Meeting Notes 10-13-20
Notes from the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting, September 22.
Meeting Packet: https://www.miottawa.org/appImages/Calendar/1602191176409-packet.PDF
Meeting Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muEU9Ab3lks
2021 Business Plan: The Board approved the Ottawa County Strategic and 2020-2021 Business Plan.
Summary:
Since 2006, the Board of Commissioners annually reviews and updates the Strategic Plan of the County and a Business Plan, which focuses on the activities of the County for a given year. The Board reviewed the Strategic Plan then developed and ranked a list of Business Plan priorities on August 6, 2020. I believe this is a good document for our near term plans, but I am concerned that of the roughly 60 priorities and objectives on which the Board indicated it wished to see action, none are actually assigned to the Board to work on. While I do believe that staff and administration’s work is vital in helping us carry out our objectives, I also believe that the best way for us to carry out our priorities and objectives is to work through them together with staff and administration, be it through ad-hoc work groups or through designated sub-committees. I am especially concerned that we are not assigning any of the work regarding the ‘Walk the Talk on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)’ objective to the Board itself. We will not be able to succeed on DEI if the Board is not actively participating in the process. My hope is that over the coming months, the Board will not merely provide oversight of our objectives, but actively be a part of accomplishing them.
Family Justice Center Project IPD Agreement: The Board approved the Integrated Project Delivery Agreement among DLZ Michigan, Granger Construction Company and Ottawa County.
Summary:
Through an RFP process, the County has selected an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) team led by DLZ Michigan (architects) and Granger Construction Company (contractor) to design and construct a new Family Justice Center courthouse that would house the Family Division of the 20th Circuit Court (Family Court). Employees from the Juvenile Court at the Fillmore Complex and from Friend of the Court offices in Grand Haven would relocate to this new facility. The IPD team, which will include DLZ, Granger and key subcontractors, will work from the very beginning to design and construct this new courthouse. This will result in a better designed and constructed building with fewer change orders since both the architect and subcontractors will participate in both the design and construction process. A Target Cost for this project will be presented to the Board of Commissioners for approval at a later date once the project has been validated during the design process. The concept is that 100% of the IPD team's profits are at risk such that for every dollar that is spent over the Target Cost, the IPD team's profits go down by a dollar. This provides the incentive to design and construct a building that both meets the County's needs for the long-term while ensuring that it is constructed within budget.
To date, Ottawa County has spent roughly $70,000 on the ISD/Family Court process.
Ottawa County Diversity Forum: Registration for the Fifth Annual Ottawa County Diversity Forum is open until October 16. The forum, to be held virtually this year, is scheduled for October 20 from 8:15AM to 3PM. The online forum is limited to the first 300 registrants and the cost is $25. Visit www.miOttawa.org to learn more and to register.
Ottawa County's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office and Cultural Intelligence Committee partnered with the City of Holland to organize the event. Presentations include Advancing Racial Equity, The Role of Government from the Government Alliance for Racial Equity (GARE) and a session on Health Equity in the wake of COVID-19 from the Ottawa County Department of Public Health.
The second annual Equity Award will also be presented to a community member. The Equity Award is presented annually to an individual who impacts the public sector field in Ottawa County and focuses on the importance of equity through their practices, programs, policies and decision
making.
Ottawa County Water Quality Forum: Fifteen years ago, Ottawa County leaders asked themselves, "What would happen if Ottawa County became a place known for poor water quality?" At the very first forum in 2006, leaders discussed the environmental, public health and economic impacts of water quality, plus the state of the Grand River. Keeping water quality at the forefront of leaders' minds has led to important research and critical accomplishments. Forum participants pushed for infrastructure changes to improve the health of the Grand River; they commissioned studies of E. Coli sources in rivers and beaches; they advanced bans on phosphorus fertilizers; they mobilized to prevent the dredging of the Grand River; they provided education and tools to improve the health of watersheds; and they spearheaded an ongoing study of groundwater quantity and quality. While the topics at the event have evolved over time, the significance of these forums has not changed. With its miles of rivers, streams and Lake Michigan shoreline, coupled with the rapid population growth of the area, water is pivotal to Ottawa's quality of life.
Registration is now open for the 15th Annual Ottawa County Water Quality Forum planned for November 2, held in a virtual format. Space is limited to the first 300 registrants and closes on October 30. After registering, participants will receive instructions on how to join the webinar. Register now.
Presentation topics include:
Wastewater Testing for COVID-19 - Ottawa County Department of Public Health & Hope College
Groundwater Sustainability Updates - Ottawa County Planning and Performance Improvement and Allendale Christian School
Green Infrastructure to Improve Water Quality - The Watershed Center
Great Lakes Advisory Board - Grand Valley State University
Lake Macatawa - Grand Valley State University
Invasive Plants in Inland Lakes - Michigan Sea Grant-Michigan State University
Bio-Solids - Holland Board of Public Works
PFAS - Ottawa County Department of Public Health
Clean Marinas - Ottawa County Parks
Lakeshore Cleanup - Macatawa Area Coordinating Council and Ottawa County Parks
