Committee elects vice chair, approves parks foundation agreement and license for historic Ottawa Beach parking

The Ottawa County committee elected Jim Berry as vice chair by roll call and approved two items to forward to the full Board of Commissioners: a project agreement tying the Ottawa County Parks Foundation to the county for the Rosie Mount expansion, and a license agreement to provide access and parking for the West Michigan Park Association in historic Ottawa Beach.

The vote for vice chair was conducted by roll call and resulted in the committee announcing “7 votes for Berry.” Commissioners debated qualifications and experience before the roll call. One supporter cited social-work background and recent work bringing health and human services under planning and policy when advocating for Sylvia Rodi; other commissioners spoke in favor of Berry’s demeanor and cross‑section perspective.

On the parks item, Parks and Recreation Director Jason Shamblin described a formal agreement that “ties the Parks Foundation to the county” for a property acquisition whose initial conversations started in 2022. Shamblin said the foundation has been raising funds for parks projects for years and reported that “year to date, we think, just approximately or a little bit over 12,000,000 has been raised.” He said the Rosie Mount project budget requires “a little bit over $1,000,000” in fundraising and that the commission does not expect to break ground until 2027. The motion to approve and forward the project agreement passed on roll call; the committee recorded the motion as passed.

On the historic Ottawa Beach license agreement, staff said the license grants non‑exclusive parking access to accommodate cottagers who lack direct vehicle access and that private property owners will retain responsibility for maintenance. The license mirrors prior agreements dating to the mid‑2000s, allows the county to cancel parking in the future if needed, and recognizes an obligation to accommodate residential parking for certain property owners. Commissioners asked about maintenance responsibility and the number of parking areas; staff said there are three parking areas managed by the West Michigan Park Association. The motion to approve and forward the license agreement passed on roll call.

No formal vote tallies beyond those recorded in the meeting transcript were provided in staff materials. Each approved item will be considered by the Board of Commissioners at a future meeting.