Tag Archives: City of Wyoming

Wyoming approved tower for updated countywide dispatch system

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Wyoming’s Gezon Water tower will host one of the three towers for the county’s new dispatch system.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

It may have been a short Wyoming City Council meeting this past Monday, but it was a busy one with the council hiring a new finance director for the city and approving a tower for Kent County’s new dispatch system.

 

In 2016, Kent County voters approved a 70-cent surcharge on their telephone and internet connections. The estimated $4.5 million a year would be split between converting the county’s current public safety dispatch system and countywide fire dispatch services.

 

The City of Wyoming was approached about placing one of three of the towers needed for the new 800 MHz radio system on the Gezon Water tower, City Manager Curtis Holt told the council at the meeting. The new system would allow all police, emergency responders and state police personal as well as neighboring county police and fire to be interconnectable as they would all be utilizing the same radio system, Curtis said.

 

The agreement is slightly different then other tower agreements the city has.

 

“This is a no cost agreement,” he said. “We are not charging for this location. We are not charging for this location because it benefits our public safety.”

 

He said the other municipalities hosting towers, which are the City of Grand Rapids and Kent County, are not charging as well to help keep costs down, Curtis said.

 

Curtis also pointed out that the agreement has a maintenance section where as during maintenance of the water tower, the county, at its own cost, would have to move the dispatch tower to a temporary location.

 

The council unanimously approved the agreement. Curtis said the Gezon Water tower will be undergoing a painting project this spring with the new dispatch antennas being installed after that project is completed.

 

The Wyoming City Council also approved an amended agreement with Kent County for dispatch services since effective Jan. 1, the city will not be charged for fire safety dispatch since that is covered under the new surcharge.

 

Rosa Ooms has been named the city’s new finance director.

New City Finance Director

 

After several years without a finance director, the Wyoming City Council approved a motion to promote Rosa Ooms to the position.

 

 

According to the city’s website, the finance department at the City of Wyoming works in the following areas: payroll, payments to vendors, insurance plans such as medical, dental, vision, liability, property, life, and workers compensation, cash management, retirement plans, budget, and bonding. Robert Luders left the finance director position in 2015. The city has been working with a contracted CPA firm since 2014.

 

According to Mayor Jack Poll, Ooms, who has been the city’s deputy finance director, has been in the department, working with staff. “…[from] what she has shown and where we anticipate the finance department to go that she will be an excellent leader in there,” he said.

 

During the council meeting, City Manager Curtis Holt also spoke highly of Ooms and her work in the city’s finance department.

 

“We have been through kind of some ups and downs with our finance department since our finance director retired…,” Holt said. “Rosa has really stepped up and done a great job with our finance department. Our entire finance department is really operating very, very well. We are really pleased with what we are doing and I think that is kind of a tribute to Rosa and her leadership over this kind of tumultuous period. Congratulations to her and I think it is well deserved and I thank her for doing this.”

 

The City Council unanimously approved the recommendation with Ooms officially starting her new position on Jan. 8.

 

The next regular Wyoming City Council meeting, set for Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW, will include the State of the City address from Mayor Jack Poll.

WKTV Journal: A celebration of 2017

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In our last newscast for 2017, we take a look back at the Year of the Rooster, according to the Vietnamese calendar. In 2017, the City of Kentwood marked its 50th anniversary with a variety of special events that included a weekend-long celebration in August. Mayor Stephen Kepley was re-elected to a second term as the city’s mayor and newcomers Emily Bridson and Tom McKelvey joined the Kentwood City Commission.

 

 

There also was a host of activities in the city of Wyoming as well from its second annual Clean Up Day to the Metro Cruise. Both cities also approved The Rapid millage continuing busing within the cities.

 

Wyoming seeks input on Gezon Park Master Plan

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The City of Wyoming is seeking input from residents on a new master plan for Gezon Park..

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Ever wanted an ultimate Frisbee court? Hoping to have a splash pad at your park? How about more walking trails? Now is the time for Wyoming residents to speak up as the City of Wyoming asks for their input on what Gezon Park should offer.

 

Through Jan. 11, the City of Wyoming is seeking Wyoming residents’ input on a new master plan for Gezon Park.

 

The Gezon Park project is part of the library millage proposal that Wyoming voters approved in May. Voters approved a proposal that allowed the city to open up its current library millage to help with park improvements. About .16 of the .39 library millage, about $800,000 a year, is being used to help pay a 15-year bond of $4.4 million.

 

The master plan will be the basis of the future park development plans. Residents are encouraged to take a survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/GezonParkMasterPlan. The survey only takes about a couple of minutes to complete. The survey will be available until Jan. 11. After the survey information has been processed, there will be two public meetings on the park as well. The first is scheduled for Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m. KDL Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW. The second will be on Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Metro Health University of Michigan Health Conference Center, 2225 Main St., located in the hospital.

 

Gezon Park, which includes 94 acres with two entrances, 5651 Gezon Ct. SW and 1940 52nd St SW, actually had a site plan developed in 1996. However much has changed since then, noted Wyoming’s Director of Community Services Rebecca Rynbrandt, who oversees the parks.

 

“With the growth in the City’s southern region, from developments at Metro Health Village to expanded residential housing along Wilson Avenue, we need the facilities of Gezon Park to align, not only the community needs of today, but well into the future,” Rynbrandt said. “We really look to our community and area residents to guide this process so Gezon can be exactly what is needed for the area.”

 

The walking path at Gezon Park during the summer.

While Gezon Park runs from Gezon Parkway and 52nd Street, only the entrance areas have been developed. The north end of the park (the 52nd Street entrance) serves as a neighborhood park with basketball courts, a picnic shelter, playground area and walking trail.The south end of the park (the Gezon Parkway entrance) is an active sports park with baseball, softball, and football fields along with restroom facilities. The vast majority of the park remains undeveloped. The City of Wyoming Water Treatment Plant is located adjacent to the park on the City property as well.

 

Gezon Park is one of four parks included in the proposed park improvements. The other parks are Ferrand Park, a pocket park on Byron Center Avenue; Jackson Park, located at 1331 33rd St. SW; and Ideal Park, located at 5843 Crippen Ave. SW.

 

 

For more information about Gezon Park or the greater Wyoming Parks system or program, contact the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department at 616-530-3164 or parks_info@wyomingmi.gov or visit www.wyomingmi.gov.

2017 Holiday Greetings

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While at the 2017 Wyoming Gives Back holiday event and the 2017 Kentwood Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, WKTV was able to capture several holiday greetings from officials and residents. Below are just some of those sending out their holiday wishes to West Michigan. To see all of the Wyoming holiday greetings, click here. To see the Kentwood holiday greetings, click here for the ones from the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and here for the ones from the Kentwood City Commission.

 

Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley

 

 

Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll

 

 

State Rep. Tommy Brann

 

 

Kentwood City Commissioner Betsy Artz

 

 

Wyoming Mayor Pro-Tem Sam Bolt

 

 

Kentwood City Commissioner at Large Richard Clanton

 

Wyoming City Council member Rob Postema

 

 

Kentwood Second Ward City Commissioner Tom McKelevy

 

 

Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt

 

 

Kentwood 1st Ward City Commissioner Emily Bridson

https://youtu.be/QlNJg4xXdhk

 

 

Wyoming Assistant City Manager Megan Sall

 

 

 

 

City of Wyoming lifts precautionary boil water advisory for affected areas

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Hard News, , ,

 

 

UPDATE: The precautionary boil water advisory for affected areas near Burlingame & 44th has been lifted. Residents are free to use their water as normal.

 

By City of Wyoming

 

Due to a drop in pressure in the City of Wyoming water supply, bacterial contamination may have occurred in the water system. Bacteria are generally not harmful and are common throughout our environment. Corrective measures are currently being undertaken to correct the situation.

What should I do?

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and preparing food. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Continue using boiled or bottled water until further notice.

What happened? What is being done?

These precautionary actions are being taken due to the loss of water pressure in the water distribution system caused by a water main break on December 12, 2017. Whenever a water system loses pressure for any significant length of time, precautionary measures are recommended. When a pressure loss occurs, water from inside a building may backflow into the water supply system.

Working in the trenches to restore water pressure

The City is working to get pressure restored, and water staff will be taking other remedial actions such as flushing and collecting bacteriological samples from around the system. The samples will be collected to determine that the water quality meets the state drinking water standards. We will inform you when tests show no bacteria and you no longer need to boil your water. If all goes well, water pressure should be restored by the end of the day today. Bacteriological test results should be available by the end of the day tomorrow. When water is restored, please remove your aerators and flush your water outlets for a minimum of 5 minutes.

This boil water notice shall remain in effect until results from the sampling verify the water is safe to drink. Customers will be advised when the boil water advisory has been lifted.

For more information, please contact Jaime Fleming, Laboratory Manager with the City of Wyoming at 616.261.3572. Please communicate as necessary with other people who may drink this water

City, state leaders clash (politely) at Chamber’s December WKTV Government Matters discussion

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Election, Hard News, Local Business, Politics, ,
WKTV’s Viebit service allows on-demand viewing of Wyoming and Kentwood government meetings, including the monthly Government Matters meeting. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

One of the unique aspects of the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Government Matters meetings is that you sometimes get differing views on the same issue — for instance, local city and state leaders in a debate on the current difficulties for local governments dealing with inequities in state revenue sharing.

 

The monthly meeting brings together government leaders of all levels to discuss issues of importance and presents those discussions through WKTV’s live, delayed and on-demand broadcasts.

 

At the Monday, Dec. 11, meeting at Kentwood City Hall, City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley and City of Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt offered their assessment of state government actions when it comes to an abundance of regulations and a lack of consistency and clarity when it came to historic and current state revenue-sharing.

 

“There was a promise made on state revenue-sharing … (now) we can’t count on that,” Holt said at one point. “We used to have a partner in the state” government.

 

Among the other multi-level government discussions topics at the meeting — and available on the WKTV video — were the status of federal tax reform, the impeding Kent County action to hire a new top administrator, and economic development Wyoming’s 28th Street areas, including the old Klingman’s building.

 

The Chamber’s Government Matters meetings include representatives of the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, Kent County, local Michigan House of Representatives and Senate, and, often, representatives of other regional, State of Michigan and Federal elected officials. The next meeting will be Jan. 8, 2018 at Wyoming City Hall.

 

The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the Monday meetings on the following Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26. Replays are also available online at WKTV’s government meetings on-demand page (wktv.viebit.com) and on the chamber’s Facebook page.

 

Wyoming hosts Great Candy Cane Hunt this Saturday

City of Wyoming, , , ,
The Great Candy Cane Hunt is Saturday, Dec. 9.

Santa is coming to Wyoming for a special event: the annual Great Candy Cane Hunt set for Saturday, Dec. 9.

 

There is still time for people to register for the hunt, which is from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Registration is $4 for resident hildren 3-14 years old ($6 for non-residents). Additional family members who are over the age of 14 may attend and enjoy lunch for $2.

 

The annual event features a candy cane hunt, lead by St. Nick himself, outside the Wyoming Public Safety Department, 2300 DeHoop Ave. Activities including lunch will be moved inside to the Wyoming Senior Center, 2380 DeHoop Ave. SW.

 

Pre-registration is required. To register or for more information, call 616-530-3164.

Wyoming residents have plenty of options when it comes to disposing of leaves, yard waste

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, , , , , ,

 

Carlos Ochoa is aware of just how much a problem it is when leaves and yard waste are pushed into the street. A City of Wyoming Public Works employee, it is his job to clean the streets in the fall with the extra leaves creating extra trips to Wyoming’s yard waste drop off site.

 

“We pick up a lot of leaves especially this time of the year,” Ochoa said. “Starting right now, I go about one mile and then I have to unload and that is a five-yard truck that I have there.

 

“It is a safety issue, because during winter hours if we don’t get all the leaves picked up, the water will create puddles and then [that] will create ice, then [that] creates accidents. It’s a big problem.”

 

Public Works Assistant Director Aaron Vis said the leaves and grass clippings in the street have been a problem with city officials visiting about 60 properties every year. Because of safety concerns such as flooding caused when the leaves block the basins along with aesthetic issues — “no one wants to drive down a street with grass or leaves on it” according to Vis — last spring the Wyoming City Council put enforcement strength into its existing leaf policy to discourage leaves being placed in the streets.

 

“If we notice that you have placed grass or leaves in the street, we provide you with a notice and you have three business days to get it taken care of,” Vis said. “If it is not taken care of, the city has a contractor that we work with who will stop by, take care of it by removing it from the street and then you, the property owner, will be charge cost plus 100 percent. If the property owner fails to pay it, then that charge gets placed against the property on the tax rolls.”

 

The City of Wyoming has a yard waste disposal site for its residents.

The City of Wyoming offers a number of options for yard waste and leaf disposal. The first being the city’s Yard Waste Drop-Off Site. Located right next to the Public Works Faclity, 2660 Burlingame Ave. SW, the drop off site is open year round (except holidays) with hours being 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. December – March. To use the site, you need only bring ID or proof of residency.

 

“Over the last three years, we have averaged about 65,000 people who have used this site,” Vis said. “In an average year, we dispose of about 14,000 yards of wood chips, tree branches, and about 4,000-5,000 tons of leaves and grass clippings are collected.”

 

Another option to residents are the leaf containers.

Another disposal option is the leaf containers which are available as rentals to residents for $10 a weeknight and $20 for the weekend.

 

“The third option is on the first Saturday in December, the city has a contractor that comes through and picks up leaves from [residents’ properties] provided they are properly placed in a paper bag,” Vis said. This year’s curbside pickup is set for Dec. 2. All brush  must be tied in bundles no longer than four feet and all yard waste must be placed on the curb by 6 a.m.

 

For more information about leaf disposal in the City of Wyoming, visit the city’s website and then go to the Public Works portion of that website. On the left side, there is a section called “All About Leaves.”

 

City, county clerks report issues, but quick solutions after voting equipment change

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Election, Hard News, Politics, , , ,
Voters went to the polls in Kent County Nov. 7 with new voting equipment and systems in place. (Supplied)

 

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

It is not that the Kent County Clerk’s office, or city clerks in both the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, were expecting issues with the county’s new election equipment in the system’s debut Nov. 7 — an election dominated by local millage requests and city elections of little controversy.

 

But the election day did produce the as-expected small voter turnout while also revealing a few issues with the new equipment now easily remedied before elections of more state and national interest, and higher voter volume, come in 2018.

 

“Any time there is a transition as large as this — the first change in equipment and learned practices and procedures in over a decade — there are going to be challenges and areas to improve upon,” Robert Macomber, Chief Deputy County Clerk, said to WKTV Friday, slightly more than a week after the recent voting day, and after that day’s meeting between the county clerk’s office and local city clerks. “This ‘off-year’ election offered the county a tremendous opportunity to implement the changes when turnout was smaller, but still having elections in a large number of precincts and varying size of municipalities.”

 

Vote turnout was small, with only 11.2 percent of Wyoming’s 49,658 registered voters doing so, and 12.8 percent of Kentwood’s 35,178 registered voters doing so.

 

The voting system issues exposed on Nov. 7 were also small, according to Macomber, City of Wyoming City Clerk Kelli VandenBerg, and City of Kentwood City Clerk Dan Kasunic — most notably delays in reporting results from the precinct level to the county level, and inability of some voters to use new “adaptive” ballot marking devices.

 

Voting machines in the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood looked similar to ones voters were used to. (Supplied)

After more than a year review and selection process, Kent County Clerk and Register of Deeds Lisa Posthumus Lyons early this year selected Dominion Voting Systems, Inc. as the vendor for Kent County’s new election equipment and local firm ElectionSource for associated software. The plan for the new voting machines was to have them used by all voting bodies in Kent County starting with the November election.

 

Some clerks across the state planned to use their new machines at the August 2017 election, and all municipalities are required to have the new machines in place by the August 2018 election.

 

Some experiences familiar, some were new

 

It appears the new machines — which still feature individual manual voting cards and stand-alone tabulators not connected to the internet — worked as expected and it was pretty much the same voter experience as with the old equipment. But a new system by which precinct totals are uploaded to a new county-controlled interactive precinct map experienced some delays, and, at least in Wyoming, special needs voters experienced some issues.

 

“Anytime you have change, there will be some reconciliation between what you expect to happen and what actually happens,” VandenBerg said to WKTV. “The equipment is new, but the concept or function of the new equipment is essentially the same.  I think our poll workers responded very well and I did not receive any complaints from voters.

 

Kent County’s new voting machines operated much like the ones the public is familiar with — and they are never connected to the internet. (Supplied)

“For the average voter who marks and casts a ballot in the tabulator, I doubt their experience differed from previous elections. For voters using the adaptive equipment  — ballot marking device, the difference would have been more notable. I am aware of a couple of instances where the selections made by voters or poll workers did not enable the audio on the adaptive devices. Based on required testing before each election, I know the audio works and so I know this is a topic that we will spend more time on in future trainings.

 

VandenBerg said she has “shared some recommendations (with the county on the issue) … but also have some training strategies in mind if those recommendations cannot be incorporated.”

 

In Kentwood, Kasunic also saw and dealt with a few small issues.

 

“As with any new equipment, it is expected to have some challenges, all of which were dealt with quickly and without any interruption of the election process,” he said to WKTV. “All of these have been addressed with the state, county and vendor.”

 

Kasunic added that he thought “all of the reporting went better than we thought, with a couple slowdowns because we have new equipment and procedures.”

 

Those “slowdowns” in reporting are probably getting the most attention by the clerks.

 

“One area that I thought might be problematic was the transmission of results at the end of election night,” VandenBerg said. “This equipment allows each precinct to modem results directly to Kent County and only 2 of Wyoming’s 26 tabulators were unable to modem results. Neither was the result of equipment failure, but rather an oversight by the poll workers adapting to a new process. In these cases, each (local) clerk has been provided equipment to allow for the transmission of results and I did so within a few minutes of receiving the necessary information from the precinct.”

 

New county system for rapid reporting of results

 

The changes to reporting are part of a new county system of quickly getting results out the public as well as to county, state and — eventually — federal officials.

 

“Election night reporting is the area where we’ve made the most noticeable change to the public,” Macomber said. “In previous elections, Kent County voters would often not have access to complete results in some instances until midnight, and that data was in non-interactive form. With our new equipment, the precincts modem the results to the county and on election night we had our first results within minutes of the polls closing.”

 

The new reporting system allows for public access through an interactive, map-based reporting feature developed by ElectionSource and accessible via the county’s website: accesskent.com.

 

“For this past election we unveiled an initial version, with the fully-functional version being ready for 2018’s elections,” Macomber said. “The public response to the faster, user friendly reporting feature has been very positive.”

 

But, VandenBerg added, it is not just night-of reporting which should be looked at: “I do think there is room for improvement on the reporting side, especially as it relates to canvassing and archival purposes. …  I have shared some recommendations on that as well.”

 

And, Kasunic also advocated for a reporting tweak: “The county is working with the vendor to add features to the reporting to provide percentage of turnout of voters on election night.”

 

The lessons learned from the Nov. 7 election, and the results of the meeting with local clerks, will likely lead to some changes at the county level.

 

“This election provided the county and local clerks the ability to implement and identify the ways our internal procedures and controls conform to — or are challenged by — the new system,” Macomber said. “Where there were challenges, we’ll be working with our vendors, the state elections bureau, and our local clerks to implement changes that ensure consistency, security, and transparency.”

 

County budget planning part of Chamber’s November WKTV Government Matters discussion

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Politics, , , ,
Government representatives from all levels attended this month’s Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters meeting. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

Two members of the Kent County Board of Commissioners were present at the October’s Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Government Matters meetings Monday — and if you think the county’s budget planning process is not big news consider that its proposed 2018 budget will total nearly half of a billion dollars.

 

The monthly meeting brings together government leaders of all levels to discuss issues of importance and presents those discussions through WKTV’s live, delayed and on-demand broadcasts.

 

At the Monday, Nov. 14, meeting at Kentwood City Hall, commissioners Harold Voorhees (District 8/City of Wyoming) and Harold Mast (District 12/Wyoming and Kentwood) both discussed aspects of the county’s $417.6 million budget, set to be approved at a board meeting Thursday, Nov. 30. at 8:30 a.m. The Kent County Board of Commissioners govern a huge range of programs and expenditures ranging the sheriff’s office, to the county’s elections, to veterans services.

 

Among the other multi-level government discussions topics at the meeting were the the status of federal tax reform — including two local businessmen voicing support for the lowering of business tax rates, as well as continued upgrades at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport and state efforts to combat opioid addiction and abuse.

 

The Chamber’s Government Matters meetings include representatives of the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, Kent County, local Michigan House of Representatives and Senate, and, often, representatives of other regional, State of Michigan and Federal elected officials. The next meeting will be Dec. 11 at Kentwood City Hall.

 

The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the Monday meetings on the following Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26. Replays are also available online at WKTV’s government meetings on-demand page (wktv.viebit.com) and on the chamber’s Facebook page.

 

One of the most decorated Michigan veterans keynote speaker at Wyoming’s Veterans Day event

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Captain Paul J. Ryan of the United States Navy will be the keynote speaker at the Veterans Day Ceremony

The City of Wyoming will hold its annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Garden, 2300 DeHoop Avenue SW.

 

Captain Paul J. Ryan of the United States Navy will be the keynote speaker for the event. Captain Ryan is one of our most decorated Michigan Veterans, having received many awards, most notably the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. Captain Ryan retired from active duty in 2005 and is currently the Vice President and Senior Trust Officer for Fifth Third Bank. The Lee High School band will perform at the event along with the Wyoming Department of Public Safety Honor Guard; Mayor Pro-Tem Sam Bolt will host the ceremony.

 

“The City of Wyoming is committed and proud to recognize those who have served, and continue to serve our country in the armed forces and protect our freedoms,” according to Rebecca Rynbrandt, Director of Community Services for the City of Wyoming. “Our Memorial Day and Veterans Day Ceremonies are a tribute to that service and protection.”

 

The Wyoming Department of Public Safety, 2380 DeHoop Avenue SW, will also be accepting donations for the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans during the month of November, Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Items sought for donation include $25. gift cards for local fast food restaurants, Meijer, Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree, Gordon Food Marketplace, etc., candy bars, pens, batteries, stamps, grooming/hygiene items, and clothing that is new or gently used.

 

Public comment welcomed as Wyoming’s Public Safety Department seeks accreditation

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A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) will arrive on Monday, Nov. 6, to examine all aspects of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety policy and procedures, management, operations and support services, Chief James Carmody announced today.

 

“Obtaining confirmation that the Wyoming Department of Public Safety meets the standards set forth by the Commission is part of the process by which we achieve professional excellence.  Accreditation is consistent with our mission to ‘efficiently and effectively manage our resources to deliver the highest level of police service to the Citizens of Wyoming’”, Carmody said.

 

As a part of the on-site assessment, the public and agency employees are invited to offer comments on the agency’s services and overall performance at a public information session to be held at 5:30 on Tuesday, Nov. 7,  at the Wyoming Senior Center building located at 2380 DeHoop Avenue SW.

 

If, for some reason, an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call 616-530-7313 on Tuesday, Nov 7, between the hours of 1 and 3 p.m.

 

The telephone comments as well as those made at the public information session are limited to 5 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with the Commission’s standards.  A copy of the standards is available at the Wyoming Public Safety Department.  For further information, contact Lt. Mark Easterly at 616-530-7308.

 

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write:  Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia, 20155.

 

The Wyoming Department of Public Safety must comply with 484 standards in order to maintain accredited status. The assessment team is comprised of law enforcement practitioners from similar, but out-of-state agencies. The team will review written materials, interview individuals, tour the facilities, and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed. Once their review is complete, the assessors will report back to the full Commission which will then decide if the agency is to be granted reaccredited status. Accreditation is for the next four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited. The Wyoming Department of Public Safety was originally accredited in 2012.

 

For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia, 20155 or call 800-368-3757 or 703-352-4225 or www.calea.org.

With city and commercial cooperation, grand opening of 28 West Place more than ribbon-cutting 

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Going Local, Local Business, ,
At the ribbon cutting, from left, Megan Sall, City of Wyoming assistant city manager and Downtown Development Authority director; Bob O’Callaghan, President of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce; Joshua Weiner, CEO Meyer C. Weiner Company; Tom Swoish, Southern Michigan Bank & Trust; and Matthew McDade, Meyer C. Weiner Company. (Supplied/City of Wyoming)

 

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

The 28 West Place parking lot and sidewalks were a buzz of activity Saturday, Oct. 21, when the business-focused City of Wyoming and its business partners held the official grand reopening of the shopping center once known as Wyoming Village Mall.

 

But there was much more of a crowd going into and out of several businesses than there are watching the usual ribbon-cutting — and that was just fine with everybody getting their pictures. Making the shopping center much more attractive and easier to access was what their efforts were all about.

 

“The last time we had a grand opening here was 1978, when we had renovated the shopping center,” Joshua T. Weiner, of mall owner Meyer C. Weiner Company, said to WKTV Journal. “It has been from 1978 until now, really, that this shopping center had gone through a major transformation.”

The mall first opened in 1962, when it was called Southland Plaza. It was dedicated to Weiner’s grandfather, Harry, “who was a haberdasher on Ionia Street in Grand Rapids, who predicted the growth of this area,” Weiner said.

 

And over the years, through good times and not-so-good times, businesses have come and gone from the location, but Weiner said two things remained constant.

 

“The one constant, of Wyoming and this particular location, on Michael Avenue (SW), is 28th Street,” he said. “28th Street has always had great traffic, great volumes, and has made this location a viable one for over 50 years. The demographics have changed, in the marketplace, over that time, and in order to meet the needs of the marketplace we’ve had to change with those times in terms of the merchants who are here and the development we have. We think we have done that.

 

“The other constant has been a close working relationship with the City of Wyoming itself. The founding fathers — and founding mothers — of Wyoming, both the elected officials and the professional staff, have worked with us hand-in-glove over the years. And (did so) this particular public-private partnership, of putting in 28 West Place, the street.”

 

A key part of the redevelopment of the center was the city purchasing land and putting in a special street  — 28 West Place Street — to allow better access to the businesses.

 

“Back in (20)08 I first got involved in this, when Carol Sheets was mayor, and we started to talk about it,” Sam Bolt, Wyoming Mayor Pro Tem, said to WKTV Journal. “When the developers wanted to get onboard, at that point, we had it pretty well laid out as to what we wanted.

 

Overview of the new 2 West Place with the 28 West Street.

“When the mall decided they wanted to go ahead with it, we bought the property … to get the street in,” Bolt said. “Last year at this time we got the street in, now we are breaking ground on it. It is just a beautiful project. It has revitalized this area. I think we have added 20,000 square feet to the mall already.”

 

28 West Place Street bisects the mall’s property to connect 28th Street to Michael Avenue. The new road is part of the City of Wyoming’s master plan to transform its downtown area into a pedestrian friendly oasis of shopping, dining, entertainment and housing, according to the city.

 

The public-private partnership to help redevelop 28th Street is in keeping with the city’s business-friendly outlook.

 

“Today we have a mindset, in the city, that we want to work with developers and retail people to revitalize the area,” Bolt said. “We work with them, not stand in their way, trying to make it a one-stop-shop, so that when they come in with a project that they want to do, they don’t have to talk to 10 different people, they talk to one person. They get their questions answered, and we go forward. … We know they have money on the line, and every day a project is not going forward is costing them dollars.”

 

The Oct. 21 with a ribbon-cutting and grand re-opening celebration was hosted by the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce as well as the Downtown Development Authority.

 

In partnership with the city, the Meyer C. Weiner Company has completed construction of its multi-million dollar redevelopment on this mall property, according to the city. In 2016, work began to demolish approximately 58,000 square feet of vacant, obsolete building space. Construction began in 2017 to add 20,000 square feet of new energy efficient building space and two out-lot buildings of approximately 11,000 square feet, along with significant property improvements to upgrade the existing retail center and its surface parking lot.

 

Since the changes took place, three new tenants have moved in: CSL Plasma, Mr. Alan’s clothing store, and Simply 10 clothing store. Additional space is available for lease, including another 5,500-square-foot pad building with visibility along 28th Street.

 

Wyoming partners with local hospital for National Drug Take Back event

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, ,

The City of Wyoming and Metro Health-University of Michigan Health will help area households dispose of unused medications safely and properly on Saturday, Oct. 28.

 

The City of Wyoming and Metro Health again will partner to provide a Drug Take Back service between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Area residents are encouraged to bring unused prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to the main lobby of Metro Health Hospital, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW or to Wyoming Department of Public Safety, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW, both located in Wyoming.

 

Wyoming Public Safety officers will be on hand to anonymously accept medications, including controlled substances, with no questions asked. A pharmacist from Metro Health will be available throughout the event to answer questions about medications. Mercury thermometers may also be exchanged for a new digital thermometer from the City of Wyoming and Metro Health.

 

Growing concern over pharmaceutical pollution in waterways and prescription drug abuse has led cities nationwide to develop drug take back programs. The West Michigan Drug Take Back program is a joint effort between local pharmacies, law enforcement, wastewater treatment facilities and government agencies to provide residents with safe, convenient access to proper medicine disposal. Medications collected in West Michigan are transported to Kent County’s Waste to Energy Facility, where they are incinerated.

 

Metro Health and the City of Wyoming partner twice a year to provide this service to the community. In April, the Drug Take Back Day event took in 652 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and 25 mercury thermometers.

 

The City of Wyoming also offers a prescription drug drop-off service 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, also at its Public Safety offices in Wyoming.

 

According to the West Michigan Take Back Meds, 20 percent to 60 percent of prescription medications go unused and are eventually disposed. A 2002 analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey of 139 streams across 30 states found that 80 percent of waterways tested had measurable concentrations of prescription and nonprescription drugs, steroids and reproductive hormones. For more on West Michigan Take Back Meds, visit www.wmtakebackmeds.com.

The Rapid seeks a 1.47 millage renewal to keep buses running through Kentwood, Wyoming

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Election, Hard News, , , , , , , ,
In Focus today is Michael Bulthuis of The Rapid public transit system. The Rapid, on November 7, will be asking for renewal of the system’s current 1.47 mil local property tax millage. (WKTV)

By Hannah Haviland, WKTV Editorial Assistant

news@wktv.org

 

At the upcoming Nov. 7 election, residents of the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood are being asked to consider a 1.47 millage rate so that The Rapid can continue serving these cities along with four other municipalities in the greater Grand Rapids area.

 

The millage request, which is listed as the Interurban Transit Partnership Board Transit Millage Ballot Proposal 2018-2019 on the Nov. 7 ballot, is not an increase, but rather would replace the current Rapid millage of 1.47 mills which is set to expire in July of 2018.

 

According to information supplied by The Rapid, for a $100,000 home with a taxable value of $50,000, the homeowner would continue to pay around $73.50 a year for the millage. The millage, which has been active for the past seven years, is about a third of The Rapid’s total budget of $44 million, covering about $15.5 million. The majority of the rest of the budget comes from the Michigan Department of Transportation’s local bus operating assistance and passenger fares.

 

Because the millage makes up such a large percentage of The Rapids’ operational expenses, without the renewal, most of the fixed route services that the millage helps fund would not be be able to operate, according to The Rapid Marketing and Communications Director Michael Bulthuis, who sat down to talk about the millage in a recent WKTV Journal: In Focus segment.

 

 

“Most of our riders are using the bus at least once a week, if not every day, for a work related activity,” Bulthuis said. “If you consider that we have between 11 to 12 million rides every year, 80 percent of those rides are work related trips.”

 

Each of the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood have nine Rapid routes not counting the Silver Line. These are among the 22 routes that would potentially be shut down if the millage doesn’t pass.

 

“You would start to see service cuts, frankly, because you’re not getting that $15.5 million in millage funding,” Bulthuis said. “That millage funding also helps leverage state funding so you’re losing millions of dollars in state funding as well.”

 

The millage has been active for the last seven years, and if it passes, will continue at the same rate of 1.47 for twelve more years. If, however, it doesn’t pass, all of The Rapids’ normal bus routes would cease. The Rapid would only be able to operate on a contractual basis for entities that would entirely cover the cost of its service. Go!Bus, the service for the elderly and disabled, would also be drastically decreased, putting people in that demographic at risk of missing doctor’s appointments or other needed services.

 

The millage funds are only used for everyday expenses such as wages for employees, fuel, tires, and other essential needs. It is not used for other projects such as new buses, buildings, or project construction. The Silver Line, which operates along Division Avenue connecting downtown Grand Rapids to the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, would also not be affected since it is funded by state and federal grants.

 

The WKTV Journal: In Focus episode including the discussion about The Rapid millage, and a discussion with Wyoming Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Reeder on his district’s millage request, will air twice this week on WKTV channels but all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.

 

“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.

 

Ribbon cutting celebrates redevelopment of former Wyoming Village Mall to 28 West Place

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, , , , , ,

https://youtu.be/zBSdq_5454o

 

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Just a month short of the four-year mark when the City of Wyoming first introduced the concept of 28 West, city officials will gather with city leaders and business representatives to celebrate the the project that lead to the completion of the first half of the road.

 

This Saturday, Oct. 21, there will be a ribbon-cutting and grand re-opening celebration of the 28 West Place, formerly Wyoming Village Mall, at 1:30 p.m. with additional events to follow. The ribbon cutting ceremony is hosted by the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce.

 

“This is a hallmark change in the corridor here that we have been hoping for a number of years…” said Mayor Jack Poll.

 

The 28 West sign located in front of the former Studio 28 property. Construction for the 28 West project will actually start just east on the Wyoming Mall property.

In 2013, the City of Wyoming adopted a plan for the reimagine of the south side of 28th Street between Clyde Park and Burlingame avenues in to a mixed-use town center utilizing form-based code, which provides flexibility to developers. A key element to the 28 West concept was the construction of a curving slip street which would become the center’s new “main street.” The street was designed to run from the south side of 28th Street across from Hook Avenue to Jenkins Avenue, which runs next to the former Klingman/Rogers Department Store building. Because the plan involved demolition of buildings on privately held property, city officials knew it would take some time to get all parties on board with the plan.

 

Jumping forward to 2016 when Meyer C. Weiner Company, which owns 28 West Place, approached the city about renovation plans for the mall property which was originally developed in 1962 and known as Southland Mall. Those plans included 20,000 square feet of new entry efficient building space and two out-lot buildings of approximately 11,000 square feet, long with significant property improvements to upgrade the existing retail center and its surface parking lot.

 

Seeing the opportunity to move forward with the 28 West Street plan, the City of Wyoming officials entered into a $1.6 million agreement with Meyer C. Weiner Company so as to move forward with the first phase of the 28 West Street project from Hook Avenue to Michael Avenue. This past week, the City Council finalized some of the details by placing an all-the-way stop sign at the 28 West Place service drive along the west side of the mall.

 

“We are excited to commemorate this first stage of redevelopment,” said Megan Sall, assistant city manager and Downtown Development Authority director. “There are so many opportunities inherent in this area and we’re pleased to have a partner in Meyer C. Weiner Company as we set the stage for future growth.”

 

Overview of the new 2 West Place with the 28 West Street.

Matthew McDade, chief operating officer for the Meyer C. Weiner Company, also points to partnerships as being key to this project’s success. “The Meyer C. Weiner Company would like to thank all the staff and officials at the City of Wyoming who worked extremely hard to make this redevelopment possible, along with the stakeholders for the successful completion of this project.”

 

As the renovation project got underway, Mr. Alan’s, a clothing store, leased a 5,400-square-foot out-lot building and opened in June. Other new tenants include CSL Plasma which opened in April, and Simply 10, a clothing store, is expected to opening late October. The current tenants of 28 West Place also include a Save-A-Lot, DollarTree, Payless Shoes, and the children’s consignment store Once Upon a Child.

 

28 West Place retailers will be hosting a series of events from 2 – 4 p.m. which include the Grand Rapids Drive’s mascot Buckets, signed Red Wings photos, face-painting for kids, a live remote with 95.7 WLHT and WKTV also will be there as well.

Wyoming gets ready for 14th Annual Pumpkin Path

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , , ,
About 6,000 children, parents, and grandparents attended the Wyoming Pumpkin Path last year.

It’s time to get the kids together and pull out your favorite costume because Pumpkin Path is right around the corner!

 

The City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department is excited to once again host the 14th annual Pumpkin Path – a free event for kids and families on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. The event will be held from 4-6 p.m. Local businesses, clubs and organizations will host spaces along the path and will hand out candy, coupons and other goodies.

 

“Pumpkin Path was created to be a fun, safe, family-friendly event for the fall, providing an alternative to traditional Halloween events,” said Rebecca Rynbrandt, director of community services for the City of Wyoming.  “Pumpkin Path gives families the perfect opportunity to interact with neighborhood businesses while enjoying the outdoors, Lamar Park and the beauty of the fall season.”

 

Not only should children expect to receive treats, they should also look forward to a DJ and dancing, jumping in the bounce house and games. Participants are welcome to come in costume or in regular clothes.

 

At last year’s Pumpkin Path event, 65 local businesses and organizations and more than 6,000 children, parents, grandparents and friends attended.

Intersection of 56th and Ivanrest scheduled to get traffic signal

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, , , , , , ,
A 56th Street reconstruction project includes adding a traffic signal to the intersection of 56th Street and Ivanrest Avenue.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Within a year, the intersection of 56th Street and Ivanrest Avenue will have a traffic light.

 

At its regular Monday night meeting, the Wyoming City Council moved forward on improvements for 56th Avenue – which includes the new traffic signal – by formally accepting the agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the reconstruction project.

 

The project, which is scheduled to start in July of 2018, will include the widening of 56th Street for the addition of a third lane along with sidewalk on the south side and the widening of the bike path on the north side, said Wyoming Public Works Director Bill Dooley during the Monday night council meeting.

 

“Probably the most key to the people out there right now is that we are going to signalize the intersection at 56th and Ivanrest and that was called for in that report for that development over there at Wilson and 56th Street as well,” Dooley said. The intersection is currently a four-way stop. The development Dooley is referring to is the PUD project the Granger Group has been developing and which has met with much opposition from residents. The Wyomig City Council has table that project to November

 

“We wanted to start this year [on 56th Street] but it took longer to get the right-a-ways for the project which have been acquired now,” Dooley said. “We normally would start first thing next spring but Maple Hill Golf Course has a big 40-year celebration and they asked us if we could wait until that is complete which will take place in June. So we will be starting right around the first of July.”

 

The construction costs are estimated at about $2.4 million which includes the city’s portion of $630,500. Dooley note that the cost does not include the city’s engineering and other expenses, which will bring the total project to about $3 million. The city will pay for its portion of construction costs out of its Capital Improvement Fund.

 

Because there are federal monies involved in the project, MDOT will handling the biding process, Dooley said, adding that the project will be put out for bid this fall.

 

Library Sidewalk

 

The Wyoming City Council also accepted a bid for the construction of a concrete sidewalk and lighting to replace an existing dirt path that residents have been taking to get to the KDL Wyoming Branch campus at 3350 Michael Ave. SW. The project was awarded to Weick Bros., Inc, for $44,209.25, which was higher than the planned budget for the project as safety lighting was added to it.

 

Currently residents east of the library from the Herman Avenue area have been using a dirt trail to reach the facility. With increase use of the trail, it was determined to improve the pathway and safety of residents with concrete and additional lighting, according to Mayor Jack Poll.

 

The Wyoming City Council meets the first and third Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.

Train derailment causes rerouting on 36th Street

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, ,

 

Wyoming Public Safety

The train was four cars long and at least two cars derailed.  Officials are reporting that there are no hazardous substances on the train.

 

According to an update from Wyoming Department of Public Safety, the engine was pushing three rail cars that derailed.

 

The engine is still on the tracks. The reason that the rail cars derailed was due to a safety mechanism that was put on the tracks for rail workers further up the line. According to the report, the safety mechanism is designed to derail the cars to protect the workers. This is much like a “lock out” tag system used by electrical or mechanical engineers / maintenance workers so that machines don’t start up while they are performing maintenance work. Police said the system did exactly what it was designed to do.  Officials said they have been told that normally these derailers are placed a little further down the line so that if cars are derailed they don’t block the roadway.

 

There has been a report of one minor injury reported (sprained ankle) to one railroad worker.

 

Currently 36th Street is blocked at Buchanan Avenue SW on the east end and it will be blocked at Clay Avenue on the west end while the rail cars are taken care of.  Also all vehicles that take the north bound off ramp from 131 to 36th Street will be directed to the west. Drivers are being encouraged to find alternative routes.

 

The Wyoming Department of Public Safety said it does not have an anticipated time that the roadway will open. Officials said barricades will be in place to assist with traffic control.

Wyoming resident steps down from city service after 45 years

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , ,

https://youtu.be/EXoCK9A-CR4

 

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

When Wyoming resident Lyle Converse received a letter of his pending reappointment to the city’s Officers Compensation Commission, it was then that he realized “I just wasn’t sure I could do another seven years.”

 

It was then that the 91-year-old decided to retire from public service having served on various city boards and commissions for 45 years.

 

“Well certainly on behalf of a very grateful city, thank you for your many years of service,” said Mayor Jack Poll during the Sept. 18 Wyoming City Council meeting where Converse was honored for his years of service. “As long as I have been mayor, I have always ended every letter that I sent out and other things to ‘be involved, be informed” and certainly you are the epitome of being involved and being informed.”

 

Lyle Converse when he ran for Wyomig City Council

Poll noted that Converse brought so much knowledge to the several boards he served which included the city’s Officers Compensation Commission, the Economic Development Corporation, the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, and the Planning Commission.

 

“You have served our city wonderfully well but all good things have to come to an end,” Poll said. “Your years of service will always be remembered fondly and we appreciate everything you’ve done.”

 

For which Converse than received a standing ovation from the crowd. “I never get standing ovations and you were never mayor for crying out load,” Poll said with a chuckle to Converse.

 

“Well, I ran for the seat once,” Converse responded. It was through the urging of some friends that Converse ran for the Wyoming City Council in 1969. Converse would not win but he was appointed to the Economic Development Corporation which later became part of the Brownfield Development Authority.

 

Lyle Converse with his wife

Converse came to Grand Rapids in the 1940s on a GI Bill to attend Davenport College. Earl Robson, who owned Robson Department Store on Division Avenue, was looking for a sales person, so Converse took the job with the intention of getting his feet wet in sales for a year and moving on. Converse stayed, eventually taking over the store and finally closing it in 1993.

 

“When Lyle recently turn in his resignation from the Officers Compensation Committee, the city clerk looked at his past history with our community and realized that he had served the city faithfully for 45 years,” said Wyoming Assistant City Manager Megan Sall. “He was one of the founding fathers of the commission.”

 

And while Converse may have founded the Officers Compensation Committee, he is more well known for coming up with the idea of the Wyoming Rodeo which was operated out of Lamar Park for almost 25 years. He also served in the South Kent Chamber of Commerce and the Wyoming Chamber of Commerce, which at the time was a branch of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, according Converse.

 

Poll said the city has a number of openings available on various commissions and boards. For more information contact the Wyoming City Clerk’s Office at 616-530-7296.

 

Serving the community, according to Converse, is an important part of being in that community.

 

“It’s rewarding,” he said. “You meet a lot of people. You help promote the city.

 

“For myself, if I was to do it over again, I think I would probably do the same thing. Overall you get more out of it than what you give and I think we should all give back to our community for what the community does for us.”

Kentwood landfill update, Wyoming councilor Postema on latest WKTV Journal: In Focus 

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , , , ,
Dar Baas, Director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, visits the set of WKTV Journal: In Focus. (WKTV)

WKTV Staff

news@wktv.org

 

On the latest episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus”, WKTV’s public affairs show, we bring to the public a discussion with the Kent County official leading methane mitigation efforts at the closed Kentwood landfill — and the free testing available to property owners around the site.  And, in the second in a series of interviews with Wyoming’s new city councilors, WKTV’s Ken Norris also talks with Rob Postema on his first few months on the job.

 

The new episode will air twice a week on WKTV channels starting this week and running through Sept. 22. Along with all episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus, the new interviews are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.

 

In the interview with Darwin J. “Dar” Baas, Director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, he told WKTV that while about 150 property owners within 1,500-feet of the landfill’s western boundary are eligible for free on-site testing for methane, so far, only eight of the property owners have had their homes tested.

 

“We coordinate it, and then a local engineering firm — Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber — they actually come in and do the testing,” Baas said. “They have a form and a system that they use. Takes about an hour. It is very non-intrusive. For those that have had the testing done, they have been very pleased with how quickly we are in and out. And how well it goes.”

 

At the time of the interview, none of the tests had come back positive. The county is the point agency on the closed Kentwood landfill and methane mitigation efforts. Recently, the county announced expanded mitigation efforts.

 

In the interview with Postema, he talked about his long history in the city, including a stint as a member of the city’s planning commission.

 

Wyoming City Councilor Rob Postema. (WKTV)

“Planning commission is a good lead-in to being on city council,” he said. “You get involved with meeting with a lot of the citizens, at some of the public meetings, and you really get a good feel for how city government works. … But what you are really not prepared for is some of the other issues that they deal with, the non-zoning issues. I’ve had a great experience, so far, everybody views city council as ‘Its a team’.”

 

Postema, who was elected last year to represent the City’s Third Ward, grew up in Wyoming, attended Lee and South Christian high schools, graduated from Calvin College, and now works with his father and brother at an architectural and engineering firm in the city.

 

“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will started airing on Tuesday, Sept. 12, and will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.

 

Visit here for a YouTube video of the episode

 

Wyoming Police asks public’s help in locating missing Wyoming woman

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, ,
Ana Marie Carrillo

The Wyoming Department of Public Safety continues to investigate the disappearance of Ana Marie Carrillo of Wyoming.

 

Carrillo, a 35-year-old Hispanic female was expected at an address in Wyoming on Sunday but never arrived.  Her vehicle was located in a business parking lot near 40th and Clyde Park Avenue.  Carrillo is described as 5’2”, 140, brown hair and brown eyes.  She was last seen wearing a white Aeropostle sweater, gray sweatpants and white shoes.

 

According to the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, at this time officers have no reason to suspect foul play but her lack of contact with friends and family without explanation is unexpected and unexplained.

 

Ana Marie Carrillo

In a statement today, officers said that the investigative staff is actively working this case with interviews and following up on any tips from. Friends and family still have not heard from Carrillo and are still appealing to the public to assist us with attempting to local her, according to police.

 

Anyone with information about Carrillo or her whereabouts are asked to call the Wyoming Department of Public Safety at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.

WKTV Labor Day programming offers concerts all day long

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Entertainment, Recreation, WKTV Projects,
Music of all sorts came to the stage this summer as part of the Wyoming Concerts in the Park series. (City of Wyoming)

WKTV Staff

 

Tune in to WKTV Channel 25 on Labor Day, Sept. 4, for our all-day “Concerts In The Park” special.  We will air the entire Wyoming Concerts In The Park series, featuring the bands in order of their appearance. Relive all the fun and excitement of the summer series starting at 9:30 a.m. and running all day long.

 

The concert times and performers are as follows:

9:30 a.m.  — Detroit Circus

11 a.m. — Shelagh Brown Band

12:35 p.m . — Sweet J Band

1:55 p.m. — Brena Band

4 p.m. — Michatucky

5:30 p.m. — 6 Pack

7:15 p.m. — Toppermost

8:50 p.m. —  Union Guns

10:25 p.m. — Tejano Sound Band

 

For a complete list of programming, visit WKTV.org and hit the programming guide tab.

 

New Wyoming city councilor Postler visits ‘WKTV Journal: In Focus’

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Politics, ,
Wyoming City Councilor Marissa Postler, who at the age of 23 was elected in last fall’s election, on the set of “WKTV Journal: In Focus”. (WKTV)

WKTV Staff

news@wktv.org

 

On the latest episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus”, WKTV’s public affairs show, we bring to the public a discussion with Wyoming City Councilor Marissa Postler, who at the age of 23 was elected to represent the city’s 2nd Ward in last fall’s election.

 

Also on the program is a discussion with a Kent County Department of Health official detailing why vaccinations are important — and required by law — for young children, but also important for teenagers and even college-age youth.

 

In Postler’s interview, she talks about how life has changed for her a year after she “dreamed” about being a student who won a city council election, but also her learning curve during the first months on the job and how the city is moving to become more of a place for young persons like herself to call home.

 

“Honestly the vast majority of it (my life) is still the same: I am still a student at Grand Valley (State University), still work at Costco, but now I am living the dream,” Postler said to WKTV’s Ken Norris. “It has been mostly a lot of learning so far, as you might expect. Other than that I am still the same person, I just have a lot more responsibility than I had a few months ago.”

 

“WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., with this episode running through Aug. 31, on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.

 

Check out the entire video.

 

Wyoming’s Tree Amigos, KSSN and Wyoming Public School partner on community orchard at West Elementary

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , , ,

The City of Wyoming Tree Commission, also known as The Tree Amigos, is partnering with Wyoming Public Schools and Kent School Services Network to plant the Beverly Bryan Community Orchard on the West Elementary school grounds. To get the project going, Tree Commission Vice President Greg Bryan donated $5,000 for the orchard, named in memory of his late wife. Bryan also donated an additional $5,000 for the commission’s street tree program. Additional funding has been pledged as well.

 

Originally, the partners had agreed to begin planting fruit trees next spring. However, when Habitat for Humanity of Kent County Neighborhood Revitalization Coordinator Ben Johnson  contacted West Elementary KSSN liaison Erika VanDyke with the opportunity to rescue apple trees from a lot to be cleared for housing, the Amigos jumped into action. On Saturday, Aug. 26, the commission members hope to assemble a group of volunteers to dig up 12 trees and replant them at the school.

 

The orchard will provide opportunities for children to learn about where their food comes from through hands-on experience planting, tending and harvesting the orchard. It will also expand academic opportunities in various areas of study through Arbor Day Foundation curricula. As the school has a very high free and reduced lunch rate, the orchard will increase food insecurity by providing fresh fruit and berries for students and families. Students will be able to eat the fruit as snacks and with lunch during the school day and take fruit home to supplement their family diets.

 

“When Erika and I first met to discuss how the tree commission and West Elementary could partner on a project, we decided that an orchard would involve parents and students in a fun, healthy school project,” said Tree Commission Chair Stelle Slootmaker.  “We also plan on sharing the harvest with nearby neighbors as a means of growing community. And of course, these trees will also increase the City of Wyoming’s tree canopy, the commission’s major goal.”

 

If you’d like to help rescue the apple trees and plant the orchard, please email TreeAmigosWyoming@gmail.com.

 

For information on The Tree Amigos, like The Tree Amigos on Facebook or email TreeAmigosWyoming@gmail.com.

Ready for high school sports? WKTV and its volunteers hit the road starting this week

3-bottom, Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Sports, WKTV Projects,
WKTV will not only cover new Wyoming High School football coach Irvin Sigler first game, we will offer an exclusive interview with him. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

You want local high school sports in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas? Community television WKTV, and its high school sports crew and volunteers, have you covered this fall season and throughout the year.

 

Starting this week — Thursday, Aug. 24, when the Holland “Dutch” visit Wyoming High School for a football open season clash with the Wolves — WKTV will travel around the area for  football and other fall sports coverage — including soccer, swimming, water polo and even youth equestrian.

 

“High school sports, youth sports, are a big part of our community,” said Tom Norton, general manager of WKTV community television. “And we not only get viewership for our sports programing, we also get many volunteers to help us provide this programming.”

 

Football game coverage will include WKTV volunteers Mark Bergsma on play-by-play and Ron Schultz on color commentary. (By the way, it is easy to volunteer for sports and other programs at WKTV. See related story here.)

 

The first part of WKTV’s fall football schedule, after this week, includes White Cloud at Wyoming Lee on Aug. 31, Calvin Christian at Godwin Heights on Sept. 8, Grand Rapids Christian at South Christian (at E. Kentwood) on Sept. 15, Grandville at East Kentwood on Sept. 22, and Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights on Sept. 29. Coverage games throughout October and into the state playoffs will be determined later so we can cover the most important games to the local area.

 

Football games will be cable rebroadcast the night of the game at 10:30 p.m. on WKTV LiveWire 24 (GRTV, Grand Rapids; BCTV, Byron Center; WCET, Jenison, Hudsonville and Grandville; and RCTV, Rockford). They will also be rebroadcast on WKTV Channel 25 on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.

 

Above and beyond our coverage of football games, WKTV also has two special shows available on YouTube: an interview with new Wyoming head football coach Irvin Sigler is available at the end of this story,  and an extensive OK Silver football conference preview co-produced and hosted by volunteer Rob Gee will be presented next week prior to coverage of the Wyoming Lee game.

 

In addition to football coverage, WKTV’s sports crews are tentatively scheduled cover youth equestrian on Sept. 9 at the Barry County Expo Center in Hastings; girls swimming on Oct. 5 at East Kentwood; boys water polo on Sept. 16 at the Falcon Tourney at East Kentwood, and on Oct. 14 at East Kentwood; and boys soccer on Sept. 25 when local rivals South Christian and East Kentwood take the field at East Kentwood.

 

For a complete schedule of local high school sports action each week, WKTV volunteer sports director Mike Moll writes a weekly listing, usually posted on WKTVjournal.org/sports each Monday. See the latest one here.

 

Wyoming City Council approves income tax feasibility study after debate, opposition

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Hard News, Local Business,
The Wyoming City Council’s Aug. 21 meeting was held at the green space outside the Metro Health-University of Michigan medical facility, and with WKTV cameras present. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

On a night when weather threatened to shorten the Wyoming City Council’s final outdoor meeting of the summer, and the council breezed through its agenda, a motion to spend $15,000 on a feasibility study of a possible city income tax took the most time and offered the only open debate.

 

At its Monday, Aug. 21 meeting, held at the green space outside the Metro Health-University of Michigan medical facility off Byron Center Avenue and with WKTV cameras present, the council eventually approved a proposal from Great Lakes Economic Consulting for the study.

 

“We want to do what is right for the City of Wyoming,” Mayor Jack Poll said in introducing the agenda item. “The cities of Walker and Grand Rapids do have these income taxes, so we are just going to look at it. We are not deciding on anything.”

 

Any city income tax proposal would need to be put before the voters. The city conducted a study several years ago and decided not to proceed with any action.

 

“But in the last seven years there has been quite a change in our community,” Poll said. “And that dictates (that it is) time we look at this also.”

 

City leaders in both Wyoming and Kentwood have expressed concern with the current state-dictated funding system for cities, and that future shortfalls in funding could lead to the need for cutbacks in city services or increases in property tax millage or other enhanced funding options, including the possibility of a city income tax.

 

The final vote was 5-1, with councilor Kent Vanderwood in opposition and councilor William VerHulst absent.

 

“I have some concerns about this,” Vanderwood said. “We did not do it the last time, and  how serious are we? Do we want to spend $15,000 on the study, or should we be applying that to something else, more important than a study that we may not implement.”

 

While several other councilors offered support but expressed concerns about the possible impact of an income tax on new and old businesses in the city, and impact on property taxes, Councilor Marissa Postler summarized the city’s quandary of any new tax plan.

 

“When you ask anybody, in general, in theory, ‘Do you want to pay taxes?’ They are going to say ‘No’,” Postler said. “My point in this is (we need) to get enough information where we can present it to them, if we needed to, in a way where we have more, I guess, compelling information, compelling evidence that, if it comes to that point, if we   talk about doing this, we have the information that will help us make that case.”

 

The council meetings are broadcast live on WKTV 26 Mondays at 7 p.m. and repeat on Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m. The first and third Mondays are actual council meetings and the second Monday is a work session. The schedule can be found at wktv.org Programming Government Access 26. Replays are also available online at WKTV’s government meetings on-demand page (wktv.viebit.com).

 

The rest of the council’s agenda was passed as recommended. For the complete agenda of the meeting, visit the city’s website page here.

 

Kent County health official visits WKTV, talks vaccinations for youth, college kids

3-bottom, Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Education, Health, , ,
Mary Wisinski, Immunization Program Supervisor for the Kent County Health Department, on the set of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” with host Ken Norris. (WKTV)

WKTV Staff

news@wktv.org

 

On the latest episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus”, WKTV’s public affairs show, we bring to the public a discussion with a Kent County Department of Health official detailing why vaccinations are important — and required by law — for young children, but also important for teenagers and even college-age youth.

 

Also on this week’s show is a discussion with Wyoming City Councilor Marissa Postler, who at the age of 23 was elected to represent the city’s 2nd Ward in last fall’s election.

 

The timeliness of the discussion on vaccinations is not only that August is National Immunizations Month, with this week specifically prompting awareness of vaccinations for preteens and teens to “ensure a healthy future with vaccines”, but also because local public and private schools are in the process of opening the school year.

 

“Every state has different requirements, ours are written into our public health code,” Mary Wisinski, a registered nurse and Immunization Program Supervisor for the Kent County Health Department, said in a discussion with WKTV’s Ken Norris. “The importance is, if we don’t keep vaccinating, we call it ‘herd immunity’, we will see a resurgence of these vaccine-preventable diseases.”

 

Wisinski not only stresses the importance of vaccinations for kids but also for high school and college-age youth.

 

“Also recommended is a booster shot for meningitis at age 16,” she said. “We want those kids to be protected the last two years of high school and when they go off to college.”

 

“WKTV Journal: In Focus” newest program will start airing on Tuesday, Aug. 22. The program will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., through Aug. 31, on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.

 

The YouTube segment with Mary Wisinski is shown here.

Granger Group changes plans after Wyoming planning commission decision, public opposition

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Hard News, Local Business,
A city map showing area in question in the southeast corner of 56th Street and Wilson Avenue.

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

Following a contentious meeting, attended by about 100 persons in opposition to a development plan proposed by the Granger Group for the city’s southwest side, the Wyoming City Planning Commission recommended that the Wyoming City Council deny a rezoning request associated with the development.

 

The vote Tuesday, Aug. 15, was 4-3 with two commissioners absent. The City Council is currently scheduled to take up the issue at its Sept. 5 meeting.

 

The issue may be a moot point, however, as after the meeting, the Granger Group announced it will change its plans in response to community mood.

 

“We respect the neighbors, we respect the City of Wyoming … we thought we had a better plan,” Gary Granger, President and CEO of Granger Group said to WKTV on Thursday, Aug. 17. “The neighbors said ‘No’ and so we have to stick with our original plan.

 

“We have an original PUD (Planned Unit Development) … a clear PUD that was approved in 2000,” he said. “We will go back to that plan. We still have additional land that we will be dealing with in the future.”

 

City Planner Tim Cochran said Thursday that Granger had not yet withdrawn the rezoning proposal.

 

The specific rezoning request, according to the agenda report of the planning commission meeting, was to rezone 98.4 acres from currently approved zoning status to low density planned unit development status. The properties include 66.9 acres zoned estate residential, 9.5 acres of general business, 15.7 of local business and 6.3 of restricted office.

 

The properties, generally located in the southeast corner of 56th Street and Wilson Avenue, are 3928 56th Street, 3952 56th Street, 5700 Wilson Avenue, 5850 Wilson Avenue, 5950 Wilson Avenue, 5972 Wilson Avenue, 5988 Wilson Avenue, 6002 Wilson Avenue, 6010 Wilson Avenue, and 6030 Wilson Avenue.

 

According to a city planning department rezoning synopsis given to the planning commission, the “proposed rezoning area is primarily agricultural fields” and if rezoned would “accommodate a mixed use development. The rezoning covers eleven separate properties. The rezoning would combine these properties with the adjoining Rivertown Valley Planned Unit Development to create a total PUD of 211.2 acres to be rebranded as The Reserve.”

 

According to the city planning department report, there are currently 131 single family lots within a Rivertown Valley development. The Reserve at Rivertown development, if approved, would add 185 additional single family lots, 370 apartments and about 3.5 acres of commercial area.

 

It is the combination of an existing PUD with a proposed PUD — and the possibility of as many as 370 rental apartments being created — which has led local single-family homeowner to oppose Granger’s plans, according to a press release from a citizens group.

 

According to the citizens group’s press release, the residents are concerned about “370 apartments being constructed in their backyards … (being) forced into a home owners association with no disclosure in purchase agreements … the impact that 370 new rental units would have on the local schools (this part of Wyoming the school district is the City of Grandville) … (and) Granger’s plan to use an old traffic study from 2014. We believe that the study is outdated and a new study by the City of Wyoming needs to be conducted.”

 

The community group also said in the press release that it has hired a lawyer, Kevin Keenan of Wheeler Upham, to represent them.

 

Chamber’s August WKTV Government Matters meeting mixes city-to-federal voices

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Crime Prevention, , ,
City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley, second from right, was one of several government officials at this month’s Chamber Government Matters meeting. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

The Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Government Matters meetings brings together government leaders of all levels and a spectrum of topics, but often those attending the meeting — or watching WKTV’s rebroadcasts of the meeting — are given the rare opportunity to hear a wide-range of government voices on a single subject.

 

“There are really two things going on,” City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley told WKTV following the Aug. 14 meeting. “One is just to know what is going on at all the different government levels. I learn a lot just sitting with our leaders … The second is when there is a common problem, we hear about what other levels of government are trying to do to solve this problem. When we can come together … to do something, that is always good.”

 

Among the multi-level government discussions topics at the meeting were local and state work to control prescription opioid drug abuse, Great Lakes environment protection, and the funding crunch coming to local cities due to state funding policies.

The Chamber’s Government Matters meetings include representatives of the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, Kent County, local Michigan House of Representatives and Senate, and, often, representatives of other State of Michigan and federal elected officials. The next meeting will be Sept. 11 at Wyoming City Hall.

 

The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the Monday meetings on the following Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Cable Channel 25. Replays are also available online at WKTV’s government meetings on-demand page (wktv.viebit.com) and on the chamber’s Facebook page.

 

Two Wyoming employees attain international professional designation

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , , ,
Firefighter Bradley Dornbos

By Mark Easterly

Wyoming Department of Public Safety

 

The Wyoming Department of Public Safety is pleased to announce that two employees have successfully completed the process that awards the professional designation of “Chief Training Officer” (CTO). The Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC) met on July 26, 2017, to confer the designations upon Wyoming’s Fire Lieutenant Dennis VanTassell and Firefighter Bradley Dornbos. VanTassell and Dornbos have become two of only 104 CTOs nationwide.

 

The Designation Program is a voluntary program designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate their excellence in seven measured components including experience, education, professional development, professional contributions, association membership, community involvement and technical competence. In addition, all applicants are required to identify a future professional development plan.

 

Captain Dennis VanTassell

The CTO designation program uses a comprehensive peer review model to evaluate candidates seeking the credential. The Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC) awards the designation only after an individual successfully meets all of the organization’s stringent criteria. Achieving this designation signifies the commitment that VanTassell and Dornbos have made to their careers in the fire and emergency services.

 

This professional designation is valid for three years. Maintaining the designation requires recipients to show continued growth in the areas of professional development, professional contributions, active association membership and community involvement as well as adhere to a strict code of professional conduct.

 

The Commission on Professional Credentialing, an entity of the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. (CPSE) administers the Designation Program. The CPC consists of individuals from academia, federal and local government, and the fire and emergency medical services profession. To learn more about CPC, visit www.cpse.org.

City of Wyoming Inspections Department to implement online permitting

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The City of Wyoming Community Services Inspections Department will offer the ability to apply for permits online starting Sept. 5. The service, facilitated by the AccessMyGov.com website, will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and will provide a convenient method for residents and contractors to apply for various permits.

 

Currently, residents and contractors must apply for permits in person at the Inspections Department at Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St SW or through the mail. Following implementation of the new system, individuals seeking plumbing, mechanical or electrical permits will be able to apply directly online at any time of day using their computers or mobile devices. Common activities that require permits of these types include replacements of water heaters, furnaces, mast repairs, electrical service upgrades, additional plumbing fixtures and underground sprinkling. Permits that require detailed plans to be submitted as well as building permits are not eligible for this service and must still be applied for in person.

 

“We are excited to offer this online service as we know it will help save time and expense for local residents and contractors,” said Rebecca Rynbrandt, Director of Community Services for the City of Wyoming. “There is a lot of construction activity in the city and we want to facilitate growth in whatever ways we can.”

 

The Inspections Department will be holding two open houses at their office in Wyoming City Hall to train interested participants on the new system: Thursday, Aug. 24 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday, Sept. 12 from 8 a.m. to noon. Computers will be available for use and participants are also welcome to bring their own devices. For those unable to attend an open house, a step by step registration guide and video tutorial will be available on the City website beginning August 14, 2017.

 

For more information, visit the City website at www.wyomingmi.gov. Follow the City on Twitter @WyomingCityHall and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CityofWyoming.

Wyoming City Council officially receives more than $500,000 for Ideal Park improvements

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , , , , , ,
Proposed restoration by P.M. Blough Incorporated.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

At its Monday night regular council meeting, the Wyoming City Council accepted more than a half a million dollars from the Department of Natural Resources Natural Resources Trust Fund.

 

The city first applied for the fund in March of 2016 with it taking about a year and half for the state to release the funding, said the city’s Director of Community Services Rebecca Rynbrandt at the Aug. 7 council meeting. Rynbrandt said the funds were officially released on July 14 when the Governor signed the authorization.

 

The grant, totaling $508,300, is a 63 percent match to the city’s $300,000. The total $808,300 along with an additional $68,150 for capital outlay will be used for improvements at Ideal Park, which was severely impacted by two tornados, one in 2014 and a second one in 2016. The 2014 tornado caused extensive damage which included the lost of the park’s playground, tennis and basketball courts and a majority of the trees.

 

The money will cover the first phase of reconstruction for the park, which is located at 5843 Crippen Ave SW. Included in the plan is the construction of a shelter, playground and basketball court, reforestation, traffic control improvements for vehicle and pedestrian safety, and non-motorized trail improvements including the establishment of a trail head and improved connection to the Inter-ubran trail and Kent County trail system.

 

Upgrading lights to LED

 

Also at the Aug. 7 council meeting, the City of Wyoming Council approved the expense of $253,000 to upgrade 1,081 Cobra Head street light fixtures from mercury vapor and high pressure sodium to LED.

 

The city actually has more than 4,422 existing Consumer Energy mercury-vapor and high-pressure-sodium street lights that the city is looking to upgrade to LED light fixtures. The main reason for this, according to a report from the city’s Director of Public Works William D. Dooley, is that it would reduce energy usage which is a benefit to the environment and a cost savings to the city.

 

Of the existing lights, most are the Cobra Head lights totaling about 3,391. The total cost to replace all the Cobra Head lights is about $1.4 million or an average of $410 per light. The new LED fixture will reduce the energy use by an estimated 64 percent and save Wyoming approximately $300,000 a year. According to Dooley’s report, the city would recoup the cost of the replacements in less than five years. The cost for upgrading these lights to LED reflects a large discount from Consumers Energy because the company can avoid its scheduled upgrade.

 

In April, the City Council had decided to move forward to upgrade the Cobra Head lights to LED fixtures. The replacement will be done in four phases. At the Monday night meeting, the council approved the expense for the first phase of about $253,000.

 

The first area to receive the upgrade will be the northwest section of the city, from about north of 36th Street and west of Burlingame Avenue.

 

The Wyoming City Council meets the first and third Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The Aug. 21 meeting will be on the lawn at the Metro Health Village.  The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.

Residents take up the call, heading out to meet their neighbors during National Night Out

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , , , ,
Area mayors and law enforcement officials gather for the Consumers Energy kick off for National Night Out.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

It was a race against the clock for Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody: more than a dozen neighborhoods hosting National Night Out events and his mission was to visit them all within a three-hour time period.

 

By 8 p.m., Carmody admitted as he left the Cross Creek Green Condos, where they honored him for being named the top Michigan Police Chief by the Michigan Association of Police Chiefs, he probably would not make it to them all.

 

For Carmody and many officials from both the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, the day started off at the annual Consumers Energy kick off for National Night Out. Starting at 5:30 a.m. yesterday, Consumers Energy had two of its large trucks with extended buckets 75 feet above U.S.  131 to help draw attention to the national event designed to encourage residents to get out and meet their neighbors.

 

Kentwood Police Chief Tom Hillen and Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody

Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley and Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll were part of a group of governmental leaders and law enforcement officials on had from six different communities in Kent County for the early morning event. Also in attendance was Carmody and Kentwood Police Chief Tom Hillen. A proclamation was read and Consumer Energy employees handed out LEDs to those driving by the Consumers Energy office at 4000 Clay Ave. SW in Wyoming.

 

“We appreciate the support we receive from our cities and law enforcement agencies not only for the annual event, but during every day of the year to keep our communities cross Michigan safe,” said Consumer Energy Vice President of Electric Operations Guy Packard. “This event heightens awareness of crime and drug prevention and helps provide citizens the tools they need to stay safe at home and in their neighborhoods.”

 

For 34 years, communities across the nation participate in National Night Out. Created by the National Association of Town Watch, the annual event, which always takes place on the first Tuesday in August, is designed to build relations between neighbors and local law and safety personal as a way to help deter crime.

 

Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll and Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley

“National Night Out is a way to get everybody together,” said Kentwood Police Sgt. James Connell, who was at the Kentwood community-wide event at Woodland Mall. “It’s a way to get neighbors out of their houses and talk with their neighbors.  A lot of people don’t know their neighbors anymore as we’ve gotten kind of closed off.”

 

Many of the activities were in the evening including the City of Wyoming’s last Concert in the Park series at Lamar Park which featured a variety of activities and the country band Union Guns.

 

For more about National Night Out, make sure to check out WKTV Channel 26 for a special report on the event.

 

K.D. Norris contributed to this story.

Turn your porch light on and join your neighbors for National Night Out

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , , , , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Turn your porch light on and come out and meet your neighbors.

 

It is a simple action and one for the past 33 years has been the mantra of National Night Out — this year Aug. 1 — a nationwide movement created by the National Association of Town watch to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. Always the first Tuesday in August, the event has evolved to neighborhoods hosting block parties, festival, parades, cookouts and other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personal, exhibits and much more.

 

This year, both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming will have numerous events and activities taking place during the Aug. 1 National Night Out event with police officers, firefighters and city leaders out in full force to meet with residents and show support of the annual community building event.

 

Both communities will kick off the day’s activities with the Consumers Energy Kick Off from 5:30 – 8 a.m. at the company’s service center located at 4000 Clay Ave. SW. Both Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll and Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley will be in attendances along with Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen and Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody and representatives from the cities of Walker and Grand Rapids.

 

Last year’s Consumers Energy kick off event for National Night Out.

City of Kentwood National Night Out Activities

The Kentwood Police Department has once again partnered with Woodland Mall and Celebration! Cinema for a daytime event from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the outdoor courtyard between Celebration! Cinema and Barnes & Noble and also inside the mall near the North Face store. Residents can come to meet with Kentwood police and firefighters and their vehicles, enjoy prizes, games and free popcorn, and there are reports that McGruff the Crime Dog will be making an appearance.

 

“For the past 50, Kentwood has shown over and over again that we’re really about helping each other through community involvement,” Mayor Stephen Kelley said. “City leadership is looking forward to continuing our community relationship with Kentwood residents through block parties, cookouts and other events on Aug. 1.

 

“Fostering a better community starts with open communication. We’re excited that National Night Out provides that open communication we find so essential.”

 

Various neighborhoods will host community activities in the evening.

Most of the neighborhood activities will be taking place from 6 – 8 p.m. There are about 13 community gatherings planned with police, firefighters, and city officials planning to fan out and visit each one. Those gaterhings include Christ Community Church, 2400 Forest Hill Ave. SE from 6 – 8 p.m . which will include games and a slip ’n’ slide and South United Methodist Church, 4500 Division Ave. SW near Ridgewood Street, from 6 – 8 p.m.

 

“Our officers really look forward to National Night Out,” said Police Chief Thomas Hillen. “It really energizes our officers and residents because of the open communication. We enjoy listening to citizens and issues important to them. The day allows us to get to the root of the community to build those open lines of communication that are vital to keeping our city safe.”

 

City of Wyoming National Night Out Activities

 

Wyoming City officials are estimating there will be 14 neighborhood-hosted events along with the last Concerts in the Park being dedicated to National Night Out activities. Starting at 7 p.m. in Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW, Concerts in the Park will including a night of family fun and the music of country band Union Guns.

 

Wyoming firefighters help some local children cool off during last year’s National Night Out.

“National Night Out is always a great opportunity for residents in Wyoming and around the Country to get out and meet new neighbors, or reconnect with the old,” Carmody said. “It is also an opportunity to reaffirm our community’s commitment by joining together to keep our neighborhoods safe by keeping a watchful eye on each other.”

 

Major Jack Poll said, during a recent city council meeting, that city officials will be working to make as many of the neighborhood events as possible. Rolling Hills Neighborhood Watch will host a bike parade to kick off its event at 6:30 p.m. near 2523 Oak View SW. Other Wyoming National Night Out Block Parties include:

Grace Bible College died just west of Clyde Park on 26th Street, 4- 6 p.m.

Taft Avenue near 2860 Taft Ave, 5- 8 p.m.

Rogers Lane Neighborhood Watch near Old Rogers Lane Elementary, 2929 Rogers Lane, 5:30 – 8 p.m.

South Godwin Neighborhood Association at Southlanw Park, 4125 Jefferson Ave. SE, 6 – 8 p.m.

Ferrand Estates, at the club house located at 4528 Halifax Ave. SW, 6 – 8 p.m.

Riverview Condos at the club house at 3325 Scenic River Dr., 6 – 8 p.m.

Oriole Park Neighborhood Watch at Oriole Park, 1380 42nd St. SW, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

43rd Street in the 2400 block of 43rd Street, 6:30 – 9 p.m.

 

Other National Night Out Actives

Outside of the Kentwood and Wyoming areas, there are several other National Night Out events.

 

The South Kent National Night Out will be from 4 – 8 p.m. at Celebration! Cinema South, 1506 Eastport Dr. SE. Communities in the Kent County Sheriff’s Department’s South Kent area, such as Byron, Gaines, Caledonia and Bowne townships, are invited to meet the local first responders who service their communities. The event will include demonstrations by the K-9 Unit, vehicle extraction demonstrations, the Kent County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit, children ID packets, a bounce house and dunk tank.

 

The Salvation Army Kroc Center, in partnership with the Garfield Park Neighborhood Association, will host activities from  5 to 8:30 p.m. This free event feature family fun activities such as slip ‘n’ slide rides, games, and community resources. Concessions will be available for purchase. Local police and fire units, along with American Medical Response (AMR) will also be on hand to interact with families in attendance. Garfield Park Neighborhood Association will be handing out information to visitors as well.

 

“The Grand Rapids Kroc Center is honored to be a host site for National Night Out,” said Lieutenant Bill Brutto, senior officer for The Salvation Army Kroc Center. “We always want to continue working toward unity and reconciliation in our city, and special events like this are a good way to bring people together.”

 

The Salvation Army Kroc Center event will be cancelled in the event of heavy rain or lightning. Visit GrKrocCenter.org or call 616-588-7200 for more information on the Kroc Center event.