City Manager recognized with letter of appreciation
By Barb Pert Templeton
There are several opportunities at Marine City Commission meetings to be heard including from residents during the public comments portion and commissioners during the commissioners’ privilege.
The recent Aug. 17 meeting seemed unusually quiet in terms of comments from residents with just one stepping up to the microphone but it prompted a fiery chastising of Commissioner Michael Hilferink.
Photo courtesy of CTV Community TelevisionMarine City Commissioner Brian Ross said he’s been fielding calls and texts from residents who state they want to apologize for one commissioner’s actions and even state they are sorry they voted for him.
The commissioner stepped away from the board table to be heard as just a regular resident during public comments. He shared his dismay at the way a recent personnel investigation report had been handled by the city’s previous administration. His demeanor and delivery of the information seemed to upset resident Rosalie Skwiers.
After Hilferink left the podium, Skwiers stepped up to be heard.
“You just got up here like a trailblazer with a volcanic emotional, angry, arrogant performance, but this is what I have a problem with, you’re wearing your emotions on your sleeve, emotions don’t make a good engine they make a way better caboose, and that’s not a leadership quality to come up here and perform in such an angry manner,” Skwiers, who frequently shares her opinions during the public comments portion of city meetings, said.
“Your arrogance is incredible,” Skwiers continued. “And do you know what arrogance means, it means when you always think you’re right and you know what sir, the way you’re performing means you probably aren’t right.”
Marine City Manager Scott Adkins was given a letter of appreciation from a majority of the members of the city commission at an Aug. 17, 2023 meeting.
She also stated that she’s gone to tons of meetings and she’s never seen anything like Hilferink and said I have a feeling the city is going to end up sued.
“You need to take some lessons and learn about our charter because you’re on some dangerous ground here,” Skweirs concluded.
During the commissioner privilege portion of the meeting, where each official can make any comment they’d like, Hilferink began by reading a quote from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding the first amendment and free speech. He then addressed Skweirs comments about him.
“I’m fine with someone in the audience calling me a douche for simply exercising my right to free speech and speaking up for the people,” Hilferink said. “Yeah, the public is pissed and I have some of those same emotions, I wouldn’t call it anger but I do have same emotions as the public about information not being shared with the public.”
During the commissioner privilege portion of the meeting that evening. Commissioner Jacob Bryson had strong words for whomever posted the report on Facebook.
“Take them down, stop, do whatever you need to do mitigate the damage,” he said.
As the commissioner comments moved along, Commissioner Brian Ross took a deep breath and shared this statement.
“This is difficult and kind of sad, I get reached out to quite frequently – and it’s been very frequently lately – with messages, texts, phone calls, emails all basically apologizing for one commissioner’s actions,” Ross aid. “And to also say they apologize for voting for them and they also mentioned they are fearful of coming to meetings and speaking out because they are afraid of online retaliation or personal retaliation, that to me is a pretty big problem.”
Ross went on to thank the people for their courage in reaching out to him and thanked them for participating in democracy and reaching out to commissioners who will listen.
Mayor Jennifer Vandenbossche said she wanted to utilize her privilege to state that the majority of the commission appreciates the work of City Manager Scott Adkins. She said in light of recent events and things that have been going on and things being said and done about him and quite unfairly so, ‘we want you to know that the majority of this board supports the work that you are doing and appreciates you.”
The letter read in part: “You have shown exceptional knowledge and ability in all related areas needed for the position and we greatly appreciate your leadership and dedication to the city.”
The letter was to be presented to Adkins at the conclusion of the meeting. Six of seven commissioners signed the document, Commissioner Michael Hilferink’s named was missing and he later stated publicly on a FB page that he had “no knowledge” and “no invitation” to join the other commissioners in signing the paper.
