Bonnema Responds to Commission Rules Change

ZEELAND, Mich., March 22, 2023 – Jacob Bonnema, Ottawa County Commissioner for the 4th District, today responded to the changes made by the Ottawa County Commission Rules Committee.  

“Commissioner Zylstra made a motion to have the Administrator’s Update and Commissioners’ Questions placed on our agendas as standing items, which is a reasonable and prudent request, and a model that is utilized by nearly every local municipality in the state.”

“Eliminating the Administrator’s Update and comments from Commissioners, and suggesting during the meeting that an ‘open-ended discussion… is best handled outside the board room…’ is a unilateral rejection of Ottawa Impact’s Contract with Ottawa County and an encouragement, on record, to subvert the Open Meetings Act.”

“Open meetings ensures the right to provide meaningful comments during scheduled County Commission meetings. Each published agenda provides instructions on how members of the commission and public can participate. Commission meetings and our comments are not free-for-all discussions, but neither are they one-sided affairs. It is our time to present, comment, make requests of staff and proceed in an orderly fashion.” 

“Sadly, Commissioner Moss and his lockstep commission is silencing the elected voices of the people of Zeeland, Holland, Georgetown, Allendale and Grand Haven, just because he doesn’t like what he might have to hear.”

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