EDITOR:

I just finished watching the Delta County Board of Commissioners meeting of the whole which took place on Tuesday evening, March 28. I am mortified and embarrassed to think that this is what is being preserved and made available on YouTube for people everywhere to watch. All of the meetings have become an exercise in frustration and confusion, but this one may take the cake.

There is little to no effort on the part of certain commissioners to compromise. Commissioner Barron seems to think that he is the only one who knows what is necessary in the hiring process for a new county administrator. And, since most votes are coming down to a 3-2 split, he can simply bully his way through until Commissioners Malnar and Viau have no alternative but to just give in or have the meeting run into the wee hours of the morning (for which Commissioner Viau will then be blamed).

I see no evidence of research or attempts to educate themselves on the part of either Commissioner Moyle or Commissioner Barron. Instead, we get “We have always done it this way.” Or “I have been a part of many of these searches in the past.” Is that seriously supposed to satisfy the constituents? Obviously, the fact that things have always been done this way seems to be one of the many reasons for the dissatisfaction of the citizens of Delta County.

There is absolutely no excuse for commissioners to be reading material from their iPads when other commissioners are speaking. Everyone deserves the courtesy of being listened to. Clearly a closed mind cannot be changed — failure to listen is the hallmark of a closed mind. And using a personal cell phone during a public meeting is unconscionable. There is no excuse that makes that ok. This is especially ironic since some of us aren’t even able to get a response to an email.

The ineptness, violations of procedures, and general chaos that pervades these meetings should concern every citizen of Delta County. The same people speak over and over about their concerns, and yet nothing gets done. It’s time for a change.

Shirley Gollach

Escanaba