2023-11-21 - Midland County Board of Commissioners - Public Comments by Renita, Bill and Larry

Here is a link to the full video: https://youtu.be/ztTVtrN1YNM?si=93UPaJv0XfpUY9hGShow more

Here are Renita's comments:
Renita Bonadies Homer Township. I have been attending the Board of Commissioner meetings, Executive Meetings and Subcommittee meetings for over two years now on a pretty regular basis. I began attending to see how our government and elected public servants work in this county.

When I first attended, there was public comment at the beginning of the meetings for non-agenda items. Then as each agenda item was proposed and discussed, there was an opportunity for public comments on that agenda item. When I attended the subcommittee meetings, there was a similar pattern of allowing public comments on the items being voted on.
This has all changed now, especially at the start of 2023. We are now told that we are only allowed to make a public comment on items that exist on the agenda at the start of the meeting. There is no longer an opportunity to give public comment as each agenda item is motioned and discussed.
If new business is proposed and added to the agenda, there is no longer a method to have public comment on these added agenda items, as the public does not know about them before the meeting.

The subcommittees have also changed. We are now told that we are there to observe the meeting and that there is no public comment or interaction. This is really not true. According to the Open Meeting Act, these are public meetings and are to allow for public comments, as votes are taking place and decisions are being made. So this is a direct violation of the OMA. The Executive Board also has a quorum of the Board of Commissioners present, so it should be under the OMA and allow for public comments as well.

When there were some big meetings a while back about the dams and Four Lakes Task Force, the public was told at these meetings that the discussions took place at the Subcommittee meetings. That was where they were to voice their concerns and interact with the commissioners.
So I ask you, where is the public voice heard and where are the issues put on public record? I realize even these public comments fall outside the new policy guidelines put in place this year. If all conversation goes on in private only, how do we inform the rest of the public about our concerns? How will you know what the people that elected you and live in this community think and believe?

Finally, I would like to know why the Executive committee meetings are not live streamed and recorded. It seems there are many unable to attend these daytime meetings. So the recordings are the only way they can go back and hear what is going on in the county. For instance, the Sheriff gave a 20 minute presentation at the Executive Committee meeting on Dec. 13, 2022. (Here is the link:

• 2022-12-13 - Midland Commissioner Exe... .) It seemed strange to put that much time into reviewing the Sheriff’s role and activities in the county to such a small number of people. Why wouldn’t that have been recorded and made available? I believe all of the Executive meetings should be live streamed and the recordings made available.
Thank you.