Summary
The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners' Conflict of Interest and Complaint Policy Committee met on June 12, 2026, with Committee Chairman Alan Campbell, and Commissioners Gwenne Allgaier and Steve Yoder present. The committee approved the agenda and the May 14, 2026 minutes unanimously (3-0). The main business was continued review of a draft Code of Ethics Personnel Policy, with discussion on next steps for legal review before further committee and full Board consideration.
Other Business
Interim Administrator Lauren Cypher presented a revised draft Code of Ethics Personnel Policy, based on a marked-up version from HR Manager Jennifer Kain. Discussion covered reporting and enforcement levels, particularly how the policy would apply to employees under union representation or to elected officials. Suggested modifications were noted by Cypher and Kain for incorporation into the next draft.
The committee also discussed the existing Conflict of Interest Policy and a prior draft previously submitted by James Dyer, questioning whether both a Code of Ethics policy and a separate Conflict of Interest policy were necessary. Commissioner Yoder suggested asking legal counsel whether the Code of Ethics Policy could satisfy the Conflict of Interest requirement, eliminating the need for both documents.
The agenda item "Review of range of penalties" was not discussed. There were no discussion items, and no board member comments were made.
Action Items
- Interim Administrator Cypher is to edit the draft policy from the June 12 meeting and send it to legal for review.
- Once legal returns redlined suggestions, Cypher will prepare a final draft to bring back to the Committee for a recommendation, and subsequently to the full Board of Commissioners.
- Legal counsel is to be asked (per Commissioner Yoder's suggestion) whether the Code of Ethics Policy would satisfy the Conflict of Interest Policy requirement, potentially eliminating the need for two separate policies.
- Committee Chairman Campbell stated the committee will meet once more after receiving the next draft and legal feedback, at which point they will determine whether additional meetings or versions are necessary.