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Saugatuck council appoints Joe Clark to vacant seat amid process questions
Summary
The Saugatuck City Council appointed Joe Clark to a vacant council seat Oct. 17; the roll-call in the minutes lists three yes votes and two abstentions, and a councilmember raised Open Meetings Act concerns after reports that Clark had been pre-selected.
The Saugatuck City Council on Oct. 17 appointed Joe Clark to fill a vacant council seat, with his term running through Nov. 25 and taking effect upon being sworn in.
Mayor Pro-Tem Baldwin nominated Clark, and Councilmember Dean seconded the appointment. The minutes record the roll-call as Yes: Anderson, Baldwin and Stanton; Abstain: Gardner and Muncey; No: none. Clerk Jamie Wolters then administered the oath of office to Joe Clark.
The appointment followed a series of seven-minute presentations by five applicants — Joe Clark, Dan Fox, Mark Klungle, Joe Leonatti and Chris Peterson; one applicant, Sherry Tedaldi, was unable to attend. Earlier in the meeting Councilmember Gardner had proposed a procedural amendment to let council members ask each applicant two questions after their presentations; that motion (moved by Gardner, seconded by Muncey) failed on a voice vote reported as a 3-3 tie.
During council discussion after the appointment, Councilmember Gardner said he had “recently received credible reports from community members claiming that a councilmember indicated Joe Clark had already been selected,” and he warned those reports raised potential Open Meetings Act concerns and stressed the need to improve appointment procedures. Gardner apologized to Clark if his remarks seemed personal and said the comments were intended to address process. The meeting minutes record Gardner’s remarks as calling for greater transparency in deliberations.
Members of the public also used the meeting’s public-comment periods to press for transparency. Resident Dick Waskin urged the council to “strive for collaboration and avoid an ‘us versus them’ mentality,” while Bryan Hoffman criticized city legal costs and alleged frivolous lawsuits tied to real-estate interests. Ethan Barde referenced a recent FOIA request when urging greater transparency.
Councilmembers also offered brief remarks welcoming the new member. Mayor Pro-Tem Baldwin thanked all applicants for participating; Councilmember Clark thanked the council for its trust and said he is committed to serving residents. Councilmember Dean reminded residents that early voting begins Oct. 26 at the township hall, and Councilmember Muncey promoted a Make-A-Wish fundraiser Oct. 19 at the Dunes Resort.
Notably, the meeting minutes contain an internal inconsistency: the text states the appointment motion “carried 4-0,” yet the recorded roll-call lists three yes votes and two abstentions. The minutes do not explain that discrepancy. The new councilmember’s term and the council’s next steps on any process changes were not otherwise specified in the minutes.
