INSIDE
: Crystal Budde hired as Whitehall treasurer
REFLECTIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY
Volume 3, Issue 21 October 17, 2025 Total Raised: $75,445 Lead this Legacy SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE
Please Donate
YOUR YOUR LOCALLY LOCALLY OWNED OWNED ANDAND OPERATED OPERATED NONPROFIT NONPROFIT NEWS NEWS SOURCE SOURCE YOUR LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE
Join us in making a difference today! Hart selects finalists Do you enjoy the Oceana Echo and White Lake Mirror? Do you look forward to our paper arriving in your mailbox each Friday? Do you find value in its pages? If you answered yes to any or, hopefully, all of these questions, then please consider donating to help keep the Echo and Mirror coming to almost 15,000 homes in Oceana County and the White Lake area every week. We pour our hearts into all we do, and we have been so thankful for the incredible reception we have received from our community. We even have a basket overflowing with the positive well wishes you send, and each word means so much to us. We truly could not do this without your support! We do everything we can to keep our costs low, as we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and mail at one of the lowest rates offered by the post office. Yet, ad revenue, public notices and obituaries do not completely cover our costs each week - which is why we need your support. What surprises many people about us is that we are a very small crew. The Echo only has one fulltime staff member, and so does the Mirror. We have a
for next City Manager
part-time office manager, a part-time in-house writer and a part-time proofreader. We also have seven freelancers, and some of them volunteer their stories to us. We are currently looking for someone to help with sports coverage and also ad sales. Anyone interested can contact us at theoceanaecho@gmail. com. But most of all, we are in need of your donations. Please consider us in your end-of-year giving or in any way that you think could help. Checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 192, Mears, MI 49436, or you can donate online by scanning the QR code in the upper right corner of this page or at https://www.zeffy. com/en-US/donation-form/lead-this-legacy. With questions or for more information, please contact us at 231-301-8149. We are so thankful for all of you and your faithful readership each week!
Pentwater Village faces more hiring By AnnaMae Bush
BIG RAPIDS, MI 49307 PERMIT NO 62
RESIDENTIAL POSTAL CUSTOMER ECRWSS
PAID
PRSRT STANDARD NON PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE
finding a replacement for Listerman, Manager The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent Toby VanEss announced that he is looking for an At the Oct. 13 Pent- experienced zoning adwater Village Council ministrator, and in the meeting, the Village future he will be looking Treasurer/Clerk Rande for a new DPW superviListerman’s notice of re- sor. Current Supervisor tirement was received Jeff Gier’s last day with with regret. Her last day the village is very soon in the office will be Jan. since he accepted an of2, 2026. Council member fer from the City of LudKathy O’Connor thanked ington. Listerman for the leadCorrespondence to ership and the mentor- the village included a leting she provided during ter from Bill Fromm, who times of personnel turn- expressed concern about over and transition in the increased costs to the office. In addition to rental property owners. Dean Jessup sent a letter from the Pentwater Sportfishing Association with a gift of $1,000 for the upkeep of the fish cleaning station. During public comments, Ron Bach asked for action to be taken to remove three dead trees located on village-owned property that posed a serious threat to electric lines and the two homeowners on either side of village-owned easement. Via Zoom, Pentwater Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Eva Gregwer thanked the council and all village employees who had helped make Oktoberfest a big success on Oct. 11. The treasurer’s report was received for information, and Listerman reported the audit was completed. The final au-
dit information will be presented at the Oct. 27 council meeting. President Mary Marshall read a proclamation for Citizen of the Year for Bart Zachrich, which council approved. Marshall is also looking for two new appointees to the DDA to replace the two members who have resigned. Since there were no further reports and no unfinished business items, the meeting was turned over to Chet Janik, consultant from the Michigan Leadership Institute, and members of the Steering Committee for the Strategic Plan (Amy LaBarge, Dean Gustafson and Kyle Jansen). The group shared with council their first draft of a Mission Statement, a Vision Statement, Guiding Principles (meant for an internal document for staff use) and five Goals. An hour was spent in listening to the drafted material, discussing the thoughts behind the draft and wordsmithing the phrases. There was council support for the
list of potential goals, although a concern was expressed that the goals be strongly connected to the Pillars on which they are based. Janik reminded the group that pursuing the goals is a five-year process and quarterly updates with possible revisions are wise. Community responses to the SWOT survey pointed to a lack of services for seniors, especially those who want to stay in the community as they age. O’Connor recalled that the community voted some years ago to dispense with the services Pentwater once had and to pay a millage for centralized senior services at the Oceana Council on Aging Center in Hart. She suggested, and several others agreed with her, that members of the Pentwater community are not aware of all the services and opportunities available in Hart. One step would be getting information and sharing it. Marshall thanked Janik and the Steering Committee for their work. The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m. Council attendance included Don Palmer, Karl Schrumpf, Marshall, Jared Griffis, and O’Connor. Dave Bluhm was absent and Dan Nugent missed the first half of the meeting.
The City of Hart convened on Oct. 6, 2025, to select finalists for the position of City Manager. The discussion was led by Partner and Recruitment Lead with Double Haul Solutions (DHS) Mitch Foster, who outlined the recruitment process and presented each finalist to the City Council. Foster noted that applicants came from across Michigan and the region, representing diverse experiences in municipal leadership and community development. After a preliminary review by the DHS team, candidates were presented based on their alignment with the desired characteristics outlined by the mayor, City Council and staff. These included skills in municipal leadership, communication, strategic planning, economic development and team management. “The City Manager plays an essential role in shaping the direction of our city,” said Mayor Amanda Klotz. “As Hart continues to grow, we’re looking for a leader who values collaboration, transparency and community engagement—someone who can guide our organization through both opportunities and challenges with a steady and inclusive hand. Each of these finalists brings a unique perspective and proven experience that reflects those values.” The following three candidates will move forward in the process: • Connor DeYoung: DeYoung currently serves as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Ferrysburg and has spent more than a decade in public service with the State of Michigan. His work has included leadership in cross-departmental coordination, organizational improvement, and regulatory compliance. DeYoung holds both a Master's and Bachelor's of Social Work from Western Michigan University and a citizen planner certificate from Michigan State University. His professional background emphasizes community collaboration, team development and innovative solutions in public administration. • Nichole Kleiner: Kleiner currently serves as Hart’s Interim City Manager and previously as the City’s Economic and Community Development Director. With more than 19 years of experience in local government, she has successfully managed numerous grants and partnerships, securing millions of dollars in funding for downtown improvements, infrastructure, and economic development initiatives. Kleiner has also played a key role in Hart’s collaboration with West Shore Community College to establish Oceana County’s first higher education campus. Her leadership has been instrumental in advancing Hart’s community and business development goals. • Samuel Demel: Demel most recently served as city manager of Purcell, Oklahoma, overseeing a $35 million budget and leading major infrastructure, capital improvement, and community development projects. He previously served as city administrator of Kiowa, Kansas, where he directed essential municipal services and managed an $8 million water infrastructure project. Demel holds a Master of Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Public Finance from Wichita State University and is a Certified Economic Development Professional. His experience spans local government leadership, strategic planning and intergovernmental collaboration. Next Steps: Looking ahead, finalists will participate in on-site interviews with the City Council on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2025, at Hart City Hall (407 S. State St. #1, Hart, MI 49420). Following the interviews, the City Council will deliberate and move forward with contract negotiations with the preferred candidate. The public is welcome to come in for a meet and greet with all three candidates Thursday, Oct. 23, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Hart Community Center located at 407 S. State St., Hart, MI 49420.