In board chair's absence, public allowed back into Kent County board chambers

The public was allowed into the Kent County chambers again on Thursday, October 12, 2018 for the monthly Board of Commission meeting. It was the quarterly evening meeting held at 6 p.m., instead of the usual 8:30 a.m.

Board Chair, Commissioner Jim Saalfeld of District 11 was notably absent from the meeting. The last county board meeting on September 27, 2018 when the public was kept from the chambers and directed to watch the meeting from another room through closed circuit TV was at the direction of Saalfeld and county staff.

Vice Chair, Commissioner Mandy Bolter of District 5 presided over the meeting. Bolter opened the meeting saying, "We welcome everyone. We want everyone to feel welcome here at our commission meetings," to which several in the public laughed.

During public comment, Stephen Wooden, who is currently running for District 18 in the Kent County Commission, said he wanted to express his “sincere frustration and disapproval” that anyone “should need to be escorted by an armed guard to express their opinion.”

Idalia Tinoco spoke in Spanish had Jeff Smith translate her comments. She introduced herself as a local restaurant owner and told the story of how she came to America, originally undocumented because her parents were looking to give her a better life. “Your involvement is causing a lot of harm to us. I am not an animal. I am a single mother and I have a great desire to see my children succeed in this country. And because I am a business owner, when ICE takes a parent, they are also taking an employee.”

She received the verbal two minute warning commenters are given during their three minute time period and supporters in the crowd urged the commission to let her finish speaking since her time was shortened due to translating. She was allowed to finish her remarks.

Another commenter who just gave her name as Virginia noted, “So many families are getting ripped apart. You are getting money from every deportee. These are people are picking your apples.”

At the end of the public comment time, members of Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE chanted “End the Contract” as Bolter moved the meeting forward with its agenda.

At the end of the meeting during “Miscellaneous” time when the commissioners can speak to whatever they wish, a few commissioners noted they were pleased to have the meetings 'back to normal' and relieved to be having the public in the room again. These included Commissioners Phil Skaggs, Betsy Melton, Carol Hennessey and Dan Koorndyke.

Commissioners David Bulkowski, Betsy Melton, and Carol Hennessey all called for the implementation for a task force to look at what the county could do about the concerns around undocumented immigrants and ICE.

Commissioner Jim Talen committed to put together a summary from meetings he’d been in with the community and the Kent County sheriffs and undersheriffs so other commissioners could also learn as he did as “a backdrop to whatever actions we take moving forward.”

Commissioner Robert Womack said he didn’t want a task force, but that “the time has come to write up a resolution recommending to the Sheriff’s Department to end the ICE contract and have it voted upon so we can go on record to see what each commissioner thinks.” He noted that even with “disruptions” in past meetings, the commissioners had had many chances  to hear “a lot of heartfelt testimony” from the community.

Bolter closed the meeting by acknowledging the work of the Kent County staff and asked the commissioners to “assume positive intent in each other.”

The meeting can be viewed here on the Kent County’s Youtube channel.