Summary
The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners held a regular session on November 18, 2025. Key decisions made during the meeting included the approval of several budget items, appointments to committees, and a new artificial intelligence policy. The board also addressed public comments and received updates from various officials about housing initiatives and budgetary matters.
Public Comments
Several members of the public spoke during the meeting, including:
- David Kiessel
- Larry Mawby (speaking behalf of Peninsula Housing)
- Frank Clements
- Lois Bahle
- Dana Getsinger
Speaker concerns were not detailed within the minutes.
Affordable Housing Initiatives
Yarow Brown, Executive Director of Housing North, provided a PowerPoint presentation regarding housing initiatives. He answered questions from commissioners, and the board expressed gratitude for the update. No specific decisions or next steps were mentioned in relation to the presentation.
Parks and Recreation Matters
The board appointed Kathy Dawkins to the Leelanau County Parks & Recreation Commission for a partial term ending December 31, 2025, followed by a full three-year term starting January 1, 2026. The motion carried with six votes in favor and one against.
Infrastructure Projects
The board approved a bid from Spicer Group for engineering services relating to the replacement of the courthouse cooling tower/chiller system for an amount not to exceed $36,800. The funds were authorized to be transferred from capital projects.
Other Business
The meeting included discussions of financial items, with various motions made to approve the budget rules and the General Appropriations Act for FY 2026. The board accepted a mileage and per diem expense payment request for Commissioner Robbins, adopted a fee schedule proposed by the Leelanau Conservation District, and discussed an audit RFP vendor interview.
Financial Summary
The following financial items were discussed:
- Approval of the budget amendment #25-014.
- Claims and accounts approved totaled $460,031.67.
- Post-audit claims and accounts were approved in the amount of $16,677,467.97.
- The Michigan Indigent Defense Grant was accepted at a total of $421,123.76, with contributions from both the state and county funds.
Action Items
- Staff is to provide a report comparing the salaries of elected officials and their deputies to similar counties. This report is due for the Executive Meeting scheduled for December 9, 2025.
- Kathy Dawkins is to be sworn in for her position in the Parks & Recreation Commission.
- Administration to move forward with the approved vendor for courthouse engineering services.
- The administrator is to conduct interviews with the firms who responded to the audit RFP while ensuring communication with other commissioners unable to attend.