For the first Oceana County Board of Commissioners meeting of 2026, held Thursday, Jan. 8, a new vice chair was elected for the fiscal year. Commissioner Joel McCormick nominated Paul Erickson, who held the position in 2025, and Craig Hardy nominated Tim Beggs. Both nominated commissioners voted for themselves, leaving Board Chair Robert Walker to break the tie with a majority vote for Beggs.
The board also heard presentations regarding the county’s Emergency Operating Plan (EOP) and the future of the Crystal Valley Dam. Oceana County Emergency Manager Troy Maloney presented the EOP, which recently underwent its mandatory five year renewal. For 2026, the State of Michigan has mandated all 83 counties in Michigan adopt a standardized format for all EOPs. According to Maloney, this change “isn’t just an update. It was a true revision that hasn’t been done in about a decade.”
The board voted unanimously to approve the EOP, with the understanding that any further instructions can be added to the plan’s appendix easily and without need for another approval.
At the end of 2025, commissioners were informed that the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) had raised the standards for spillway capacity, which the Crystal Valley Dam no longer meets. This leaves the dam at risk of removal by EGLE mandate.
Commissioners met with Jim Tiffany of hydro-engineering firm J.E. Tiffany and Associates over Zoom to discuss EGLE’s new standards and recommended a total replacement of the dam’s spillway. EGLE’s reevaluation of spillway capacity is based on the 100-Year Rainfall Event and new data showing that “severe precipitation events have become more frequent and more severe in the past decade,” explained Tiffany.
The desire to repair and not remove the dam is based on the environmental concern that removing barriers may introduce invasive species farther upstream, as these structures have proved effective in slowing the spread of sea lampreys throughout Michigan’s watersheds.
Tiffany estimates the cost for replacing Crystal Valley Dam anywhere between $1.25 million and $1.5 million. This estimate covers all costs associated with removal and construction, but not any possible dredging of sediment in Crystal Pond.
There are possible funding avenues for the project. Tiffany discussed the possibility of a grant through the Great Lakes Fishery Commission - who would be interested in replacing the dam to prevent lamprey spread - but it is not likely to cover the cost of the project. Regardless, Tiffany advises commissioners to form a delegation to meet with the organization to explore their options, as well as search out multiple other sources of funding to use in combination.
Funding is the greatest concern for the commissioners and the future of Crystal Valley Dam. Beggs said of the cost estimate that there is not “There’s not $1.5-3 million in the general fund, or any other fund to take care of a project of this scope… I don’t want to be the downer. I’m willing to continue the discussion, but it’s been an ongoing discussion, and we’ve come to the same conclusion twice now that this is a costly project that, so far, we haven’t found any partners to help cover the cost.”
At this time, Crystal Valley Dam is considered a "low hazard" by EGLE, and should there be a catastrophic failure of the structure, it would not endanger anyone. While “EGLE is not breathing down our necks,” as Tiffany said, the commissioners agreed it’s time to get the ball rolling on a solution for the dam.
Erickson acknowledged that previous commissioner boards have been aware of the faults of the dam for decades and have elected to “play hot potato with this thing… had the money been spent 10 years ago to fix that dam, we wouldn’t be talking about $1.5 million today.”
Walker agreed, saying, “It’s time we get the data… and look at it and see what we can do… let’s look and see if we can afford to keep this going and save the dam.”
Moving forward, the board decided to take no action for the Crystal Valley Dam at this time and requested that County Administrator Tracy Byard look into how much money has been invested in the Crystal Valley Dam so far, as well as the cost to repair or remove the dam and the aforementioned avenues of funding.
Progressing through the agenda, the board awarded Blackmer Construction the bid for modifications needed for the county sheriff’s department pole barn structure. This project focuses on improving the garage doors and driveway of the pole barn. Blackmer’s bid, which was quoted at $11,138, was one of two bids submitted to the county.
Also approved was the reimbursement of $10,000 to Oceana County Animal Control for funding the spay and neuter of adoptable animals through a grant provided by 270 Incorporated, and certifying the Oceana County Council on Aging's contract clauses for funding from MDOT through FY 2027.
Following this, the board went into closed session to proceed with the collective bargaining agreement with the Police Officers Association of Michigan.
The board's next regular meeting is set for Thursday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. at the Oceana County Courthouse in downtown Hart.
