Kalkaska board approves hourly contract with outgoing administrator to assist transition; vote 4–3

On a 4–3 vote, the Board approved working with outgoing County Administrator David Schaeffer on a contractual, hourly basis to assist with the transition to an interim or permanent Administrator/CFO. Commissioners who supported the motion said continuity during the transition required administrator involvement; opponents wanted further information on estimated hours and total cost before approving.

Schaeffer described the anticipated work: he will hold weekly Zoom check-ins (Thursdays) with staff, request status updates from department heads, and handle meeting-packet preparation and phone calls from commissioners and department heads as needed. "The meeting packets alone are a huge job, sometimes taking him 6 to 8 hours to complete and causing him to work late at night," Schaeffer said. The minutes record Schaeffer will confer with consultant Chet Janek on timing and will work with county counsel to draft the hourly agreement, with the draft expected to be delivered by June 6 for Board review prior to the June 11 Committee of the Whole meeting.

Board members recorded differing views on whether sufficient time existed to negotiate compensation before June 11; Baldwin suggested a special meeting if necessary. The approved motion authorizes staff to proceed with an hourly contracting arrangement subject to the forthcoming draft agreement and final approval.