OTTAWA COUNTY — Ottawa County is looking to restructure its in-house legal services with the creation of a new employee position that will oversee day-to-day needs.
The move comes in the wake of longtime county attorney Doug Van Essen and interim corporation counsel Ron Bultje indicating their intentions to retire by the end of the year.
“The county has a need to fulfill legal services, at least at the in-house level. So, since coming here, it became quickly evident the amount of need there is for in-house legal support on a daily basis, and I think you have seen that over the course of your tenures as well,” County Administrator Patrick Waterman told county commissioners on Tuesday, March 10, during a Finance and Administration meeting.
What is proposed
The idea, Waterman said, is to split what traditionally has been known as “corporation counsel” into two separate roles, where the legal services director would oversee day-to-day legal services, such as advising department heads and commissioners, drafting and reviewing contracts, regulatory compliance, fulfilling Freedom of Information Act requests and coordinating with outside counsel…