'Transparency and freedom': Ottawa County residents ask to hear their commissioners speak

OTTAWA COUNTY — A second attempt in as many weeks to codify “commissioner comments” on regular agendas for the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners was voted down Tuesday.

Commissioner Doug Zylstra, who moved to add an administrator report and commissioner comments to the standing agenda last week during a rules committee meeting, once again attempted to put the item on the agenda for discussion during the full board meeting Tuesday, March 28.

The motion led to tense discussion amongst commissioners, but was ultimately voted down by members of Ottawa Impact.

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Chair Joe Moss, Vice Chair Sylvia Rhodea and Commissioners Lucy Ebel, Gretchen Cosby, Roger Belknap and Allison Miedema voted against putting the item on the agenda. Zylstra, Roger Bergman, Kyle Terpstra and Jacob Bonnema supported the motion. Rebekah Curran was absent.

The administrator report and commissioner comments aren't listed as part of the standing agenda in the 2023 board rules, which were approved in January. Those items can be added by the board chair. The administrator report has, thus far, appeared on every regular board agenda.

Zylstra, Bergman and Terpstra, holdovers from the previous board, all spoke in support of having commissioner comments on the agenda each meeting, saying it's led to good discussion and information in the past.

“It’s just a very simple way just to be open and just create a dialogue,” Terpstra said. “That’s how I see it. I don’t see this as anybody wanting to political grandstand or (have) long, drawn out debates.”

Zylstra pointed out that both the administrator report and commissioner comments were “enshrined” in the 2022 board rules. Bonnema was the lone newcomer to support Zylstra’s motion, saying it would lead to more transparency from the board.

“I think we can do it in a respectful, meaningful and fruitful way. I would love to see it come back to the agenda,” Bonnema said.

Rhodea said the current setup doesn't preclude the items in question from being on the agenda and claimed the general comment period hasn't been used appropriately.

“The administrator report has never not been on the agenda in 2023,” Rhodea said. "If we choose to not amend our rules, that does not mean there will never be an administrator report. That doesn’t even mean that we would never choose to put the comments back on the agenda again. But right now, the comments have not been used for healthy discussion.”

Bonnema asked Rhodea for an example. She told him to go back and watch videos of older meetings. When he asked again, Rhodea said, “This, right here, right now.”

“I’m just asking for evidence of what you’re saying, as an example. This is healthy conversation,” Bonnema said.

“Typically, commissioners don’t demand answers from other commissioners. You generally are directing your comments to the board chair and it helps to keep things from not being a direct one-on-one debate about issues,” Rhodea said.

“I’m wondering what you’re referring to so I get clarity, because I haven’t heard an actual example,” Bonnema said.

“Are you talking to the chair right now?" Rhodea asked. "Or are you asking questions of another commissioner and demanding an answer?”

Bonnema repeated that he was seeking clarity, which Rhodea said she provided. Bonnema disagreed.

“OK, well I’m sorry about that,” Rhodea said.

At that point, Moss chimed in. He repeated a point from last week, saying any commissioner can ask for an item to be added to the agenda, including commissioner comments or reports. But the decision is at the discretion of the board (or committee) chair, all of whom are members of Ottawa Impact.

He called the situation a “manufactured crisis” and said he doesn’t want to go back to how the previous board operated.

“I heard Commissioner Rhodea use the term ‘contrived argument.’ I think maybe I might refer to some of this as manufactured crises, manufactured crisis,” Moss said. “I’ve heard the word 'eliminating,' that we want to go back to the way it was in the past. There’s a lot of changes in 2023.

“I don’t want to go back to the way it was in the past. I think we’re course correcting, making some great changes and doing the business and the work of the people of Ottawa County.”

Before the vote, Cosby suggested commissioners provide written reports to be included in board packets for the public to view. Moss said that was a “great idea” and the board can discuss it.

Before the board got into its agenda for the meeting, 44 people spoke during public comment. Many gave their support for placing “commissioner comments” as a standing agenda item.

“Transparency and freedom are key issues that many commissioners seated here ran on,” a speaker from Spring Lake said. “I would assume these freedoms also apply to commissioners, to share their thoughts in a transparent, uncontrolled manner to best represent the needs and concerns of citizens in their district.

"Please allow a period of commissioner comment and dialogue on any subject a commissioner wishes to discuss, on the record and in view and earshot of the public.”

During the second public comment, some speakers were disappointed in the lack of action.

“I am stunned,” a commenter from Tallmadge Township said. “Twenty-one people came up to this microphone today and said they wanted commissioner comment, and none of you listened. None of you heard their voices. I am so disappointed.”

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The majority of Tuesday’s four-hour meeting was spent in public comment. In addition to those that spoke about commissioner comments, about a dozen spoke in support of Nathaniel Kelly as the board's choice for health officer, while others pledged support for current health officer Adeline Hambley, who has a hearing Friday, March 31, in her lawsuit against the board.

The only action items Tuesday were a handful of board appointments previously discussed in committee March 21, including appointees to the Community Mental Health Board.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ottawa County residents ask to hear their commissioners speak