Interim manager says a USB and one email were sent as potential leads; city to refer USB to Michigan State Police

Interim City Manager Kimberly Hines told the Gladwin City Council on May 19 that she had asked anyone with information related to city matters to send it to her and that she had received one email (described in the record as hearsay) and a USB thumb drive containing information.

Hines said she consulted the prosecutor, who recommended turning the USB over to the Michigan State Police for review. She also referenced auditor information from the city’s last five audits concerning internal control, but she did not present additional details about the content or origin of the materials.

The council did not vote to open a forensic audit at the meeting; Hines’ statement requested submissions from the public and described the prosecutor’s recommendation about the physical media. The record does not disclose the authorship of the email or the contents of the USB drive. No formal findings or charges were made during the meeting.

Why it matters: The referral of potentially evidentiary material to state law enforcement indicates the city is treating the submission as potentially beyond routine administrative review; however, the transcript contains limited detail about the substance of the materials or any formal investigative timeline.

What remains unclear: The council record does not specify the nature of the allegations, whether the USB contains documents, audio, or other data, or whether additional records or witnesses exist. Hines urged anyone with relevant information to forward it to her.