Meeting Notes - Gibbs Special Meeting

Meeting Notes from the February 22, 2024 Special Meeting of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners.

Meeting Packet: https://www.miottawa.org/CalendarDocs/2024/1708563563201-agenda.PDF

Meeting Video (Day 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCfV0OGWwww

Sentinel Meeting Roundup (Day 1): https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/politics/county/2024/02/21/gibbs-could-resign-for-630k-after-calling-kallman-group-insufficient/72691915007/

Motion to place Administrator Gibbs on Paid Administrative Leave (Day 1): The Board voted 10-1 to place Mr. Gibbs on Administrative Leave.

I voted no on the Motion cause because I believe it was both premature and made with too many loose ends pending. More here regarding the situation and the vote in particular.

Update 2-29

Meeting Video (Day 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrqP6KB61Vc

Sentinel Meeting Roundup (Day 2):

Sentinel Tweet-Thread (Day 2): https://twitter.com/SentinelMitch/status/1763345450621387017?s=20

Motion to Terminate John Gibbs’ Contract for Cause: I voted no on the Motion because, while I understand there are a number of serious accusations against Mr. Gibbs, especially the allegation of threat to bodily harm Counsel Jordan, and the allegation that he made degrading remarks about some of the female commissioners, I believe we have not given the matter full due process.

I would have preferred that we carried out more investigation and then mediate our differences before taking the action we did, and was disappointed that my motion to do so failed.

Having said that, it is my hope that we can take the proper processes to hire a new administrator so that we once again have a fully functioning and responsive administrative office.