Commissioners debate short-term contract for county emergency manager after interviews

The Ogemaw County Board of Commissioners interviewed two candidates to provide emergency management coordinator services: Ryan Wilkerson, a Lansing-based consultant, and Mike Bowers, the county’s incumbent emergency manager. Commissioners focused on two issues: the expired county hazard mitigation plan and the incumbent’s communication and contract status.

Mike Bowers acknowledged paperwork lapses and said he would correct them. "I take full responsibility for that," he told the board as commissioners pressed him on an expired mitigation plan and his contract, which the board said had lapsed four years earlier. Bowers described an $80,000 grant he had obtained to update the county’s FEMA hazard-mitigation plan and said he could produce a completed draft for FEMA by December or January. Commissioners said they wanted the work and improved communication written into any agreement and favored a short-term arrangement—ultimately converging on a six-month contract with a 90-day review tied to specific deliverables such as plan milestones and increased presence at meetings.

Several commissioners said the county needs stronger on-the-ground leadership and clearer obligations in writing. Commissioners who favored the incumbent cited his local knowledge and recent increased visibility; others said they were uncomfortable offering a long-term renewal without demonstrable progress. The board asked staff to draft a contract with explicit milestones and scheduled reviews, and to return with recommended language at the next meeting.