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Commissioners appoint two to Community Mental Health board after public objections over selection process
Summary
After extended public comment pressing the board to reopen applications and resolve a potential statutory shortfall on primary consumer representation, the Ottawa County Board on March 26 selected Thomas Byrd and Steven Rockman for two family‑member seats on the Community Mental Health Board and appointed Beth Vanhoven to a general‑public seat.
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners on March 26 voted to appoint Thomas Byrd and Steven Rockman to two family‑member seats on the county Community Mental Health (CMH) Board and to fill a separate general‑public seat with Beth Vanhoven.
The appointments followed an extended public‑comment period in which residents raised procedural concerns about the committee selection process and whether the board’s CMH roster meets statutory composition requirements. Karen Obitz, of Spring Lake Village, told commissioners she was “interested to know just what criteria are being used” after reviewing application materials; Sheila Detloff, of Holland Township, said she believed the CMH board might be out of compliance with Michigan law cited in public comment and asked the board to table tonight’s nominations until the issue could be reviewed.
Commissioners…
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