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We are excited to welcome Mr. Bob Hamilton as the first ever Public Defender for Ottawa County. Mr. Hamilton will soon implement the Ottawa County Public Defender’s which will replace the system of assigning attorney’s to represent indigent and partially indigent clients, developed by Judge Raymond Smith in the mid-1960’s, with the new State mandated approach to delivery of these rights required by the U.S. Constitution Bill of Rights.
 Robert C. Hamilton of Holland has been selected as the Ottawa County Public Defender. Hamilton has 30 years of experience in indigent defense counsel giving him extensive knowledge of the criminal justice system. He also comes with leadership qualities that will serve Ottawa County and facilitate this transition well. Hamilton, who is currently an attorney with the law firm Hann Persinger PC, a graduate of Michigan State University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Robert Hamilton will lead the newly created Ottawa County Public Defender Office with locations planned in Holland (12185 James Street) and Grand Haven (1111 Fulton Avenue). The office is a new mandate from the state, in the making since Public Act 93 of 2013 was approved. The act put forth new standards for the public defense delivery system. Ottawa County evaluated its options for complying and in June of 2018, the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, the board overseeing the implementation of PA 93 across the state, approved the plan for the office. The Ottawa County Public Defender Office will provide:
parity in resources between defense counsel and prosecuting attorney the ability to control caseloads more continuity and longevity in experience and the maximization of state funding.
"We are excited to welcome Bob Hamilton as the first Ottawa County Public Defender. Bob has a long track record of excellence as an attorney and has many contacts and resources that will be invaluable as he leads the creation and implementation of the new Public Defenders Office," said Al Vanderberg, Ottawa County Administrator.
"For over 50 years, Ottawa County public defenders have provided exceptional indigent defense services to those individuals unable to afford an attorney. I look forward to continuing their example of dedicated service into the future by utilizing the resources made available by this new plan. I thank Ottawa County for this opportunity, said Hamilton.
Hamilton will begin his duties in early November after state funding is received, where he will initiate Public Defender Office set-up and find top talent to complete the staff. A total of 19.7 full-time equivalent employees are planned to be hired to handle the caseload, including Hamilton. Staffing levels were determined using historical Ottawa County caseload statistics and national caseload recommendations.
Funding for the Public Defender Office will come from both the state and the county, at $1,944,219 and $923,087 respectively. The latter number represents what Ottawa County currently pays in indigent defense costs.
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Ottawa Sands - drone, aerial, summer 2018 via Land Conservancy
(Submitted by Jessica VanGinhoven)
The 345-acre property, situated between the Grand River and Lake Michigan Barrier Dunes, is co-owned by Ottawa County Parks and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan (LCWM). The site includes a pristine 80-acre inland lake created as a result of extensive sand mining activity. Landward of the inland lake the property enjoys over a mile of Grand River frontage.
Ottawa Sands is bordered by significant public coastal duneland properties to the north and south and is the final link in a 2,400-acre connected corridor. The corridor extends six miles from the Grand River outlet to Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, to the northerly reach of P.J. Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon County.
In fall 2017, the former owner of the property approached Ottawa County Parks with an unexpected opportunity to purchase the site. The owner offered to sell the property for $8.4 million (donating 25% of the $11.22 million appraised land value). In December 2017, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) board recommended $4.2 million be allocated for the acquisition. This covered roughly half of the funds needed to acquire the whole property. Ottawa County Parks was encouraged to submit a grant for additional funding to complete the purchase in the next grant cycle (a decision on the additional funding is expected in December 2018).
A condition of sale was that the property be purchased in 2018, in its entirety. Without funds to cover the additional cost of the purchase, Ottawa County Parks approached LCWM for help. LCWM secured a $4 million, short-term loan from The Conservation Fund (a national organization that provides low-interest loans for conservation projects) and purchased the remaining portion of land, and leased its half of the property to Parks to manage.
Public support will be taken into account by the MNRTF and anyone wishing to support the Land Conservancy’s fundraising campaign can do so here: https://naturenearby.org/portfolio_page/projects/ottawasands/
Though the property is not fully owned by Ottawa County Parks and will not be until the loan has been repaid, Ottawa Sands opened to the public on October 15, 2018 following boundary marking, safety improvements, sign and trail marking installations.
Future Development
Since the acquisition of Ottawa Sands was unexpected, funds are not available for its immediate development. The first step toward park improvements will be to create a master plan for the site. The master planning process will include multiple opportunities for public participation and comment. The planning process is expected to begin once Ottawa County Parks owns the entire property.
A preliminary concept plan for development was included in the initial grant request. The concept plan includes a swimming beach area, kayak and non-motorized boat rental, and fishing on the lake; a kayak launch and boat house on the Grand River; public campground; and the development of a hiking trail connecting the six-mile coastal corridor of public land.
To be alerted when this process begins, please contact the Ottawa County Parks Admin office: ocparks@miOttawa.org.
Important Park Rules
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No swimming. Future plans call for a beach area, but until developed, swimming is prohibited.
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Catch and release fishing only. Ottawa County Parks is partnering with the DNR and MSU Extension to study the lake’s fishery and may revise this rule in the future.
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No live bait. Live bait can introduce invasive species; only use artificial bait while fishing.
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Boats, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, inner tubes, and other watercraft on the lake are prohibited. The inland lake is free of invasive species. Watercraft can introduce invasive pests like zebra mussels, sea lamprey, and New Zealand mud snails. Access may be available in the future, after the park is developed.
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Dogs must be on a 10' leash and in control.
All other Ottawa County Parks rules and regulations are in effect.
(Submitted by Kristina Wieghmink)
The local resource guide is available in English or Spanish, the image included is an example. You can download the guides by clicking the following links English or Spanish.
(Submitted by Kristina Wieghmink)
My Community Dental Centers (MCDC) and the Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) are pleased to announce the dental center located at 801 S. Beacon Blvd in Grand Haven will open to the public on Monday, October 29. The center will be a new resource open to the community and will serve children and adults enrolled in Medicaid, Healthy Kids Dental, Healthy Michigan Plan and private dental insurance. MCDC also offers MyDental Plan for patients without dental insurance, which provides reduced fees based on household income. An initial dental exam with X-rays will cost $39 for new patients.
MCDC and OCDPH look forward to providing a dental home to residents of Ottawa County and surrounding areas who have previously been unable to find a dentist. The Grand Haven dental center will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To register as a patient and schedule an appointment, please call 877-313-6232 or visit the MCDC website at www.mydental.org.
MCDC and OCDPH invite community partners and residents to attend a Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening Celebration for the new dental center on Wednesday, November 7 from 4:30 to 6 p.m., where individuals may meet the dental team, tour the dental center and enjoy light refreshments.
(Submitted by Kristina Wieghmink)
The Ottawa County community came together to create its next version of the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). This plan works to help improve the health and well-being of local residents. The full plan and infographic are found at miOttawa.org/2018CHIP.
What is the CHIP?
A plan that focuses on the greatest health needs in Ottawa County. Community members, including people from health care and human service agencies, identified three priority health areas based on data from the Ottawa County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Access to Care I Mental Health I Healthy Behaviors
Why create a plan?
Public health challenges are too great for a person, organization or sector to solve alone. The CHIP is a guide for the community to work together and meet its health needs. This 2018 plan continues the work of the 2015 CHIP, but takes a deeper look at root causes and refines the recommended community strategies.
"A person’s health is affected by so many areas in their life. We as a community must work together to address these factors to truly make a difference," said Health Officer Lisa Stefanovsky with the Ottawa County Department of Public Health.
Be a part of making a difference in your community!
If you want to connect with a specific workgroup, or learn more about the suggested strategies for one of the priority areas, please contact a workgroup representative listed here:
Access to Care: Regarding Pathways to Better Health - Sue Keen skeen@miottawa.org
Mental Health: Regarding Suicide Prevention - Amy Sheele asheele@miottawa.org or all other mental health strategies - Lynne Doyle ldoyle@miottawa.org
Healthy Behaviors: Regarding Ottawa Food - Lisa Uganski luganski@miottawa.org or all other Healthy Behavior strategies - Mishelle Bakewell mishellebakewell@yahoo.com
See what's already happening! (page 93 in the full plan)
KEY FINDINGS
Some CHNA key findings used to develop recommended strategies in the CHIP:
42.1% of Underserved Community Residents had trouble meeting their health care needs in 2017 while only 4.7% of the general population of Community Residents expressed trouble
In the past year, of those who seriously thought about ending their life, 40% of teens attempted suicide compared to 20% of adults
A higher percentage of individuals living in households earning less than $20,000 per year experience mild to severe psychological distress (37.5%) than the general population of Community Residents (16.1%)
A higher number who died from opioid-involved overdose - 2016: 21 deaths and 2017: 28 deaths
Only 17.6% of adults consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, only 8% of households earning less than $20,000 annual income and only 3.1% of adults with less than a high school degree
READ MORE (Full report and infographic available)
Progress since the 2015 CHIP
Some highlights from the abundance of work in our community:
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Development of the Ottawa Pathways to Better Health program designed to assist people with accessing community services, to improve health outcomes and decrease unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency department visits.
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Community-wide efforts to create awareness about mental health through the be nice. campaign and develop/distribute mental health treatment resources.
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Passage of the first-ever mental health millage in Ottawa County.
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Support the efforts of Ottawa Food - A collaboration of 40+ local agencies and individuals who help to ensure all Ottawa County residents have access to healthy, local and affordable food choices.
READ MORE (page 61 in the full plan)
The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation and the Community Foundation for the Holland/Zeeland Area awarded $490,000 in grants from the Michigan Health Endowment Healthy Ottawa Fund to help carry out the 2015 CHIP strategies.
Funded programs:
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Focused on youth, seniors and other high-need groups.
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Demonstrated the most potential for addressing the three prevalent issues identified in the 2015 CHIP.
Total funding by CHIP priority:
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Access to Care: $130,000 (Holland Hospital and Love in Action)
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Mental Health: $110,000 (Wayne Elhart be nice. fund and TCM Counseling)
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Healthy Behaviors: $100,000 (Ottawa Food)
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Covering all priorities: $150,000 (Pathways to Better Health)
(Submitted by Megan Boos)
Click here for the most recent Ottawa County Conservation District Newsletter.
(Submitted by John Weiss)
Click here to view GVMC latest developments.
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