A workplace climate/culture survey at the Leelanau County government center is under fire by Leelanau County commissioner Melinda Lautner, who feels that the consultant contracted to perform the survey may be influenced by correspondence between the county’s personnel committee and employees.
Lautner requested all this correspondence under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in mid-November, but the county prosecutor’s office said earlier this month that fulfilling this request will be costly at $5,000 with a 50% upfront deposit. Lautner told the newspaper that she is working with an attorney to see if she really must pay this fee, and the Leelanau Enterprise sought a legal opinion as well.
In a written response to Lautner, Prosecutor Joe Hubbell reported there were about 1,250 emails between personnel committee chair Kama Ross and county employees in the 10-week time frame specified by Lautner.
