Housing Commission Appointment

On the agenda for this Tuesday’s Appointment and Alignment Committee, the Committee has a suggested motion to select one (1) candidate to fill one (1) Housing Commission Member vacancy. The interview subcommittee interviewed 11 candidates for the position.

As a member of the Interview Subcommittee, I was struck by the high number of very qualified candidates who applied for the position to help us navigate the critical issues facing us in Ottawa County in the housing area. I have mentioned at various times my desire to consider reimagining the current Housing Commission to make it a larger board, with more members who could bring deeper and wider sets of perspectives, with more specialized expertise and increased geographical diversity.

Given the applications that we have received and the high-quality nature of those applicants, I think not taking this opportunity to expand the current Board, and make it more resemble the current Groundwater Advisory Board, would be a disservice to County residents, who have consistently spoken about the need for the County to work deeply on the issue of creating more Housing Opportunity throughout the county.