ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Delta County Board of Commissioners reversed a decision made by the former board regarding its legal counsel.
In September, the former board removed County Prosecutor Lauren Wickman as its primary counsel, in favor of hired attorney Scott Graham. In December, the board once again restructured its counsel, deciding to go first to the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA). From there, the county administrator would determine whether the board should consult Wickman or Graham on a case-by-case basis.
On Tuesday, the current board—with recently-elected members Myra Croasdell, Kelli Van Ginhoven, and Matt Jensen—voted unanimously to change the order of precedence back to the standard format. The Board of Commissioners will now start with the Prosecutor Wickman, then go to the MMRMA, followed by any third-party attorneys.
“Having the conversations with the administration as they come through I think keeps our office better informed of what’s going on with the county,” Wickman told the commissioners. “We can better approach situations, get ahead of different situations as they come about, as well as just make sure the communication with the board as a whole is better.”
The board also voted to remove two members of the Parks and Recreation Commission who were appointed by the former board earlier this spring, including former Delta Conservation District manager Rory Mattson. Mattson has been at the center of what Conservation District Board Chair Joe Kaplan has long called a “conflict of interest,” with the Michigan Attorney General’s office saying, “it appears that the District, through the actions of Mr. Mattson, has a long history of violating” state law.
Van Ginhoven made the motion to remove Mattson. The board voted 4 – 1 in favor, with only Commissioner Steven Viau opposing.
“I’m not willing to take someone off a board that hasn’t even had bylaws or other things organized yet,” Viau said. “…There’s nothing substantiated there. Charges haven’t been brought, no conviction, no chance to defend himself.”
Following Van Ginhoven’s motion, Croasdell made a motion to remove Alan Ettenhofer from the Parks and Recreation Commission, saying another “very qualified” person was overlooked for the position.
The board removed Ettenhoffer from the Parks and Recreation Commission in a 3 – 2 vote, with Viau and Jensen opposing.
“I just don’t feel I have enough information,” Jensen said.
The board also voted to put out 30-day notices for appointments for Mattson’s and Ettenhofer’s districts.
