Tuesday’s Huron County Board of Commissioners meeting ran long — nearly five hours of interviews for various boards and commissions — and despite the time invested, the board did not accomplish everything it set out to do. Absent members, failed votes, and a deliberate decision to table key appointments left some seats unfilled while others were successfully staffed after what turned out to be a demanding session.
Appointments Made and Tabled
The board managed to fill several positions by the end of the meeting. Kat Sturtz was appointed to the Nature Center Board of Directors. Dean Smith was appointed to the open seat on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Marvin Emming and Keith Stirrett were both appointed to the Department of Veteran Affairs. And after multiple rounds of balloting on the mental health board, commissioners ultimately selected Jack Stapleton, Dawn Hendricks, Rich Swartzendruber, and Thomas Sulowski to serve.
The mental health board selections required multiple ballots before a result was reached — a reflection of how seriously commissioners are taking those appointments given the importance of behavioral health services in the county. The Thumb region is currently in the middle of a regional behavioral health needs assessment, with the Thumb Community Health Partnership conducting a survey through March 31st to better understand mental health needs and gaps across Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties. Having a fully seated and capable mental health board is directly relevant to how the county responds to whatever that survey surfaces.
The Planning Commission appointments were a different story. After a couple of failed votes to fill those seats, commissioners decided to table the appointments entirely until the full board could be present. Commission Chair Mary Babcock and Commissioner Sami Khoury were both absent from Tuesday’s meeting, and the board determined that decisions of this scope should wait for full attendance rather than be pushed through with a reduced quorum. It is a reasonable call — Planning Commission appointments carry long-term land use implications, and getting them right matters more than getting them done quickly.
Older Citizens Fund, Computers, and Small Business Week
Beyond the appointment process, the board handled several other items. Commissioners approved an appropriation from the Older Citizens Fund to Bay Shore Camp in the amount of $3,120 to provide a weekly meal for Sebewaing seniors. That funding connects directly to the ongoing conversation about senior services in Huron County — earlier this year, residents made passionate appeals to the Huron County Board of Commissioners to increase the senior millage, arguing that community programs like senior meal services are essential lifelines for elderly residents living in rural areas. The Bay Shore Camp appropriation is a concrete example of those dollars being put to work for exactly that purpose.
The board also approved the purchase of computers from Dell Technologies for various county offices at a cost not to exceed $25,428. Keeping county office equipment current is a practical necessity — aging computers create inefficiencies, security vulnerabilities, and compatibility issues that affect the quality of services the county delivers to residents. The Dell purchase addresses that in a coordinated, cost-controlled way.
Additionally, commissioners approved a proclamation declaring May 3rd through May 9th as National Small Business Week in Huron County. The recognition is largely ceremonial but carries genuine meaning for the small business owners who form the backbone of the county’s local economy. Formal recognition from county government of the role small businesses play in maintaining community vitality and economic health is a low-cost gesture that carries real symbolic weight for the people it acknowledges.
Union Grievances Taken Under Advisement
The meeting also included a presentation from an American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees representative, who addressed the board regarding two grievances filed by county employees. The AFSCME representative explained the nature of the grievances, and commissioners took the information under advisement — meaning they heard the presentation and will consider their response before acting.
Labor grievances at the county level are not unusual, and the decision to take the matter under advisement rather than respond immediately reflects standard practice when commissioners need time to review the specifics with legal counsel before determining a course of action. The nature of the two grievances was not detailed publicly during the meeting.
For Huron County residents who want to stay engaged with commissioner decisions and upcoming board appointments — including the tabled Planning Commission selections that will come back before the full board at a future meeting — agendas and meeting minutes are available through the county’s official website. The next meeting, with a full board present, will be the setting for resolving the appointment questions that Tuesday’s session could not complete.
For those wanting to understand how county board appointment processes work in Michigan and what the legal framework governing board and commission vacancies requires, the Michigan Association of Counties provides governance resources and guidance for county officials and engaged community members across the state.
