9/9/2025 - Leelanau County | Executive Board Meeting Minutes

Summary

The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners held an executive session on September 9, 2025, where key decisions were made regarding financial matters, an opioid settlement update, a hiring freeze, and the introduction of a childcare voucher program. Public comments indicated support for housing initiatives and recognition of county employees.

Public Comments

Several individuals spoke during the public comment period, including Darlene Doorlag, Deb Kuhn, Kim Boose, Sue Miller, Justina Hlvaka, Tim McCauley, and Dana Getsinger. Main concerns included the need for improved childcare programs and recognition of county employees. The comments were noted but no specific actions were taken in response.

Affordable Housing Initiatives

Jamie Jewell gave a presentation as part of the Housing Collaborative, focusing on housing solutions for the community. Chairman Yoder committed to including the Housing Collaborative in next month's agenda for further discussion.

Infrastructure Projects

No specific infrastructure projects were discussed during the meeting.

Other Business

Other agenda items included a report on opioid settlement funds, updates on staffing for various departments, and resolutions regarding the conflict of interest policy and hiring freeze. The board voted to allow various departments to apply for 2% allocations for 2025.

Financial Summary

- The board approved the FY 2025 tax rate requests for road, senior services, and early childhood programming, with the following rates: Road 0.5000, Senior Services 0.3200, Early Childhood 0.2000. - Claims and accounts were approved for $142,867.07 and post-audit claims for $6,197,261.70. - The three-year service agreement with D&W Mechanical was approved for $459,264. - The board also recommended forward motion on grants and contracts related to indigent defense.

Action Items

- Housing Collaborative to be added to the agenda for next month. - Follow-up on the establishment of a childcare voucher program. - Administrators to prepare RFPs for auditing services, with final approval expected on September 16, 2025. - A temporary hiring freeze will be implemented until the 2026 budget is approved, allowing exceptions for essential roles as agreed upon by department heads and the county administrator.