixth session of the special meeting that began in October.

Nov. 29: Hambley seeks to add to claims to her lawsuit, including OMA violations. She claims, in part, that when Moss called for a recess on Oct. 10, it was essentially to have a discussion “outside of the public view to deliberate and decide on whether to postpone (Hambley's) termination hearing.” She also asks McNeill to compel commissioners to produce the closed session meeting minutes from Nov. 6.

December

Dec. 1: A letter from current veterans staff to Gibbs, dated Oct. 30, states the staff will end its contract with the county Dec. 31.

Dec. 4: McNeill rules Hambley is entitled to an evidentiary hearing. She also agrees to review the closed session minutes to determine if Hambley and the board did, in fact, reach a settlement agreement. A hearing was scheduled for Friday, Jan. 19.

Dec. 5: Each of the board’s four committees meet, followed by a special meeting of the whole board. A set of policy changes that would have, among other things, given more hiring control and employee discipline to Gibbs are delayed after Jordan advises it would be premature to approve. Commissioners also select five applicants, from a field of 11, to interview for Terpstra’s seat.

Dec. 6: Chris Kleinjans is announced as the Democratic challenger to Lucy Ebel for the May recall election. Kleinjans, 55, is a 1986 graduate of Holland High School and a U.S. Navy veteran. Kleinjans earned degrees in youth services from Grand Rapids Community College, history and education from Grand Valley State University and a master's in public administration from GVSU.

Dec. 7: An email, first acquired by MLive/The Grand Rapids Press, shows VerBeek telling Gibbs that Kelly didn't apply for the health officer vacancy in 2022, but wouldn't have been considered for the role if he had because he lacks the required qualifications.

Dec. 8: Interviews are held for candidates to replace Terpstra.

Dec. 12: Kendra Wenzel, who's expressed support for Ottawa Impact, is appointed to the board and sworn in to represent District 6. Wenzel, a precinct delegate and executive committee member of the Ottawa County Republican Party, will serve through Dec. 31, 2024.

Dec. 20: Kallman requests a “protection order” from McNeill to prevent the evidentiary hearing from taking place. He argues McNeill reviewing closed session minutes should be sufficient to make a ruling, without the need for witnesses to speak.

Howard, meanwhile, submits a filing to the Michigan Supreme Court, to which Kallman appealed earlier in 2023. Howard says the board doesn't have a right to appeal whether or not Hambley was properly hired.

Dec. 22: An updated court filing says Cramer was invited to give an invocation after filing his lawsuit, and is scheduled to lead the prayer in February. He doesn't plan to drop the suit.

Dec. 27: New veterans director, Jason Schenkel, is hired. Schenkel, 50, of Grand Haven Township, is a 2015 graduate of the University of Arkansas Grantham with an emphasis in multidisciplinary studies. He's a veteran of the U.S. Army. He most recently worked as a military engagement program manager for the Nashville, Tennessee-based Yellow Trucking Co. — which announced in August it was closing and filing for bankruptcy.

He officially started in his role Jan. 2.

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

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: A year after the Ottawa Impact controversy, here's what the commissioners upended?