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Isabella County board grants FOIA appeal after administrator acknowledges error
Summary
The Isabella County Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 21 to grant a FOIA appeal after County Administrator Brian Smith acknowledged he had incorrectly answered the request. Public commenter Bree Moeggenberg urged transparency and said she may pursue a referendum if the administration remodel lacks clarity.
The Isabella County Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 21 to grant a Freedom of Information Act appeal after County Administrator/Controller Brian Smith acknowledged he had previously answered the request incorrectly. The board approved review of the Moeggenberg FOIA appeal on a motion by Commissioner Tobin Hope and carried the motion.
Bree Moeggenberg, a public commenter, had raised the denial during the meeting’s public-comment period and thanked commissioners for removing an item from the agenda earlier in the meeting. Moeggenberg told the board it had “one year to discuss this issue” and later urged the board to provide answers and options about the Administration Building remodel, saying there is “a fiduciary responsibility to the general public.” She also said she has formed a 501(c)(4) and would seek referendum signatures if the board did not provide those answers.
Administrator Brian Smith reviewed the FOIA appeal before the board and acknowledged that he had answered the request incorrectly; the board voted to grant the FOIA. The minutes do not include the full text of the requested records or the precise scope of the FOIA response; those details were recorded as part of the appeal review.
The action was procedural: the board approved review of the appeal and directed the FOIA be granted. Commissioners who moved and seconded the motion are recorded in the minutes; the board carried the motion. The meeting proceeded to other agenda items and later held a closed session on pending litigation. The board adjourned at 6:24 p.m.
