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Commissioners ask finance staff and prosecutor to review Tri-County Public Defenders contract by end of September
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Summary
Commissioners Glenn Anderson and Joel Keranen will review the Tri-County Public Defenders contract and present a recommendation at the next monthly meeting; Finance Manager Alex will send the contract to Prosecutor Helmer for review, and a resident requested a copy and a meeting with the finance committee.
Commissioner Glenn Anderson told the Houghton County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 2 that the Tri-County Public Defenders contract needs to be resolved by the end of September.
Chairman Tom Tikkanen asked Finance Manager Alex to send the contract to Prosecutor Helmer for legal review. Commissioners Anderson and Joel Keranen agreed to review the contract and provide a recommendation at the board’s next monthly meeting. County Clerk Jennifer Kelly said she would provide the records retention schedule to the commissioners.
A member of the public, David Gemignani, asked the board for a copy of the contract and said he had not received responses to his calls and emails; Commissioners Anderson and Keranen, members of the finance committee, agreed to meet with him next week to discuss his concerns.
At the same meeting, commissioners also directed staff to examine meeting platforms and venues — including whether Microsoft Teams could be replaced by YouTube and whether the Circuit Court has adequate sound for board meetings — and asked Finance Manager Alex to check whether Houghton County has a purchasing policy, citing Marquette County’s policy as a reference.
What’s next: The contract will be forwarded for prosecutor review and commissioners will bring a recommendation to the next monthly meeting. No final action on the contract was taken at the work session.