Summary
The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners met on November 12, 2024, at the Government Center in Suttons Bay. The board interviewed two candidates for the vacant Leelanau County Road Commission seat and appointed Mel Black to fill the unexpired term of John Popa, ending December 31, 2026. The board also reviewed 37 applications for the County Administrator position, went into closed session to discuss candidates requesting confidentiality, and voted to interview nine finalists on November 18-19, 2024.
Public Comments
No public comments were made during the agenda-specific comment period. During the general public comment period, Steve Mikowski and Bill Wiesner spoke, but the minutes do not record the content of their remarks. No written public comments or handouts were submitted for either comment period.
Other Business
Chairman Ty Wessell thanked Road Commission Manager Brendan Mullane, Road Commissioner Garth Greenan, and Vice Chairman of the Road Commission Jim Calhoun for attending. Commissioners interviewed Road Commission candidates Mel Black and Tim Lodge, each giving opening statements and answering commissioner questions. Commissioner James O'Rourke left the meeting during a break due to another commitment.
For the County Administrator search, MLI Consultant Chet Janik reported that the position was posted October 2, 2024, with a November 7, 2024 deadline, resulting in 37 applications. The board voted to interview nine candidates: Kipling C. Belcher, Mark J. Brown, Eric Ceci, James L. Dyer, Brandon Fewins, James C. Kiessel, Matthew A. Marske, Robert J. Reinshuttle, and Jeff Thornton, with interviews scheduled for November 18-19, 2024, starting at 9:30 a.m., one hour allotted per candidate. Commissioner Lautner thanked the other applicants who were not selected. Discussion covered inviting Commissioners-elect to the November 18 meeting and a potential meet-and-greet for staff and incoming commissioners. The County Clerk will post the selected candidates' applications on the county website.
Action Items
- MLI Consultant Chet Janik to finalize and email the interview schedule for County Administrator candidates.
- County Clerk Michelle L. Crocker to post applications of the nine selected Administrator candidates on the county website.
- Commissioners to select candidates for a potential second interview round at the November 19, 2024 meeting.
- Current Commissioners encouraged to solicit input from Commissioners-elect once the election is certified.