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Attorney says Tri-County Public Defenders contract in packet was outdated; board approves contract edits and payments
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Summary
An attorney told the board the Tri-County Public Defenders contract in its packet was not the most recent draft; the board discussed insurance and contract edits, added Houghton County as an insured per Article 16, and approved an immediate payment of $56,006.96 with an additional contingent payment pending MDIC reimbursement.
During the Oct. 14 Houghton County Board of Commissioners meeting, attorney David Gemignani told the board that the Tri-County Public Defenders (TCPD) contract included in the meeting packet was not the most recent draft circulated. "The Tri County Public Defenders Contract that is in the Board’s packet is not the last draft that was circulated," Gemignani said during agenda-only public comment.
Administrator Rheault reviewed an email in the packet from Ann Harris regarding TCPD insurance coverage and confirmed the need to clarify whether the county was listed as an insured. Commissioners discussed the contract language and insurance, and agreed to define Article 16 to add Houghton County as an insured under TCPD coverage.
Commissioner Glenn Anderson moved, and Commissioner Joel Keranen seconded, to accept the contract with the prosecutor’s article revision (noted in minutes as a change suggested by Prosecutor Chuck Miller); the motion carried with a unanimous recorded vote. The board then approved payment actions related to the TCPD August 2025 payment request: the board approved immediate payment of $56,006.96 and approved a separate action to process the larger $70,644.88 request minus the $56,006.96 once MDIC reimbursement is received.
The minutes record that Administrator Rheault and Ann Harris participated in the discussion; Ann Harris offered to bring the contract to the Baraga and Keweenaw County meetings if Rheault could make the changes before those meetings.
The board’s action clarifies two operational points: Houghton County’s inclusion as an additional insured on TCPD insurance coverage, and immediate processing of a substantial TCPD payment while the remainder awaits external reimbursement.
Next steps: Administrator Rheault will incorporate the agreed edits into the contract documents and coordinate with TCPD and county finance staff to process payments and to confirm the pending MDIC reimbursement.