WEST OLIVE, Mich. — On Tuesday, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners will meet for their first public meeting since their government shakeup one week ago.
Back on Jan. 3, the newly-elected board voted to:
- Fire county administrator John Shay and hire failed 3rd Congressional District candidate John Gibbs as the new county administrator effective immediately
- Replace current corporate counsel Doug Van Essen with Kallman Legal Group
- Make their administrative health officer Adeline Hambley interim and work to hire Nathaniel Kelly for that position, which is pending approval by the state
- Dissolve the Ottawa County Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office and terminate all employees in the department
- Change the county's vision statement from "Where you belong" to "Where freedom rings"
►RELATED: Ottawa County Democratic Chair says changes by new Board of Commissioners show ‘not all are welcome’
Under Investigation
Many of these changes were not on the Jan. 3 agenda, which has prompted an investigation by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Nessel will investigate if the county violated the Open Meetings Act.
As for the agenda posted online for Tuesday's meeting, one of the most notable items is a motion to authorize the board chairperson and county clerk to sign an agreement with Kallman Legal Group, which is a firm know for representing many conservative causes.
During the Jan. 3 meeting, members of the board who weren't part of the group Ottawa Impact were caught off guard by the new commissioners voting to fire Shay and hire Gibbs.
Ottawa Impact says their mission is to "preserve and protect the individual rights of the people...and recognize America's Judeo-Christian heritage as an exceptional nation blessed by God."
The board says it's working to replace its interim administrative health officer Adeline Hambley with Nathaniel Kelly.
However, Kelly must be confirmed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. As of Friday, the department says it has not received any request to confirm Kelly from Ottawa County.
Who is Nathaniel Kelly?
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners says Kelly has two degrees from Columbia Southern University. They also say he has full-time experience in management and administrative work as well as experience in public health and safety.
According to the Pleune Service Company's website, Kelly is a safety manager for the company which specializes in HVAC and electrical services.
Kelly has been known to critize public health figures like Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci because he doesn't believe measures like wearing masks and social distancing are effective to fighting COVID-19.
During a speech at the America's Frontline Industrial Hygienists & Multidisciplinary Support Summit in August, Kelly said if he would have responded to the pandemic, he would have sent out tool kits to everyone's home with items like Vitamin C, neti pots and Ivermectin – a drug for parasites that has been proven ineffective against COVID-19.
Dissolving the county's DEI office
County Commissioners also voted to dissolve their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office, which was created with funding from private donors and corporations and was operating on a five-year budget of more than $630,000.
The 2023 budget included $286,886 for the DEI department which has now been dissolved. All employees in the department were terminated effective immediately on Jan. 3.
Hefty cost to taxpayers
Taxpayers are going to have to foot the bill when it comes to the thousands of dollars the county will now have to pay in severance to those it terminated.
Former Ottawa County Administrator John Shay will get a severance of one year's salary, which is $210,000 plus 90 days as well as one year of health insurance.
The DEI director Robyn Afrik will receive three months severance, which is about $25,000, plus health care coverage for 90 days.
Others affected by the changes will also receive payouts.
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