OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- Newly released minutes of a 2023 closed session show a $4 million settlement to force the departure of the county’s health officer was on the table at the time.

The minutes were released Thursday, Nov. 20 as part of a legal settlement with the Holland Sentinel.

The Nov. 6 meeting became a point of controversy for former board Chair Joe Moss, who in February 2024 described the proposed $4 million settlement as a “false narrative from the media.”

A large-sum settlement with county Health Officer Adeline Hambley never came to fruition and she remains the county’s health officer today.

In 2023, several commissioners tied to the highly conservative Ottawa Impact political platform wanted Hambley removed over her ties to COVID rules and regulations that happened in 2020

See Full Page