New Ottawa County board members award no-bid contract to law firm with ties to board chair

Ottawa County commissioners authorised a no-bid deal truly worth more than $580,000 at a meeting on Tuesday, irrespective of some problems from inhabitants and commissioners more than transparency and a possible conflict of fascination.

It was the 2nd conference for the board, less than a new the vast majority that was elected with the support of Ottawa Effect PAC, a political committee shaped in opposition to university mask mandates throughout the pandemic.

Two of the founders of the PAC are now the chair and vice chair of the board of commissioners. And nine of the commission’s 11 customers were being elected with the assistance of Ottawa Effect PAC.

Tuesday, they voted to approve a contract with the Kallman Authorized Team to provide as company counsel for the county. The Lansing-dependent business submitted a number of lawsuits opposing crisis orders for the duration of the pandemic, and was lively from Proposal 3, which legalized abortion services in Michigan.

“When you have the greatest, you have the ideal.”

The two-yr contract accepted Tuesday would spend Kallman Authorized Group $225 for each hour for a minimal of 1,248 several hours of operate this year, and $240 for each hour following 12 months. Kallman is set to make at least $580,320 about the class of the contract, and perhaps a lot more on litigation filed from the county, which it will be authorized to invoice at a bigger price.

The deal arrived right after board customers moved to fireplace the county’s former top rated authorized advisor at their previous conference, with out warning.

And it arrived inspite of worries from some commissioners and citizens that the approach lacked transparency, and did not include things like a regular ask for for proposal, which would have specified other legislation firms an prospect to bid for the contract.

“We usually go through an RFP method,” claimed commissioner Rebekah Curran, who was elected with the assist of Ottawa Impact PAC, but who voted from the deal for Kallman Lawful Team. “No one particular else to my awareness was concerned in the selection-generating approach when it arrived to selecting this attorney.”

But commissioner Sylvia Rhodea, who set forward the deal for a vote, argued against a movement from fellow commissioners that would have employed Kallman for only a quick time body, whilst it opened up a competitive bidding approach to locate other companies for the complete two-year contract.

“It definitely doesn’t make a whole whole lot of perception to transfer this again into an open course of action,” Rhodea explained. “When you have the greatest, you have the best.”

Kallman connections

Inhabitants said they had been also concerned about connections between Kallman Legal Team and Joe Moss, the latest board chair and co-founder of Ottawa Effects PAC.

Moss’s small business lover is Joel Kallman, who is the nephew of David Kallman, the head of Kallman Lawful Team.

Joel Kallman also played a vital position in Ottawa Impact PAC for the duration of the election that introduced several of the recent board customers into electrical power.

Marketing campaign finance documents demonstrate Ottawa Impact PAC elevated more than $100,000 all through the 2022 election, and more than $60,000 of the cash it spent went to a company identified as For Liberty LLC for world wide web internet hosting, bookkeeping and other companies.

At the very least seven of the present board associates elected with the assist of Ottawa Impact PAC acquired website guidance from For Liberty LLC, with Ottawa Impression PAC resources.

Point out company records record Joel Kallman as the resident agent for For Liberty LLC. He’s also the agent for Roosted LLC, which been given $1,800 from Ottawa Influence PAC for rent at its places of work at 517 Baldwin St. in Jenison. Which is also the exact same address stated for For Liberty LLC and Freshphone.

On LinkedIn, Joel Kallman is shown as CEO of Freshphone, and Joe Moss, the new chair of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners is shown as its CFO.

Prospective conflict of interest?

Through Tuesday’s assembly as commissioners organized to vote on the $580,320 contract awarded to Joel Kallman’s spouse and children customers, commissioner Roger Bergman lifted the concern of a feasible conflict of desire.

“Mr. Chairman, I would like to inquire if there’s any on the board who have a probable conflict of desire, that they abstain from voting,” Bergman mentioned.

“Is there everyone on the board who has a possible conflict of fascination?” Moss responded, searching close to at the other commissioners.

Moss did not abstain. The agreement with Kallman Lawful Team was authorized by a 1-vote margin, with 5 commissioners voting in opposition to it.

“There was a distinct, distinct, crystal clear conflict of desire,” stated resident Oliver Shampine, in the course of a public comment portion of the conference after the vote. “So that’s just over and above disappointing.”

Attained by telephone on Tuesday, David Kallman, the founder of Kallman Lawful Team, confirmed to Michigan Radio that Joel Kallman is his nephew, but laughed at the thought that the deal offered a conflict for commissioner Joe Moss.

“That’s ridiculous,” David Kallman mentioned. “That’s foolish. There’s no conflict of interest there, that is my comment.”