News Photo by Steve Schulwitz
Alpena County Clerk Keri Bertrand gives the oath of office to freshly elected commissioners during the county Board of Commissioners’ organizational meeting on Tuesday.
ALPENA — Tuesday’s Alpena County Board of Commissioners’ meeting had a few tense moments as some commissioners believed they should wait until a board vacancy is filled before electing a new chairperson and vice chair and making committee placements.
Former commissioner John Kozlowski was reelected last year but was forced to remove himself from the board because his job wouldn’t let him run in an election. However, his job does allow him to be appointed into his former seat, he said.
The board is expected to interview candidates for the seat on Jan. 24 and it’s likely the board will vote on an appointment the same day.
After the commissioners — including four new ones — took their oath of office, the board had to elect a new chairperson. Because of the vacancy, however, some on the board believed the vote for new leadership should be delayed.
Commissioner Travis Konarzewski made a motion to table a vote for Commissioner Bill Peterson for chairman, but the vote failed four to three, with Commissioners Konarzewski, Jesse Osmer, and Brenda Fournier voting to table the issue but Commissioners Peterson, Dave Karschnick, Bill LaHaie, and Burt Francisco voting to move forward with the process.
“We need to vote for a chairman today,” Karschnick said.
Ultimately, commissioners named Peterson chairman through a secret ballot among the commissioners. When the pieces of paper were tallied, Peterson received six votes and one vote against. Because of the process commissioners used, the public could not tell which commissioner voted for or against.
Francisco was elected vice chairman.
After taking his seat at the center of the table, Peterson read off his committee appointments, which he had prepared before being elected chair.
That rubbed some on the board the wrong way, as there was little consideration for who the commissioners might appoint to fill the board vacancy.
Peterson said he would reexamine the committees again down the road when the vacant seat is filled.
“This can all be changed and reworked,” he said.
One heavily debated topic revolved around a pair of appointments to the county Parks and Recreation Commission.
Peterson appointed former commissioners Bob Adrian and Marty Thomson to the parks panel. Peterson said Adrian and Thomson were the right picks because they have been involved in large ongoing projects and should be counted on to see those projects through completion.
Fournier took exception with the selections because other candidates applied and were interviewed, including former commissioner Kevin Osbourne.
Jesse Osmer, a new commissioner, also took issue with the appointments he was given. He said he wasn’t placed on any of the statutory committees, which gives his constituents less of a voice on important decisions.
“I’m an alternate on all of them and I would like that to be reconsidered as soon as possible,” Osmer said.
The county will advertise the open seat and people who are interested and live in the county’s District 8 — which includes Sanborn and Ossineke townships — can contact the county Clerk’s Office. The information is also expected to be posted on the county’s website.
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