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Board approves $45,000 Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance contract after debate over DEI content and advocacy policy
Summary
After commissioners questioned website content and advocacy policy language, Corey Plockmeier of the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance described organizational changes and the role of Community Spoke; the board voted to ratify a roughly $45,000 contract to fund coordination and community health collaboration work.
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners voted to ratify a contract with the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance (LNA) and its Community Spoke program for roughly $45,000 during its Dec. 25 meeting after an extended discussion about website content, advocacy policy and how the organization uses county funding.
Commissioner Meedema and others had pulled Contract #2828 for separate consideration, citing concerns that LNA’s website previously included a tab labeled “DEI” and that the county should understand whether taxpayer dollars support advocacy activity. Corey Plockmeier, LNA’s executive director, told commissioners he had taken down the DEI tab and that organizational leadership changes and staff turnover delayed website updates. He said the advocacy policy on the site exists as a best practice for a 501(c)(3) and that, to his knowledge, it has not been invoked to influence policy; he offered to add clarifying framing language to the public materials.
Plockmeier explained Community Spoke convenes health and human‑service agencies (including county departments and other nonprofit partners) on a bi‑monthly basis to coordinate responses to emergent needs, citing recent convenings about SNAP benefit disruptions. He said the contract supports that convening and collaboration work and that the $45,000 enables dedicated staff time to facilitate partnerships and data‑driven problem solving.
Commissioners split in their reactions. Some described progress on website edits and pledged future oversight of nonprofit partnerships, while others expressed ongoing concerns about the relationship between county funding and nonprofit advocacy. After a roll‑call vote, the motion to ratify Contract #2828 passed (majority yes; recorded nos noted). The board then ratified the remainder of the post‑execution contracts.
