Ottawa County continues Mehlow Ditch final hearing; Soil & Water to submit revisions by Oct. 21

The Board of Ottawa County Commissioners on Oct. 2, 2025, voted to adjourn the Final Hearing on the Mehlow Ditch project and continue the hearing to Nov. 18, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. to allow the Soil & Water Conservation District additional time to make necessary adjustments to the project.

The continuance motion was made by Commissioner Mark W. Stahl and seconded by Commissioner Donald A. Douglas; Commissioners Mark E. Coppeler, Mark W. Stahl and Donald A. Douglas voted yes, carrying the motion. The board also set Oct. 21, 2025, as the date by which the Soil & Water Conservation District must submit updated information to the board; the board will make its decision on the project at the continued hearing on Nov. 18.

The action was procedural: the board moved the hearing rather than adopting a substantive decision on the project. No technical details of the proposed adjustments were recorded in the meeting minutes. The record shows the board set a clear schedule for receipt of revised materials and a date for the board’s decision.

The next public step is the continued hearing on Nov. 18, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., when the board will consider the Soil & Water Conservation District’s updated submission.