Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette AJ Kern was removed from the Keweenaw County Planning Commission during Wednesday's Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners meeting. Kern, who said the procedure contained several violation, said next step will be to take the County to court.

EAGLE RIVER — At its May meeting Wednesday, the Keweenaw County Board of Commissionersy approved a motion of renewal of a defeated motion to remove AJ Kern from the County Planning Commission. The action Follows a public hearing held on April 1, concerning the recommendation of the Planning Commission to remove her.

“The recommendations for renewal was based on AJ Kern’s absence notice from the Planning Commission’s special hearing held on Jan. 14, 2025 at 3:15 p.m. to consider and recommend new member applicants for the Planning Commission,” County Commission Chair Don Piche said.

During the public comment period Wednesday, several people spoke up in favor of Kern, and during the Board’s discussion of the matter, Commissioner Mike LaMotte said he agreed with public sentiment in favor of Kern.

“I feel that this has become entirely too personal,” LaMotte said. “Without a written set of standard of rules, or whatever, to be agreed to at that time, I think it’s really hard to cherry pick and say ‘She’s got to go.'”

Commissioner Randy Eckloff said in his opinion, the Board of Commissioners should not be voting on the issue. “We voted on it once, and that should have been it, whether anybody was here or not. I think we’re wrong if we do this again.”

Commission Vice Chair Del Rajala motioned without comment to renew the vote. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Rob DeMarois. The motion passed 3-2 with Eckloff and LaMotte voting against and Piche joining Rajala and DeMarois voting in favor of the motion.

The complaint against Kern stems from an April 1 public hearing conducted to to consider charges filed by Planning Commission Chair John Parsons against Kern seeking her removal from the commission. After hearing from several parties on both sides of the question, Commission Vice Chair Del Rajala made the motion, seconded by Eckloff, to dismiss Kern. Piche and Rajala voted yes, Commissioner Rob DeMarois abstained, as he had voted for the recommendation at the Planning Commission. Commissioner LaMotte was absent.

According to the minutes of the April 16 Board of Commissioners meeting, a motion by DeMarois, supported by Eckloff, which unanimously carried not to move forward with an attorney general’s opinion since the county attorney and outside counsel came to the same opinion that the vote at the public hearing held regarding removing AJ Kern from the Planning Commission did not carry.

A motion was then made by DeMarois, and supported by LaMotte passed to add renewal of the defeated motion from the April 1 public hearing that was held regarding Kern’s removal from the Planning Commission to the May agenda. Eckloff voted against the motion.

The recommendation originated from a Jan. 27, Planning Commission meeting at which Parsons announced his intention to recommend Kern’s removal because of her absence at two Jan. 14 meetings. He argued Kern, who had pneumonia, did not provide prior notice she would be absent from the meetings.