[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6455165,"mediaKeyId","5854738-45cbd8517fb1b0d17cb6f71550cc7123","parentId",5854738,"title","Board approves county financial director candidate—request for outside employment","audioSeconds",178,"startMs",929000,"endMs",1107000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854738-45cbd8517fb1b0d17cb6f71550cc7123&start=929&end=1107","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854738-45cbd8517fb1b0d17cb6f71550cc7123/thumbnail_929000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6455165/Gratiot-County/Michigan/Board-approves-county-financial-director-candidaterequest-for-outside-employment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6455165-3ae24b9c2a08aa5fc20ecf533145d8ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1775578638&Signature=jK8UdAuF7dEqumAE8JJDeo3UhM2~vh1RsdxL6frZ2ppnd8jf7lV1ww5ZUmLSN1b6slZZNw1bd3VOcao3i2B08Q04N-k~1-NkQCSxR0UxPJmKL2b4B9dBvUWHoPrWWDp-51cgYh0vowFVWCk8TVwZnmIO3p9iv2xNlNSrrQz74DoyMKxNMTvp32L74LFzDv9ZPz2rOqUbZomHDm9NfRB3zdaovMFUom-E9oHs1QA5TcDcK~iZtmYbmIZYZM6dI5A25LBNiXNO0rEsg3MDfN2eGgbWTAKz1RhqtAIF3gTLpBgpmpo7yleY4wghI781h-4FGf5maHMRDsGQI63PPPhnrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Gratiot County","date","2025-09-26T02:51:38Z","article","The Gratiot County Board of Commissioners approved a request permitting the selected financial director candidate to continue specified outside employment.

Ryan (staff) told the board that the candidate, identified in the record as Doug Morganburg, is the elected treasurer of Pine River Township and does some individual tax-preparation work. Ryan said staff had obtained a written opinion from legal counsel concluding the outside work “is not an issue at this juncture.”

Commissioners moved to approve the request for outside employment. The motion was moved by Commissioner Steve Sasse and supported by Commissioner Tim Gay; the board approved the motion by voice vote.

Staff noted that, if a conflict of interest arises in the future, the employee would be required to abstain from any County action that created the conflict. The vote authorized the candidate to accept the county position while maintaining the disclosed outside employment under county policy subject to future conflict rules.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Gratiot County Board of Commissioners Special Meeting 9/25/25","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved a request allowing the selected financial director candidate to retain outside employment; staff said legal counsel found no conflict at this time.","taxTitle","Gratiot County, Michigan","taxId",51990,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6455170,"Gratiot County schedules special meeting with MML recruiter to review administrator candidates",1128,38000,1166000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854738-45cbd8517fb1b0d17cb6f71550cc7123&start=38&end=1166","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854738-45cbd8517fb1b0d17cb6f71550cc7123/thumbnail_38000.jpg","/articles/6455170/Gratiot-County/Michigan/Gratiot-County-schedules-special-meeting-with-MML-recruiter-to-review-administrator-candidates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6455170-6dcb9fe21c75339b925040a6c35bac4d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775578638&Signature=hfLZIrX5FicZMGOo3XJEmRbZ-vCQkjYE8L0UTlOjXkHOrqJDCYY~41lWUIjidWpykvzdRKO8hl-sW3bM50HlFQAHLpclEu9whlS1JUVcIQD8oO2vgALkJqdv5ExIgVoFdup0SVPKB3JnstCYBztM79JVyaLfG~1gxhpGldqfDbjbuI-CmTJuWIUPhhFoymCt3GhVLNC4HCiGzwVe2M4PDg9AAqiRA4NVrVl9zjUbqB1jxkgWCFWIEBcd-O7H~HqFE-F0G-9uYwCqMZ8Cc60XMETOV8XDUcabLE00Pp79HK2tM3VdLM1eJBPPBXH20XTP-w0f~lLTYCpoEF2EZGGkzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Gratiot County Board of Commissioners set a special meeting for 3:00 p.m. on Oct. 7 to meet with a recruiter from the Michigan Municipal League (MML) to review applications for the county administrator position.

Ryan (staff) explained to the board that the MML recruiter wanted to meet with commissioners to “go through the applications and determine who you actually want to interview,” and discussed potential interview dates later in October. During the discussion the board considered holding interviews on Oct. 15 or Oct. 16 and discussed scheduling a full-day interview block if five candidates were selected; staff described a sample schedule with one-hour interview slots and short breaks.

Commissioner Jan Bunting and other commissioners raised the need to consider Commissioner George Bailey’s availability before finalizing a mid-October interview date; commissioners agreed to notify the recruiter that Oct. 15 was preferred and to shift to Oct. 16 if required by availability. At the meeting the board formally moved to set Oct. 7 at 3:00 p.m. as the special meeting time to meet with the recruiter. The motion was moved by Commissioner Tim Gay and supported by Commissioner Jan Bunting, and carried by voice vote.

Board members asked staff to finalize interview logistics with the recruiter and to return to the board at the next regular meeting with any firm candidate schedules or additional special-meeting dates needed for interviews.

No hiring decisions were made at the Oct. 7 scheduling vote; the action only set the meeting to review applications and to discuss interview dates with the recruiter.","The board set a special meeting for Oct. 7 at 3:00 p.m. to meet a Michigan Municipal League recruiter and review applications for the county administrator position; commissioners discussed interview-date options for mid-October.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6455173,"Gratiot County approves one-time payments to command officers, adopts $52,000 budget amendment",237,699000,936000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854738-45cbd8517fb1b0d17cb6f71550cc7123&start=699&end=936","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854738-45cbd8517fb1b0d17cb6f71550cc7123/thumbnail_699000.jpg","/articles/6455173/Gratiot-County/Michigan/Gratiot-County-approves-one-time-payments-to-command-officers-adopts-52000-budget-amendment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6455173-cff24c36d8d53d5791298f2fcd3e517d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775578638&Signature=NOA~IDjoCqDvsMkJw6fmCvfqfhCefn3D1NwerTmyxdj9Qaqp0JpDAWQUwI0fFSaO1NEXW6B2gwLOXgTfJv6RN79JEK6I4dmkD1ubaTl6v6yZNCKDP-Dy4hGP-42p4wcjLUeJhnuRgO8HqZbKbo540XbxIaQp645NQ6uLs7XrLkgEg5pxDMriLwque2k3c0eBrMEJFEgMbTJUQfzmcWh~xK4zmYi7ZU8HcGe2QlNz0NC1brrjWrasWRM4g~ezPd9aE0FvWPEMImTyNzTNL~hWKuaAGoccDzWy6Kr8VPunX7aabRYi4F4sQl5Hu-rgWO4~QP7SzgJxM-p13aaqqia4IQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Gratiot County Board of Commissioners voted to ratify a letter of understanding that calls for a one-time lump-sum payment of $6,500 to each of eight command officers and to adopt a corresponding $52,000 budget amendment for fiscal year 2024–25.

The payment and budget change were presented to the board by staff in a brief memo. Sheila (staff member) told commissioners, “there's a letter of understanding that, we would recommend be approved. It calls for the payment of $6,500 to the command officers … and subsequently, a budget amendment in the amount of 52,000.”

Commissioners discussed whether to combine the ratification and the budget amendment into a single vote or separate votes. The motion was amended on the floor so the board would both ratify the letter of understanding and create the public-safety budget adjustment. The motion was moved by Commissioner Steve Sasse and supported by Commissioner Jan Bunting. The board conducted a roll-call-style tally; the clerk recorded Commissioner Tim Gay, Commissioner Jan Bunting and Commissioner Dave Owens voting yes, and the motion was declared carried.

County staff noted the budget amendment will be charged to the fund balance for the public-safety function. Commissioners asked whether the amendment would require offsetting cuts elsewhere; staff said it would draw from the fund balance.

No ordinance, statute or other legal citation was required to approve the letter of understanding; the action was recorded as a board ratification and budget amendment.

The board did not set an implementation timeline in public comment during the motion beyond the fiscal-year designation in the motion language.","The Gratiot County Board of Commissioners ratified a letter of understanding providing a one-time $6,500 payment to eight command officers and approved a $52,000 budget amendment to cover the expense.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6455160,"Commissioners direct staff to compile permits for wind turbines, solar farms and substations for 2021'125",1608,1181000,2789000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5854738-45cbd8517fb1b0d17cb6f71550cc7123&start=1181&end=2789","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5854738-45cbd8517fb1b0d17cb6f71550cc7123/thumbnail_1181000.jpg","/articles/6455160/Gratiot-County/Michigan/Commissioners-direct-staff-to-compile-permits-for-wind-turbines-solar-farms-and-substations-for-2021125","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6455160-b1b8ae6ea4216a7f5536900447900cc7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775578639&Signature=ClI284XtBDbbUNXcAj77JR2MhN~9gOODj1sE8AGHTlKeOXb2NZmRODrGe0KO5SSEuoj63~xxO0jTQIUm8PaDnuwc3292rKHNtZuldZfLZ86aMbgYmnwsklxXYeKpkfL-Mrf5A9tTOEnsOnuteJ6uBFBQ2vYoPY-fPawMS40cz73igCGlhx~HN53sKJUtouffes112zHfEklnMGtN7rOYZa~G~FaX31IqfE8LwFVAnc1SmsT0D6Ti5yqYggGyBCPvldKWtaJSNcy990T1dKrrV3huQzAeavR~JLiR5GUiMFqf8voX5Pv5vGMR7Gw0yVkV8nREtFbjVwimK~zjyRqQtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Gratiot County Board of Commissioners voted to direct county staff to gather and provide permits for any wind turbines, solar farms and associated substations built in Gratiot County during 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Commissioner Jan Bunting requested the records and described concerns about permit counts and tax revenue trends. Bunting said she wanted “a copy of all the wind turbines” permits and later confirmed the request should include solar permits and substations for 2021'125. County staff clarified the board-directed request is not a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) production because the materials sought are public records and would not require the redaction process that triggers FOIA review.

Staff and commissioners discussed the expected workload. Staff said earlier, broader requests (covering 2010 onward) had been time-consuming and that a narrowed date range would reduce staff hours; commissioners suggested staff provide partial results as they are available rather than wait for a single large package. Commissioner Bunting offered to review records on-site to reduce staff time; staff cautioned that records may not be fully digitized and some historical items may require more work.

The motion was moved by Commissioner Steve Sasse and supported by Commissioner Jan Bunting. The board voted to direct staff to provide the requested permits; the motion carried. Staff said they would begin searching the specified years and provide materials as available and would report back with an estimate of staff time needed at the next board meeting if required.

On the record, staff advised that permit records should include permit numbers, permit holders and addresses, and that tax information can be gathered from online tax sources; commissioners discussed comparing permit counts to tax receipts for the same years if discrepancies emerge. No formal investigation or enforcement action was initiated by the board at this meeting; commissioners said that if credible evidence of wrongdoing is found later, it would be referred to an appropriate investigative authority.","After extended discussion, the board directed county staff to provide all permits related to wind turbines, solar farms and associated substations for 2021'125; commissioners and staff clarified it is not a FOIA and discussed workload and delivery timing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves county financial director candidate—request for outside employment

Gratiot County schedules special meeting with MML recruiter to review administrator candidates

Gratiot County approves one-time payments to command officers, adopts $52,000 budget amendment

Commissioners direct staff to compile permits for wind turbines, solar farms and substations for 2021'125