By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
With less than a month to go before the Zeeland City Council primary election, City Clerk Pam Holmes has gone on medical leave.
Holmes, who has been with the city for 16 years, the last seven as city clerk, went on leave June 25 and will be away from her position for an undetermined period of time, City Manager Tim Klunder said Monday night.
Before Holmes went on leave, she appointed two individuals to serve as deputy clerks on a temporary basis – former City Clerk Karen Jipping and Grand Haven Township Deputy Clerk Kristi DeVerney. Under city charter, the city clerk can appoint their own deputies, subject to confirmation by the City Council. The council ratified the appointments Monday night.
Jipping, who worked for the city for 44 years and served as city clerk from 2009 to 2018, is working Tuesdays through Thursdays in the clerk’s office, while DeVerney, who has been deputy clerk in Grand Haven Township for the last 17 years, is in the office on Friday afternoons and will also help with the upcoming primary, Klunder said.
Meanwhile, the council Monday also authorized Klunder to begin an immediate search for an interim city clerk who will serve until Holmes is able to return to work.
“With our lack of permanent staff assistance within the city clerk’s office, Pam’s need for long-term medical leave, and the upcoming elections on Aug. 5 and Nov. 4, we are facing a need within the city clerk’s office related to general oversight for elections and other day-to-day city clerk functions,” Klunder wrote in a memo to the council.
Such responsibilities include taking minutes at council meetings, handling the posting of public notices and handling Freedom of Information Act requests. At Monday’s council meeting, Community Development Assistant Nadine Hopping took minutes of the council’s actions.
Klunder is hopeful he can find an interim candidate by Aug. 1.
“I have no person in mind at this time, nor do I now how long of an interim appointment this may be,” Klunder wrote in his memo. “I’m thinking at least four months to get us through the elections and then we can continue to evaluate as our long-term staffing needs are met in the coming months.”
The position of deputy clerk has been vacant since Cindy Humphrey left the position a couple of months ago. With that position open, Klunder is looking at possibly making that position part-time and creating a full-time human resources specialist. Currently, the clerk’s office handles human resources functions for the city.
As a result of the changes within the clerk’s office, there’s been a change in the hours that the office is open. The clerk’s office is closed on Mondays, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays when Jipping is present, and open 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays when DeVerney is in the office.
Zeeland Record
With less than a month to go before the Zeeland City Council primary election, City Clerk Pam Holmes has gone on medical leave.
Holmes, who has been with the city for 16 years, the last seven as city clerk, went on leave June 25 and will be away from her position for an undetermined period of time, City Manager Tim Klunder said Monday night.
Before Holmes went on leave, she appointed two individuals to serve as deputy clerks on a temporary basis – former City Clerk Karen Jipping and Grand Haven Township Deputy Clerk Kristi DeVerney. Under city charter, the city clerk can appoint their own deputies, subject to confirmation by the City Council. The council ratified the appointments Monday night.
Jipping, who worked for the city for 44 years and served as city clerk from 2009 to 2018, is working Tuesdays through Thursdays in the clerk’s office, while DeVerney, who has been deputy clerk in Grand Haven Township for the last 17 years, is in the office on Friday afternoons and will also help with the upcoming primary, Klunder said.
Meanwhile, the council Monday also authorized Klunder to begin an immediate search for an interim city clerk who will serve until Holmes is able to return to work.
“With our lack of permanent staff assistance within the city clerk’s office, Pam’s need for long-term medical leave, and the upcoming elections on Aug. 5 and Nov. 4, we are facing a need within the city clerk’s office related to general oversight for elections and other day-to-day city clerk functions,” Klunder wrote in a memo to the council.
Such responsibilities include taking minutes at council meetings, handling the posting of public notices and handling Freedom of Information Act requests. At Monday’s council meeting, Community Development Assistant Nadine Hopping took minutes of the council’s actions.
Klunder is hopeful he can find an interim candidate by Aug. 1.
“I have no person in mind at this time, nor do I now how long of an interim appointment this may be,” Klunder wrote in his memo. “I’m thinking at least four months to get us through the elections and then we can continue to evaluate as our long-term staffing needs are met in the coming months.”
The position of deputy clerk has been vacant since Cindy Humphrey left the position a couple of months ago. With that position open, Klunder is looking at possibly making that position part-time and creating a full-time human resources specialist. Currently, the clerk’s office handles human resources functions for the city.
As a result of the changes within the clerk’s office, there’s been a change in the hours that the office is open. The clerk’s office is closed on Mondays, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays when Jipping is present, and open 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays when DeVerney is in the office.
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