Meeting Notes 3-9-21
Meeting Notes from the March 9 Meeting of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners.
Meeting Packet: https://www.miottawa.org/appImages/Calendar/1614979429479-packet.PDF
Meeting Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDBuFhCSFS0
Sentinel Roundup: https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/politics/county/2021/03/09/ottawa-county-vaccine-allocation-slowly-increasing/6925613002/
Update from Public Health: County Health Director Lisa Stefanovski updated the Board on Covid efforts here in Ottawa County. Positive case and hospitilization counts are continuing to slowly come down. Testing numbers are good, with 850 tests per day, with a 1-2 day turnaround. School cases are generally steady. We continue to be concerned about and test for the new Covid variants. No variant cases though have occured to date in Ottawa County.
Vaccination is going well, and we are slowly seeing more vaccines, which has allowed us to vaccinate approximately 13% of County residents, slightly higher than the overall state. You can read more here.
State restrictions are lifting, which will bring a measure of relief for Ottawa restaurants and small business.
GCSI Update, Bob Devries: County Lobbyist DeVries updated the Board on various legislative happenings in Lansing. Primary among them is the new $2.5B budget supplemental that was passed by the legislature and signed, in part, by the Governor. Governor Whitmer vetoed $650 million tied to legislation that would have curbed her administration’s authority to order pandemic restrictions. The fate of about $840 million in federal K-12 funding was not immediately clear because the Governor’s office and the attorney general were conducting a legal review. The legislation leaves more than $2 billion in federal money unallocated. He also spoke about remote Board meetings as well as criminal justice reform funding.
Post-Execution Ratification of Contracts: The Board ratified the above contracts on the post-execution ratification in the amount of $808,350.78.
2020 State of the County Address: Administrator Al Vanderberg shared highlights from 2020 during this afternoon's State of the County Address. Ottawa County leads the state in population growth, boasts low unemployment rates despite COVID-19, flourishes with recreational opportunities and prides itself on building partnerships to enhance services and save tax dollars. Other themes in the annual update include Ottawa County government's strong financial position, the preservation of farmland amidst residential growth, maintaining services during COVID-19 and a year in review of the new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office. You can watch the report here, and read it here.
Administrator Vanderberg also listed some of the projects on the horizon for 2021 including;
Creation of formal Groundwater Board
Immigration population impacts on economy through the Gateways for Growth grant.
Continued progress on the Ottawa County Justice Center
2020 Census results and Board of Commissioners redistricting
Implementation of DEI strategies
More here
2020 Annual Reports: The Board received for information the following Annual Reprorts for 2020 -
Ottawa County Department of Health and Human Services 2020 Annual Report, Presented by Kendra Spanjer, Director, DHHS
Ottawa County Innovation and Technology 2020 Annual Report, Presented by Paul Klimas, Innovation and Technology Director
Ottawa County Community Action Agency 2020 Annual Report, Presented by Jennifer Brozowski, CAA Program Director
Lease Agreement with the Historic Ottawa Beach Society: The Board approved the lease agreement with the Historic Ottawa Beach Society for the use of the Pump House building at the Historic Ottawa Beach Parks through March 31, 2041.
Summary:
Ottawa County Parks partnered with the Historic Ottawa Beach Society (HOBS) to renovate the pump house structure at Historic Ottawa Beach. Parks and HOBS partnered on the first major phase of building renovation in 2014/15, splitting the cost of the project. Parks funded a restroom addition, which completed the first phase of major building renovations.
Use of the pump house building for museum purposes was addressed in the Court endorsed Stipulation agreement approved in 2005 which states “Ottawa County shall restore and maintain the Pump House, generally developing it into a community room and museum. Ottawa County shall then lease the museum portion of the building to the Ottawa Beach Historic Commission (or another local non-profit museum-oriented group) on terms mutually acceptable to the parties for $1 per year.”
Since the renovation, and opening of the Pump House Museum, HOBS has been organizing exhibits and programs, offering open houses at the Pump House, and raising funds toward additional building improvements and support of the operation of a seasonal museum and learning center.
Since opening to the public in 2015, the Pump House has been host to numerous public events and various exhibits including: “Icebound Found: the Ordeal of the SS Michigan”, “Big Red: From Navigational Aid to Cultural Icon” and now currently on display: “Holland’s Earliest Amusements” celebrating Holland’s zoo and amusement park history. Permanent exhibits showcased in the south gallery include: “Hotel Ottawa: Artifacts that Tell a Story”; “Water at Ottawa Beach: A Perspective on Changing Technology” and “Vintage Views: The Golden Age of Postcards and Holland’s Resorts”. The Pump House is a central feature of the Historic Ottawa Beach area and saw an attendance of over 4,000 visitors in 2018.
With the proven success of the Pump House, HOBS has set their sights on fundraising for the next major phase of building improvements, which include enclosing the existing breezeway between the Pump House and the restroom addition that would provide room for a lobby, gift shop and a small reception area. With that in mind, they have requested the extension of the current 10-year lease which would allow greater confidence in reaching their fundraising goals.
Staff, in conjunction with HOBS, have evaluated the lease and updated the proposed agreement with similar terms which will provide an extended term of 20 years, as well as defining major improvements which would require the Commission’s approval and providing framework to allow fund raising while establishing the Commission’s authority to approve any associated naming rights. The agreement has been reviewed and approved by the County’s Corporation Council.
