OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — Ottawa County Commissioners on Tuesday continued their over-one-month-long discussion about whether to fire, settle, or take more legal action against Health Officer Adeline Hambley.
But even as the number of onlookers has grown smaller and smaller, a few have said they're not letting go.
As commissioners returned to another day of closed-door session, on the other end of the board room sat four women who have made it their mission to continue following the events to their conclusion.
"I'm here because I want to be part of a community that is engaged with everyone who forms that community," county resident Karen Obits said. "So to me, when I'm here, I'm representing myself as a member of the community. And I want to be engaged with that."
Obits and the three others - Becky Patrick, Sheila Dettloff and Chantal Martineau - have each watched almost every meeting.
They spoke to the bond they shared through purpose and camaraderie that didn't exist before the last year following the rise to power of the board's conservative Ottawa Impact majority.
"We've developed these relationships that none of us really knew each other before this," Patrick said. "And so, I think if one of us tried to quit, one of the others of us would go drag them back."
All with their own lives and many with little prior activism, they said they're present to inform their communities and support what they see as a health officer and department under fire.
"I was lucky enough to semi-retire recently," Dettloff said. "And so, I've got more time for this kind of thing. And there's a lot of people who don't."
While in-person numbers at the meetings have gotten smaller, they said they see more and more in their communities becoming engaged by the current environment in their county.
"I think the longer this drags on, it's actually getting more attention from people, because new details come out every time about what has happened in the closed session, or there's speculation what may happen next and what the tactics are," Martineau said. "People are learning more about Adeline Hambley's work and why it's important. And, I mean, some of us are getting tired and need to take small breaks. But I think the general public is actually becoming more aware of what's happening."
While they don't plan to quit anytime soon, they hope their efforts and attention can bring about what they see as a brighter future for their county.
"Hopefully, we'll be at a point where you're trying to then sustain the type of government that we want to see, rather than activism to try to get that government in place," Dettloff said.
Tuesday's closed-door meeting finally brought three resolutions.
First, the commission voted to allow counsel on both sides to agree on a mediator to facilitate discussion and hopefully bring some sort of conclusion.
Second, a five-member committee made up of commissioners will advise on the mediation, but neither they nor the counsel have the ability to make final offers.
Finally, the commission will recess the meeting until a date they have yet to set.
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