Layoffs start at Ottawa County fitness department after tens of millions in price range cuts

OTTAWA COUNTY — The Ottawa County branch of Public health has laid off half a dozen workforce members after the board of commissioners cut the department's budget via $four million in September.

OCDPH officials confirmed this week six americans had been notified on Friday, Sept. 29, their employment was ending. the entire positions terminated have been tied to supplies the Ottawa impact-managed board rejected for the 2024 fiscal 12 months, which all started Oct. 1.

Ottawa impact is a much-appropriate fundamentalist neighborhood formed in 2021 over school masks mandates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The community currently controls six seats on the 11-member board.

more: In contentious assembly, Ottawa County approves funds with health branch cuts

After two months of conferences, debates and alterations, a pre-assembly protest and more than six hours of public comment and debate Sept. 26, the board voted 7-3 to approve the funds — one commissioner abstained.

Board Chair Joe Moss, founding father of Ottawa influence, spoke of he desired to see the removing of all COVID-19-linked can provide in funds, which accounted for $2.2 million in funding, health officials talked about.

Moss and County Administrator John Gibbs have talked about time and again during finance committee and board meetings "the pandemic is over," citing the Biden Administration's ending of the federal public health emergency declared in January 2020. They argued it became appropriate to come the health department funds to "pre-COVID ranges," despite the fact no different departments saw cuts — and some noticed raises.

COVID-19 has now not been eradicated and continues to be frequent, based on federal fitness officers.

The Sentinel spoke with three personnel whose positions have been terminated. Two spoke on situation of anonymity over fears of retaliation.

One employee described the leadership exchange inside the county as whiplash.

"We had a board where they identified your work and also you had just so a good deal delight," they observed. "and then to go from that to a board where really employees are treated because the enemy, and their leading aim is, 'How will we punish the enemy?' And if you're at the fitness department, you're at the true of the enemy list."

regardless of positive leadership from embattled fitness Officer Adeline Hambley and Deputy health Officer Marcia Mansaray, the personnel say, morale hit an all-time low within the waning weeks of September, as finances negotiations dragged on.

Many personnel became specifically paranoid with the department's social media money owed have been taken over with the aid of Moss and Gibbs in September.

"I suggest, we're all scared the entire time ... and all the time paranoid," the worker pointed out. "You do not need Zoom meetings or groups meetings, since the enterprise could be secretly listening in. You do not are looking to electronic mail anything else they can misread, in case they may be going after your emails.

"You do not need a message or anything that could be misinterpreted. When they arrive to the brown bag lunch, you do not want to even attend since you do not are looking to say whatever thing that can be viewed as indignant, and you're so frustrated and you want to ask questions, but you do not need to do it since you don't need to get on their radar."

As cuts loomed, the first worker stated the department grew to become "toxic and paranoid work way of life, because you're terrified the entire time."

"I suggest, it turned into so bad (human resources) despatched an e mail on Friday to all public fitness with a intellectual health crisis line ... to have greater counseling periods attainable. i'm like, what variety of work culture is it when HR is telling you here's a intellectual health disaster line? it's no longer good."

those emotions were compounded when OI-backed commissioners made statements on their reliable pages.

"they're announcing what a very good job they did to get through the finances, and that i'm like, 'howdy, I misplaced my job, and you're patting yourself on the lower back?'"

The 2d worker pointed out their issues set up when the board took aim at the fitness branch months ago. among allegations had been Moss' misguided claim the branch sponsored Grand Valley State tuition's 2023 sex Ed Week and that it changed into inappropriate for the department to have a presence at pride movements because children had been prone to "grooming."

"It was truly pleasing to see the wave of political transition with OI, however it changed into simply very challenging in opposition t the end to suppose validated within the work we had been doing," the 2d worker referred to. "because the simplest voices we heard had been theirs. And we knew there turned into public support, nevertheless it was truly tough to stay real to that. Some days it become just constantly like layers of concrete being poured on accurate of us repeatedly and once again."

Aaron Stauffer, a health educator, additionally misplaced his job within the recent layoffs.

His highest quality frustration is the claim through Gibbs and Moss that Hambley didn't are attempting to work with the board all over the funds method — which Moss now says proves Hambley's neglect of her tasks and, therefore, is a fireable offense. Moss filed a notice closing week that he'll hold a listening to of elimination for Hambley on Oct. 19; Hambley is subsequent due in court docket for her ongoing lawsuit in opposition t the board on Oct. eleven before the Michigan courtroom of Appeals.

"Our leadership has just been pretty much absurdly superb and just particularly first rate-natured in opposition t this total issue of hoping to work with the board," Stauffer talked about. "and they're form of getting slandered as in the event that they haven't been working with the board at all, which is completely the contrary."

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Stauffer noted he doesn't grasp a private grudge over the layoff, because he knew his role changed into at all times transient, however he noted or not it's complicated to peer grant bucks no longer getting utilized in ways in which may support the public's fitness.

"i know about Moss and his gripes concerning the mask mandates. i used to be a part of the people speakme to schools, getting complaints about that particular faculty, no longer wearing masks. So, of direction they're now not going to love the rest with COVID in the name," Stauffer said.

"however it's a bit irritating to know that we have now obtained all these promises that are only going to get wasted. It has COVID within the name, but we were the usage of it in a ton of alternative ways that have been past simply COVID. We have been able to use it for initiatives for schools, presenting customary disorder prevention stuff like sanitizer and tissues and thermometers — issues that the schools were in fact grateful for."

the most vital factor, the employees stated, is for locals to take elections seriously.

"you may have bought to vote," the first employee observed. "You need to realize how vital local elections are."

"I nonetheless be aware the morning after they have been all elected, and it changed into similar to, 'Oh my gosh, this couldn't have took place. This couldn't have took place.' and that i bet it brings returned the importance of people realizing about native elections and how much consequences these may have for the future," the 2nd employee spoke of.

The 2nd employee introduced OI commissioners should be cautious as they proceed with future choices.

"it be anything that my dad has reiterated to me time and again and once again, with every little thing going on," they noted. "Bitterness destroys the container it's in."

— Sarah Leach is executive editor of The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com. observe her on Twitter@SentinelLeach.

this article at the start appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Layoffs begin at Ottawa County fitness department after hundreds of thousands in price range cuts