Genesee County Board of Commissioners Meeting 5-13-26

The meeting, chaired by Commissioner Delrico J. Loyd, focused on agency reports, community programming, and administrative appointments. Presentations from Pekklam and GCARD highlighted the impact of workforce development and anti-poverty programs within the county. The Board also received an update on the America 250 commission regarding upcoming historical celebrations.

A significant portion of the meeting involved heated debate regarding fiscal responsibility and procedural transparency. This was most evident during the discussion of the jail food contract and the process for appointing members to the Metropolitan Planning Commission. The meeting concluded with several resolutions regarding community recognition and administrative updates.

• Youth and Community Involvement: Discussion on youth engagement in local government.
• Agency Reports: Operational updates from Pekkham and the Genesee County Anti-Poverty Agency (GCARD).
• America 250 Commission: Updates on historical programming and local heritage projects.
• Board Appointments: Voting on candidates for the Metropolitan Planning Commission and Genesee Health System.
• Fiscal Oversight: Debates regarding budget constraints, contract costs, and the legality of administrative terminology.
• DEI and Social Resolutions: Discussions regarding the recognition of various cultural heritage months.

• Delrico J. Loyd: Chair of the Board of Commissioners.
• Charles H. Winfrey: Vice Chair of the Board of Commissioners.
• Gary L. Goetzinger: Commissioner.
• Dr. Beverly Brown: Commissioner.
• James Avery: Commissioner.
• Shaun Shoemaker: Commissioner.
• Martin L. Cousineau: Commissioner.
• Dale K. Weighill: Commissioner.
• Brian K. Flewelling: Commissioner.
• Aaron Armstrong: 14-year-old student/public speaker.
• Elizabeth Armstrong: Resident (mother of Aaron Armstrong).
• Daryl Howard Coolen: Resident/candidate for the Genesee Health System board.
• Derek Britain: Director of Veteran Services.
• Sarah Britain: Director of Prevention/Re-entry Services at Pekkham.
• Stacy James: Employment Specialist at Pekkham.
• Karen [Last Name Not Provided]: Program Coordinator for the Growth Opportunities Program (GO).
• Casey James: Employment Specialist at Pekkham.
• Tedar Low: Mentor Specialist at Mentor Flint.
• Aliana Crawford: Mentee in the Mentor program.
• John Cherry: Former Lieutenant Governor and Co-chair of the 250 Commission.
• Pamela Coleman: Director of GCARD.
• Leslie Mitchell: Candidate for Genesee Health System.
• Jillian Macy: Candidate for Genesee Health System.
• Cecilia Rutherford: Candidate for Genesee Health System.
• Rodney Hunt: Candidate for Genesee Health System.
• Davenport Cat: Representative from the jail vendor.
• Crystal Simpson: CFO of GCARD.

• Public Address: Aaron Armstrong advocated for increased youth involvement in local government 3:10. Elizabeth Armstrong clarified the speech was for a school project 5:30. Daryl Howard Coolen expressed interest in serving on the Genesee Health System board 8:06. Derek Britain honored veterans ahead of Memorial Day 9:52.
• Pekkham Presentation: Detailed the agency's work in vocational training and workforce development, specifically the GO program and the Hopes program 14:34.
• America 250 Update: John Cherry provided an update on the 250th-anniversary celebrations, including a press event on May 28th and an event at Crossroads Village in August 33:15.
• GCARD Report: Pamela Coleman provided a midyear update on Head Start, neighborhood services, and nutrition programs 43:01.
• Appointments:
  • Metropolitan Planning Commission: Two seats were filled 1:14:20.
  • Genesee Health System: One primary consumer seat and three general public seats were filled 1:20:06.
• Jail Food Contract: A debate occurred regarding a $1.2 million, three-year contract with a food vendor for the county jail 2:04:42. The motion was postponed for two weeks to allow for further review 2:35:32.
• DEI Resolutions: The board passed resolutions recognizing Juneteenth and Pride Month 2:39:44, resulting in significant debate from Commissioner Shoemaker 2:40:50.

• April 15 & 22, 2026: Meeting minutes reviewed 1:43.
• May 28, 2026: Scheduled press event for the 250 commission 37:36.
• August 29, 2026: Crossroads Village event 38:43.
• June 17, 2026: Original planned date for appointments (corrected in discussion) 1:08:39.
• June 30, 2026: Expiration of the current jail food contract 2:09:14.
• Next Wednesday: The date set for the follow-up workshop regarding the jail contract 2:38:18.

• Youth Involvement: The motivation for Aaron Armstrong's speech was to encourage local government to include teenagers in decision-making 3:30.
• Recidivism Prevention: Pekkham emphasized that vocational training is a key tool in reducing recidivism rates 17:14.
• Budgetary Concerns: Commissioner Shoaker raised concerns about the rising costs of contracts (specifically the jail food contract) in the context of projected revenue increases 2:03:19.
• DEI Debate: Commissioner Shoaker argued that certain resolutions represent an "affront to God" and a "woke culture," while Commissioner Lloyd defended the right to personal conviction and the importance of diversity 2:43:05.

• Approval of April Minutes: Moved by an unnamed commissioner, seconded by an unnamed commissioner. Motion carried 2:05.
• Resolution 2026-0589 (Metropolitan Planning Commission):
  • First seat: Michael Le Point (5 votes, 3 against) 1:15:30.
  • Second seat: Bill Brandon (4 votes, 4 against; tie broken by second round: 7 votes for Bill Brandon, 1 against) 1:19:46.
• Resolution 2026-0590 (Genesee Health System - Primary Consumer Seat): Leslie Mitchell (unanimous 8 votes) 1:21:13.
• Resolution 2026-0591 (Genesee Health System - General Public Seats):
  • First seat: Jillian Macy (5 votes, 3 against) 1:22:38.
  • Second seat: Cecilia Rutherford (5 votes, 3 against) 1:24:47.
  • Third seat: Howard Kman (5 votes, 3 against) 1:26:36.
• Resolution 2026-0593 (Road Commission Vacancy): Motion to advertise was carried 1:38:22.
• Resolution 2026-0487 (Jail Food Contract): Motion to postpone to next Wednesday was carried 2:35:32.
• Resolution 2026-0550 (Juneteenth): Motion carried (6 to 2) 2:39:44.
• Resolution 2026-0551 (Pride Month): Motion carried (5 to 3) 2:40:50.
• Resolution 2026-0413 (Architectural Services Contract): Motion failed (0 votes for, 2 against) 4:15:20.
• Resolution 2026-0557 (Animal Care Dog Run): Motion failed (0 votes for, 2 against) 4:18:38.

• Emailing Presentations: Mr. Freeman to email the Pekkham presentation to the commissioners 3:32:32.
• Postponed Item: The jail food contract discussion is moved to the next workshop/meeting on Wednesday 2:38:18.
• Recruitment: Advertise the Road Commission vacancy 1:28:25.
• DEI Direction: The board to consider providing more direction/expectations to the DEI commission regarding the types of resolutions brought forward 3:36:32.

Overall Sentiment

The sentiment is highly critical and polarized, reflecting a contentious interaction between a viewer and the board.

Notable Comments

"DEI is a poison on this board." Says old, white man 🤔 — @speedysnail626, 0 likes