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Commissioners approve Second Nature Consulting to write materials management plan despite committee objections
Summary
After public comment from the county materials management planning committee claiming it was bypassed, the Board approved a $56,250 contract with Second Nature Consulting to serve as the county's designated planning agent to prepare the materials management plan, 3–2.
The Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners voted 3–2 to approve a contract with Second Nature Consulting to serve as the county’s Designated Planning Agent (DPA) to write the county materials management plan, despite objections from the county’s Materials Management Planning Committee (MMPC) that it had not been consulted.
Pam Bensing of Woodbridge Township, speaking for the MMPC, told the board the committee had not seen Second Nature’s proposal and had not been informed that the Conservation District had declined to write the plan and that the county intended to contract directly with Second Nature. "The MMPC as a whole has not been notified of this change," Bensing said, and she asked the board to refer the consulting agreement back to the MMPC for review before any vote.
Commissioners who supported the contract said state law requires the county to designate a DPA to prepare the plan and that the DPA, not the committee, performs the writing and grant-eligible work program. One commissioner explained the statutory division of roles: the DPA writes the plan and the MMPC oversees and signs off on the DPA’s work program and public participation steps. Supporters noted existing grant funds (roughly $72,000 referenced in the packet) available to pay for the plan-writing work.
Opponents argued the MMPC had invested time in local planning and expected to be more directly involved in writing the plan. They raised questions about the consultant’s short time in business and the owner’s experience and asked that the MMPC be allowed to review the consultant’s qualifications prior to final commitment. The board debated whether the MMPC had been misinformed and whether the contracting timeline required immediate action.
After the debate the board voted to approve the agreement with Second Nature Consulting to serve as the DPA and to do the plan-writing work for an amount not to exceed $56,250. Commissioners noted the contract was reviewed by legal counsel and that required insurance certificates and disclosure documents would be provided.
