Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette The Houghton County Board of Commissioners is facing pressure to relocate the place of their regular monthly meetings to the Circuit Courtroom. The space currently used is far too small to accommodate the number of people who attend the meetings.

HOUGHTON – The Copper Country Republican Party (CCRP) approved a resolution on Aug. 7, calling on the Houghton County Board of Commissioners to change the location and time of its regular monthly meetings. The resolution states that currently the County Board meetings are held at 3 p.m. on the second Tuesday following the first Monday of each month. In the past, they began at 4 p.m.

The Board of Commissioner’s website states the regular meetings of the Board are be held in the Conference Room, located on the fifth floor of the Houghton County Courthouse.

The CCRP social media page says the resolution, dated August 7, 2025, was to be brought to the Board of Commissioners. Houghton County Clerk Jennifer Kelly said the resolution was not presented at the August 12 regular meeting, nor was the regular meeting convened at 3 p.m. It was moved to 10 a.m.

“I don’t know why not,” she said. “My understanding when I saw the post on Facebook (was) were trying to get on the agenda.” Kelly said she does not know why the meeting time was moved to the morning. She said when she talked with Board of Commissioners Chairman Tom Tikkanen after the August elections, he told her the Aug. 12 meeting was to be convened at the normal 3 p.m. time.

“Then, if you looked, the Administrator’s office accidentally put the Microsoft Team’s link on there, and they put the wrong date,” said Kelly. “Even Judge (Nicholas) Daavettila had the wrong date.”

The agenda for the regular August meeting gives Friday, Aug. 15 as the date of the regular monthly Board meeting, starting at at 2 p.m., rather than 3 p.m. as stated on the county website listing the meeting dates and times. Beneath the date listed is a notice: “This meeting has been rescheduled from August 12.” The minutes of the meeting show that the meeting then occurred at 10 a.m. on August 12.

The meeting lasted 23 minutes. During the meeting, Commissioner Joel Keranen called for a point of order, stating he felt that neither the chairman nor administrator should have changed the meeting time from 3 p.m. to 10 a.m. without full Board approval.

County Prosecutor Daniel Helmer said he met with Keranen. He could not find that the chair nor administrator had the right to change the meeting time, the chair could only cancel the meeting. Helmer said he felt the change could constitute an Open Meetings Act violation should the Board do any voting. “It’s time to remind the commission that they work for us,” the CCRP states on its social media page, “especially the ones that work 9-5 jobs and cannot attend the regular commissioners meetings.”

Kelly said the CCRP wants the meeting times changed, but also their location. “The Republicans for Houghton County wants them to move from the meetings to 6 p.m.,” she said, “and for all meetings to be held in the Circuit Courtroom, because there is not much room in our current meeting space.”

The reason stipulated by the Republican Party resolution says the location on the fifth floor of the courthouse does not allow open and free space for the public (En Masse) to attend the meetings.

” — Choosing a location that accommodates open space to promote collaboration, reducing distractions,” the resolution states, “allows for flexibility, and fosters a sense of community among the voters of Houghton County.”