The Montcalm County Board of Commissioners voted to repeal the county parks ordinance after a long debate over enforcement, liability and whether park rules or a county ordinance better serve residents.

Commissioner Alexander moved to approve the ordinance repealing the county parks ordinance as presented; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call. During roll call, commissioners voted: Alexander and Johnston yes; Maher and Maureen no; Peterson and Carr yes. The chair declared the motion passed.

The discussion that preceded the vote focused on enforcement and whether a countywide ordinance is enforceable or necessary. One commissioner said the existing ordinance — adopted in 1995 — was originally written to help secure grants but has not been enforced consistently. "If we're gonna say, well, you can't have more than 10 people in the park at a time, I don't know who's gonna enforce that," a commissioner said during the meeting. Another commissioner reported that, during last summer's disputes, the sheriff declined to enforce the ordinance at McCarthy Park, a point several commissioners cited as evidence enforcement is uncertain.

Supporters of repeal argued the county can manage parks with site‑specific rules and that a single ordinance does not fit the needs of four distinct parks. "We have four different parks. We need four different sets of rules," one commissioner said, urging a focus on practical, site‑based standards such as vehicle capacity and pavilion sizes.

Opponents urged caution and recommended seeking a legal opinion about whether an ordinance provides additional liability protection. "If our legal counsel believes that our rules… provide some level of liability, then I'm okay with that too," one commissioner said, asking staff to confer with the county attorney.

The board instructed staff to bring park rules and any legal guidance back to the board for consideration before the parks open in spring. The meeting record shows the board also discussed options such as repealing now and drafting a replacement ordinance that lists park‑specific rules so enforcement and capacity limits would be based on measurable criteria, including parking and pavilion square footage.

Next steps: staff was asked to consult the county attorney and return with recommendations and draft park rules or an ordinance that reflects capacity, parking and safety considerations.