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Appointment committee tables workforce-investment-board seat pending written legal opinion
Summary
The Ottawa County Appointment Alignment Committee voted to table a nomination to fill a Community Corrections Advisory Board seat that must be affiliated with the workforce investment board, and directed corporation counsel to provide a written opinion clarifying the meaning of "affiliated."
The Appointment Alignment Committee for Ottawa County tabled action on nominations for a Community Corrections Advisory Board (CCAB) seat that the committee said must be filled by a person "affiliated" with the applicable workforce investment board. The committee voted to delay forwarding the two nominees — Larry Jackson and Edward Taylor — to the Board of Commissioners until corporation counsel provides a written opinion on what "affiliated" means under the relevant state statute and county bylaws.
Committee discussion focused on whether past oral guidance from corporation counsel was sufficient. Ron (staff member) told the committee he reviewed recordings and recalled an oral opinion in a September 12, 2023 board meeting in which corporation counsel said candidates were, in a general sense, affiliated. Ron also said one of the current applicants appears to be employed by a workforce agency and the other is in the private sector.
Several committee members said they wanted a written legal opinion before forwarding nominees. Committee member Allison said she preferred a written opinion to better understand how the word "affiliated" would be applied to the candidates. Committee member Jordan Jortsma and others noted that prior screening by the workforce entity and the talent-and-recruitment committee had recommended the candidates as qualified but that no written corporation-counsel opinion had been filed in the record.
A motion to table the recommendation until the next Appointment Alignment Committee meeting carried on a voice vote. The committee explicitly directed corporation counsel to prepare a written opinion that defines what it means to be "affiliated" for the workforce-investment-board seat and to provide that opinion to the committee before the item returns to the agenda.
The committee also discussed an alternative approach mentioned in earlier meetings: asking West Michigan Works (referred to in meeting discussion as Michigan Works / West Michigan) to nominate someone clearly meeting the affiliation requirement, such as a prior candidate Angie Barksdale, who several members said would likely fit the statutory standard.
The committee did not make a final appointment, and no formal vote to forward either Larry Jackson or Edward Taylor to the Board of Commissioners was recorded.
