“Ottawa county has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on DEI.”
And to make sure Patrick Waterman does not consider diversity, equity and inclusion in his decisions as the new Ottawa county administrator, Commissioner Joe Moss wants a clause added to his contract.
“Ask Patrick to champion color-blind equality and not diversity equity and inclusion. To say we don’t treat anybody different because of their skin color their race their background anything like that.”
But board vice chair Jacob Bonnema and chair John Teeples do not support a DEI amendment in the administrator’s contract.
“I don’t see any reason to add that. I think the contract as written is great. The only one bringing up DEI is you. It’s not an issue with this board but it is to you.”
In 2023, when Moss was chair and newly elected Ottawa Impact conservative commissioners held the board majority, closing the county’s DEI office was one of their first actions.
“It’s a significant issue the entire country is still dealing with.”
But last November voters did not reelect the conservative majority, and DEI is not a priority for the new board and chair john Teeples.
“We don’t have a DEI policy, and I don’t expect we are going to have one.”
