The Chippewa County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, August 11, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. in the Courtroom of the Chippewa County Courthouse.

Present: Commissioners Don Cooper, Rita Dale, Richard Timmer, Aaron Hopper, Jim Moore and

Chairman Earl Kay

Absent: Commissioner Ted Postula

Also Present: Bridgett Nodurft, Don and Chris McLean, Susan DeCourcey, Mary Marsh, Rikki

Timmer, Mary Piralli, Tom Farnquist, Sean Ley, Tim Dolehanty, Controller and

Diane Cork, County Clerk

It was moved by Commissioner Cooper, supported by Commissioner Timmer, to acknowledge the correspondence received in the Clerk’s Office, and if necessary, forward to the appropriate committee. On a voice vote, the motion carried.

It was moved by Commissioner Dale, supported by Commissioner Timmer, to approve the County Board minutes of July 14, 2003 with the following correction: Page 2 should read U.S. Representative Stupak and not Senator Stupak. On a voice vote, the motion carried.

PUBLIC COMMENTS:

Bridget Nodurft, Whitefish Point Preservation Society, addressed the County Board with concerns of preserving the history of the Whitefish Point Lighthouse as an historic site. She stated that this site is also unique because it a migratory route for wild birds and the goals of the WPPS is to assure this site is restored to historic accuracy and is not commercialized and to protect the fragile ecological environment and significant migratory flyway.

The Preservation Society is questioning the approval of Federal Funds for restoration projects, destroying the natural habitat and because of this, the loss of income for area businesses.

In response to Ms. Nodurft’s statements, Tom Farnquist , Executive Director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Society, addressed the County Board stating that he has asked to have a meeting with the WPPS and any others who wish to attend to talk about their concerns, but that meeting has not taken place.

Mr. Farnquist explained that the Great Lakes Shipwreck Society is not a profit making organization that in fact lost over $200,000 last year and does not feel that there is competition with the businesses within the township. It is not the intent of the Society to take business away from the merchants in Whitefish Township but to supply a service to the area and increase the areas economy.

He explained that if you use Federal dollars, you must go thru a 106 review (audit) and jump through a lot of hoops and the Shipwreck Society prides itself in doing this for the historic and educational value to the community. Mr. Farnquist believes that Shipwreck Society is probably the largest non-profit organization in Michigan and does not feel that monies received and the projects done with these monies violates any laws nor historic value.

Chairman Kay noted that the County Board would be willing to sit with these two organizations at a group meeting to discuss concerns involved if asked.

The following statement was read by Mr. McLean:

“Over the last few weeks there have been a number of stories in the Detroit News and the Free Press explaining the horrible Mental Health System in the Detroit area.

There is a tendency for us to believe that those are big city Detroit problems.

The truth is that in our three county area, served by Hiawatha Behavioral Health, we have had incidents of a deaf mentally ill patient, in crisis, being directed to come back tomorro9w, and later being killed in a train/car accident because services were not provided near home; of a middle aged husband, father and grandfather suddenly developing depression and paranoia and being sent home with no information to his family only to have him commit suicide; of a severely mentally ill middle aged ma to be termed as “very resourceful” and allowed to become homeless despite protests from his caring family, only to be beaten to death in an alley; or of a woman with a long documented history of mental health problems to be determined as no longer in need of mental health services and to later die trying to cure herself.

Each of these people had families trying desperately to get their loved one the treatment they needed.

The newspaper articles mention that the system provides inadequate services while squandering money on inefficient multi-layered administration. The articles mention how money is tight, pay is low and homes had to be closed in the Detroit area.

We differ here. In our area we are building more office buildings and agency group homes while forcing privately run homes to close. We are providing paid college tuition for employees, pad staff recognition luncheons and parties, expensive board retreats, bronze plaques honoring former board members, out of state travel for employees and board members, expensive luxury cars for personal use ad the latest $10,000 spent on unnecessary landscaping.

How is this possible?

Does the state provide us with extra money because we live in the U.P.?

Does Medicare have a special formula for the U.P.?

Do we have fewer mentally ill people per population in the U.P.?

We all know the answers to these questions are NO.

We believe the management of HBH has systematically screened people out, has refused services and cut needy clients out in order to spend the money on their multi-layered administration.

At the last HBH meeting we had to listen to a lengthy CEO report about how Chippewa County wanted to forget history and how he had saved Chippewa County; about all the buildings the CEO built and how under his guidance the Board had made such good decisions and had improved staff moral.

His history emphasized material fixtures and furniture that made the staff and himself more comfortable.

What about the history of services to those people I mentioned earlier?”