Ottawa County Board of Commissioners weighed discussing four proposed county hiring policies – and voting on them - before legal counsel vet them. In particular, turning employee hiring authority over to the board or County Administrator John Gibbs.
Commissioner Jacob Bonnema asked Gibbs if he had worked in Human Resources creating policy noting he didn’t see that experience listed on Gibbs’ resume.
Gibbs said, “You have my resume as you said, so you already have the answer to that question.”
Bonnema responded, “So, I don’t see anything in there.”
Gibbs answered, “Well, keep looking because it’s in there.”
Bonnema suggested county Human Resources and legal counsel review changes before the board discusses them.
“I would agree with that.”
That’s commissioner Rebekah Curran.
“I that it’s important. I think that we’ve gotten…there have been instances in the past where we have had conversations where we didn’t know which direction we could go and I think this could be one of those situations.”
Curran recommended removing it from the agenda until the hiring policy was reviewed.
Chair Joe Moss pointed out the board was considering the hiring policy and that other changes were minor.
“It kind of sounds to me like from some of the comments here I’m hearing a desire for a new policy from kind of the more liberal end of this bench that they would prefer H.R. and legal approve everything we talk about before we talk about it, so I’m opposed to that.”
But in a 5-4 vote, the policy was tabled.