Prosecutor recommends closed meeting minutes be released

A closed session of the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners September 8 to discuss contracts and strategy associated with the Rural Michigan Community Development Corporation did not meet statutory requirements of the Open Meetings Act and will have to be released, according to Presque Isle County prosecutor Don McLennan. McLennan, who sat in on the closed session early last month, recommended that the minutes be released to the public at the board’s next meeting, October 13.

“As I sat here during the executive session and I listened to the discussion, it struck me that it wasn’t for the purpose of negotiations with public officials, that sort of thing,” said McLennan. Cindy Srebnik, who had been responsible for administering the housing program for Presque Isle County and the Alpena rental rehab program for more than four years, filed a Freedom of Information Act request to have the minutes released.

“I WORKED VERY hard and put a lot of hard work into the community, bringing in affordable housing to this area,” she told the board. “I think we need our community to become involved in the issues we have right now between the county and MARCH, and I think there are a lot of issues out there right now that could jeopardize any future funding for our county, for our people.” The nonprofit community housing development organization was under fire at last Thursday’s meetin

g of the commissioners for getting behind on payments to area contractors. The Rural Michigan CDC was known as the Montmorency Area Rural Community Housing program, or MARCH, and has administered Presque Isle County housing projects since September 1, 2003.

“THERE ARE a lot of issues with the corporation right now,” said Carol Steiger, the former executive director of MARCH. At last week’s meeting, she told the board that she has filed several lawsuits in Montmorency County against MARCH and against acting director Paul Wingate. Steiger said depositions could be taken as early as next month.

Vice chairman Gary Wozniak said there were two parties interested in the housing program contracts for the county and that’s why he requested the closed session. “There have been things going on with both parties and I didn’t want to have things dragged out,” said Wozniak, who was looking for direction in the closed session on how to proceed.