Resolution Opposing a Vaccine Mandate

At a meeting of the Board of Commissioners (“Board”) of the County of Ottawa, Ottawa County, Michigan, held at the Ottawa County Fillmore Complex, Board Room, 12220 Fillmore Street, West Olive, Michigan on October 26, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. local time.

Present at roll call: Francia Garcia, Douglas Zylstra, Allen Dannenberg, Randall Meppelink, Kyle Terpstra, James Holtvluwer, Gregory DeJong, Philip Kuyers, Roger Bergman, Matthew Fenske.
Absent: Joseph Baumann.

The following resolution was offered by Commissioner Gregory DeJong and supported by Commissioner:

WHEREAS, President Biden has directed the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue an emergency temporary standard requiring all employers with 100 or more employees to require their employees to be fully vaccinated or to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing; and

WHEREAS, the County of Ottawa has more than 100 employees and as could be subject to this emergency temporary standard from OHSA as proposed; and

WHEREAS, the Board is the employer of County personnel and would be charged with enforcing the vaccination/ testing mandate, and while it encourages its employees to get vaccinated, it also supports their choice on whether or not to be vaccinated and opposes the federal government mandating that they be fully vaccinated or weekly tested; and

WHEREAS, the Board recognizes that COVID-19 testing where individuals have no symptoms could lead to false determinations of COVID-19 and result in unnecessary isolation and contact tracing, which would needlessly impair its resources; and

WHEREAS, the Board has recognized that in states or cities with mandatory vaccinations of employees that many employees have quit rather than be vaccinated; and

WHEREAS, Ottawa County cannot afford to lose a significant number of employees, especially law enforcement officers as a result of the proposed mandate;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners for the County of Ottawa opposes a mandate from the federal government to require all employees to be fully vaccinated or be subject to weekly testing; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Ottawa County Clerk be directed to forward a copy of this Resolution to the White House and OSHA.

Yeas: Randall Meppelink, Gregory DeJong, Kyle Terpstra, Philip Kuyers, Allen Dannenberg, Matthew Fenske.
Nays: Francisco Garcia, James Holtvluwer, Douglas Zylstra, Roger Bergman.