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Commissioner says meeting time was changed without full-board approval; prosecutor warns of Open Meetings Act risk
Summary
At the Aug. 12 Houghton County Board meeting Commissioner Joel Keranen said the meeting time had been changed from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. without full-board approval. County Prosecutor Daniel Helmer warned that votes taken under that scheduling could implicate Michigan's Open Meetings Act, potentially affecting action on a proposed jail millage.
Houghton County commissioners met Aug. 12, 2025, but the session opened under a procedural cloud when Commissioner Joel Keranen raised a point of order saying he believed the meeting time had been changed from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. without the full board's approval. County Prosecutor Daniel Helmer told the board he could not find authority for the chair or the county administrator to change the meeting time and warned of a possible Open Meetings Act violation if the board took votes under that schedule.
Keranen said he had concerns about how the meeting…
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