EDITOR:

I regularly attend airport board meetings, which occur monthly at the Delta County Airport.

Ms. Andrea Numillen, our Delta County Airport manager, has been without an assistant manager since February 23.

On March 13, the Airport Advisory Board unanimously voted in favor of a resolution for compensation for Ms. Numillen and requested it to be forwarded to the board of commissioners, as she was doing the work of two jobs.

Precedence had been set by the board of commissioners by paying our interim county administrator two full wages, that of administrator and that of controller/HR.

At the March 21 county commissioners meeting, it was stated Ms. Numillen’s potential compensation needed to be sent first to the Finance Committee.

At Finance Committee on March 24, no decision was made and it was sent to Committee of the Whole. However, it was not on the COH agenda, as the meeting was intended to be specific to one agenda item (at the meeting there was a second item added at that meeting itself regarding the parks).

At the April 4 County Commissioners meeting, the commission again pushed this item back to the Finance Committee.

On April 5, Commissioner Moyle stated on Craig Woerpel’s Newsmakers that there was a $5,000 raise being discussed, however this had never been thoroughly discussed at Airport, Finance, nor with the full board.

At the Finance Committee last week, as well as at the last monthly airport board meeting, Ms. Numillen requested a stipend to an amount the board deemed fit and her vacation time reinstated as she was required to take her work phone with her on vacation. Her request for vacation reinstatement was pushed to the side. During this meeting, she was questioned by Commissioner Barron regarding the assistant hiring process thus far. Ms. Numillen stated she had two very qualified candidates who both withdrew their resumes and applications due to concerns regarding this board and politics. She offered to send Commissioner Barron emails and text screenshots of these withdrawals.

At county commissioner meeting April 18, her stipend was once again tabled due to Chairman Moyle stating there was an ongoing investigation of he and Commissioner Barron. It would have been completely acceptable and easy for Commissioner Moyle to recuse himself/abstain from voting, as he was concerned about potential litigation.

I am completely disappointed in this board regarding this issue.

Kelli Van Ginhoven

Escanaba