One of the items that surprised Dan Burrill while seeking election to the Kent County Board of Commissioners was the fact that the seat was only for two terms.
Dan Burrill
“So basically, I had a year and then I am already back into campaigning,” said Burrill who won his bid to be the District 8 commissioner representing the City of Wyoming in 2020.
Michigan in fact was one of about five states in the United States that still had its county commission terms at two years. Note the “was” because in December Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed bills into law that would extend the terms of county commissioners from two to four years. The change will begin with the fall 2024 election.
“People have asked me ‘What do I get out of it?’” said Kent County Commissioner Stan Ponstein, who is the first vice president for the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC), the organization that worked to get the county commissioner term lengths changed. “And, well, for me personally, nothing as I am at the end of my political career.
“It will be a big help to those counties in the north, mostly the knuckle area and beyond, and in the U.P. (upper peninsula), where they have had problems finding people to serve on the county board of commissions.”
For the lower half of the state, the issue has been more on the cost of running a campaign.
“There have been people who have spent $30,000 to $40,000,” Ponstein said. “That is a lot of money just to be a county commissioner and then have to spend it about every two years.”
Up until 1963, county commission seats were four-year terms. At the time, the group was referred to as the Board of Supervisors. With the development of townships, which became supervisors, the county boards were changed to Board of Commissioners, serving two-year terms, Ponstein said. Besides county commissioners, all other county- and township-elected officials are elected to terms of at least four years. This includes county clerk and treasurer. U.S. and state house of representatives are now the only government-elected offices that have two-year terms in Michigan.
Stan Ponstein
The change, according to Burrill, gives newer commissioners like himself a chance to learn the ins and outs of county government, which includes representing county interests at the state and federal government, participating in long-range planning and managing the county budget and finances. Much of the Kent County budget covers the sheriff’s office, the courts, the prosecutor, the treasurer and other independently elected county officials.
“Having the four years allows you to work together more on a local level while forming relationships and concentrating on the needs of the county,” Burrill said.
The change will not impact the upcoming county election, which is set for this fall. “This will be the last year Kent County commissioners will run for two years,” Ponstein said.
Also, all county commission seats will be up for election at the same time unlike in some city and township elections where seats are staggered for consistency. This is not a change for Kent County as currently all county commission seats are up at the same time.
Ponstein, who will become the president of MAC this year, said the effort behind getting the commission terms changed does demonstrate the efforts of what MAC does to help county commissions boards. Currently, the organization is working on several issues such as mental health and protecting revenue sharing on the county level.
The City of Wyoming will be encouraging everyone to get into the holiday spirit by hosting its 8th annual Wyoming Gives Back event Thursday, Dec. 6, from 6-8 p.m.
“We look forward to a great night as we celebrate the Christmas season with this Christmas kick off here in the City of Wyoming,” said Mayor Jack Poll.
“It’s exciting for The Salvation Army Kroc Center to be part of great collaborative efforts like Wyoming Gives Back,” said Senior Krox Officer Captain Bill Brutto. “It’s one of the reasons we were also proud to help launch the Wyoming Winterfest event a couple of years ago. I think that, as a community, we understand that no one person or group can create positive change on their own — but that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Seeing local government, businesses, school districts, and other organizations all working together to fight for good says so much about the city of Wyoming.”
The annual event encourages residents to bring a new, unwrapped toy as a donation to the Salvation Army Tree. Every person who donates receives a raffle ticket for a chance to win prize packs that contain hundreds of dollars of gifts donated by Wyoming businesses.
“We have a city truck here where local people from our community can fill that truck up,” Wyoming City Council member Dan Burrill said. “It is a great time to support our community.”
The City of Wyoming partners with a number of local businesses who provide the prizes. Last year, more than 400 toys were collected for donation with nearly $5,000 in prizes raffled.
“I think it is important for businesses to say thank you to all the people who have supported us all year long,” said Marge Wilson, of Marge’s Donut Den, a longtime sponsor of the event.
With Lillian VanderVeen from Lenger Travel Center, Inc, stating that “It’s a nice start to the holiday season.”
More than 20 businesses are hosting tables this year. WKTV will be there again this year to record Christmas greetings for the community to air on channels 25 and 26 and on WKTV’s YouTube channel, WKTVVideos.
The Salvation Army will be providing cookies and hot chocolate to event attendees. Residents are encouraged to bring their children to meet and visit with the Wyoming Police Department, the Wyoming Fire Department and, of course, Santa Claus!
A lineup of local choirs and bands is scheduled to share the sounds of the season. The lineup includes the Salvation Army Band, Godwin Heights High School Choir, San Juan Diego Choir and the Wyoming Public Schools Jazz Band.
As children play at the splash pad and on the playground, the Wyoming City Council hosted its second outdoor meeting for the summer at Southlawn Park.
About a dozen residents attended the meeting with many echoing what Pastor Wayne Ondersma, from The Pier Church, said just before giving the invocation.
“Thanks for coming to my neighborhood,” Ondersma said.
“I have loved seeing all the different folks,” said Council Member Dan Burrill. “I enjoyed the meeting at Lamar Park and I have enjoyed being at Southlawn. Having these meetings has allowed us to see a lot of folks we normally wouldn’t see.”
Residents attending the meeting brought up several items of concern for their community including promoting the annual leaf pick up in December more to adding more playground equipment to Southlawn Park. Godwin Heights Board Member Rick Hamilton asked the city to consider transferring the north parking lot area of the Site 36 area to Godwin Heights Public Schools, which would use the area for school parking. If the school had ownership over the lot, it could push for no parking on the neighborhood streets, Hamilton said.
Mayor Jack Poll shows the ropes to some young constituents after Monday’s Southlawn Park meeting.
“As any of the fire personal knows, driving a fire truck down through the neighborhood for a fire during a football game is virtual impossible,” Hamilton said, adding that the city has allowed the district to use the parking area and the district has been very grateful for that but he does believe the school could maintain the area better.
The council’s regular meeting agenda also included an item that had direct impact on the neighbor, the restoration of the pedestrian bridge just south of Bellevue Street on Division Avenue. Two other pedestrian bridges just south of 36th Street already have undergone the same process. Cost for the restoration is $24,700.
Other agenda items included the purchase of seventeen replacement vehicles for the police, parks and public works departments and two law mowers for about $580,955 and the replacement of an electric switchgear at the Water Treatment Plant Low Service Station and Gezon Booster Station at cost of about $2.4 million. The current switchgears have been in service for more than thirty years said Public Works Director Bill Dooley. The switchgears are essential in the operation of the plant with the one at the Water Treatment Plant pumping more than a 100 million gallons a day. Work on the switchgears would be done during the plant’s non-peak season which is the winter months, Dooley said.
The council also placed a tentative approval for a preliminary plat approval for Reservoir Ridge located on 56th street near the city’s water tower. Mayor Jack Poll noted that the lots for the plat are some of the largest the city has seen in awhile with plans calling for seven homes to be placed on almost 15 acres with some of the homes having more than an acre of land.
“The development of Metro Health has created interest in having larger lots in the area,” Poll said. The council will review the preliminary plat at its next meeting set for Aug. 7.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at its chambers in Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
The last Wyoming Council outdoor summer meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Metro Village, located in front of Metro Health on Byron Center Avenue. For more information about city activities, meetings, and events, visit www.wyomingmi.gov.
This Monday, July 17, the Wyoming City Council again takes its meeting on the road, this time heading to Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson Ave. SE.
“Taking our meetings outside of council chambers provides us with a great opportunity to meet residents and educate them about our decision-making process,” said Mayor Jack Poll. “Their input is critical to our success as a community.”
Poll, Mayor Pro Ten Sam Bolt, and Council Members William VerHulst, Marissa Postler, Robert Postema, Dan Burrill, and Kent Vanderwood and city officials are scheduled to be at the park around 6 p.m. Ice cream also will be served at that time. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. with it being broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26.
In June, the council hosting a meeting at Lamar Park with city leaders pleased at the overall turn out. More than half a dozen residents made comments at the end of the meeting from thanking the city for help with such projects as the new light at 44th Street and Burlingame Avenue and working with the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission on the Concerts in the Parks programs to discussing such items as the Paris Accord, a concern over a home being rented out and the condition of West Lake and West Pond.
“This is like a dream come true for me,” said Councilor Dan Burrill at the June 19 meeting, who added he has enjoyed looking out from the stage, to the sights and sounds of the park.
Pastor Wayne Ondersma from The Pier Church is scheduled to give the invocation. The council will follow its normal meeting procedures with Poll explaining each segment, like he does at the regular council meetings. To see the July 17 agenda, click here.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at its chambers in Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
It was a beautiful night to visit a park, have some ice cream and attend a Wyoming City Council meeting, which is what several people did on Monday evening at Lamar Park.
For the first time, the Wyoming City Council moved its meeting outdoors to the park in an effort to connect more with the citizens of Wyoming, according to Mayor Jack Poll. Those who attended were treated to an ice cream.
“This is just great,” Poll said from the stage as about the fourth citizen made his way up to the podium to speak. “This is just the type of forum we were hoping for.”
More than half a dozen residents made comments at the end of the meeting from thanking the city for help with such projects as the new light at 44th Street and Burlingame Avenue and working with the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission on the Concerts in the Park programs to discussing topics of concern such as the Paris Accord, a concern over a home being rented out, and the condition of West Lake and West Pond.
“This is like a dream come true for me,” said Councilor Dan Burrill, who added he has enjoyed looking out from the stage, to the sights and sounds of the park while at the meeting.
“It is a great opportunity for us to get into our community,” Poll said, acknowledging that many people don’t always want to head indoors for a meeting, especially on a nice summer day.
The council followed its normal meeting procedures, starting at 7 p.m., with Poll explaining each segment, like he does at the regular council meetings. The council went through its regular agenda which included approving tax exemptions for GR 1001, LLC, which is taking over the former Klingman’s/Rogers Department Store and for Advantage Sales & Marketing which is planning to move its operations into the building around the beginning of 2018.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at its chambers in Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
The Wyoming City Council will host two more outdoor meetings this summer. The next is scheduled for July 17 at 7 p.m. at Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson Ave. SE. For more information about city activities, meetings, and events, visit www.wyomingmi.gov.
The Wyoming City Council is taking its meeting on the road, heading to Lamar Park this Monday.
“This is the first time we’ve taken our council meetings on the road and we’re excited to provide an opportunity for residents to meet their council members in their own neighborhoods, while taking part in the local government process by attending one of the our council meetings,” said Assistant City Manager Megan Sall.
Mayor Jack Poll, Mayor Pro Ten Sam Bolt, and Council Members William VerHulst, Marissa Postler, Robert Postema, Dan Burrill, and Kent Vanderwood and city officials are scheduled to be at the park around 6 p.m. Ice cream also will be served at that time. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. with it being broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26.
“Our council members are excited to expand the physical walls of our council chamber to encompass the whole City,” Sall said. “They look forward to meeting residents, visiting different neighborhoods, and hearing about the issues tat affect our community the most.”
Lamar Park is located at 2561 Porter St. SW, near the corner of Byron Center Avenue and Porter Street. In the event of inclement weather, the meeting will be at City Hall, located at 1155 28th St. SW.
The official agenda for the Monday meeting will be announced here later this week.
The City of Wyoming will return one familiar face to the City Council after Tuesday’s election but there will be two newcomers, including Marissa Postler, who is just 23 years old and will be a student at Grand Valley State University while representing in her district on the council.
Councilman Dan Burrill, who ran unopposed and was re-elected for his second four-year term as council member-at-large, gained a final unofficial total of 18,474 votes.
New to the council will be Robert D. Postema, who defeated Rusty Richter for the 3rd Ward seat vacated by Joanne Vorhees, 5,168 votes to 3,683 votes; and Postler, who defeated incumbent Richard K. Pastoor for the 2nd Ward seat, 3,479 to 2,873.
The new council members will be sworn in at the Nov. 21 meeting.
Youth was served; will serve
Maybe the most startling result was the 2nd Ward win by Postler, who not only unseated a 15-year veteran of the council but also expects her youth to be an asset to the council and the city as much as it was an asset to her campaign.
“I definitely think my youth and energy played a part” in the win, Postler said Wednesday. “This election season, we’ve seen a lot of support from both Democrats and Republicans for the idea of an outsider candidate. Bernie Sanders really excited young liberals and Donald Trump, of course, found a lot of support among more conservative voters. While these two men (and myself) have very little in common, there is definitely that common thread of people wanting something different from what they’ve had forever.
“In the case of our (2nd Ward) residents, I think I’m probably the first 23-year-old girl who has ever knocked on their door trying to talk about politics and city issues. I had a lot of older folks tell me how glad they were to see someone from the younger generation ready to step up and take the torch.”
Postler works at Costco in addition to being a college student seeking a music education degree leading to a teaching position.
The 2nd Ward area covers the northern portion of the City of Wyoming from Chicago Drive in the north to Prairie Parkway down Burlingame Avenue over 36th Street and up along 32nd Street on the south. The ward’s western border is Wentworth and the eastern border is the city limits.
Part of Postler’s campaign had her advocating for more local engagement and local opportunities for Millennials.
“Considering we’re the second largest city in the metro Grand Rapids area, I definitely don’t think it’s crazy for us to try attracting young professionals, Postler said. “The thing is, though, we don’t have a ton of jobs they want right here in Wyoming. On the upside, we do have affordable homes and a 10-minute drive downtown. I think especially if this 28 West project works out, we could definitely become a more attractive area for people who want that city proximity but at a more affordable cost.
“One thing we need to continue being careful about is making sure the businesses who fill our many empty spaces are going to add value to the community and make us appealing. No more dollar stores, check cashing places, or vape shops, please! That is a sentiment that I’ve heard from several residents and wholeheartedly agree with myself.”
Not only is Postler not your usual city council candidate, she found out about the win in a most unusual way.
To be honest I was half asleep when I found out, so it took a moment to sink in,” she said. “I gave up and went to bed around 12:30 (in the morning … with no results yet, and somehow managed to fall asleep despite the excitement and nervousness. Then my boyfriend woke me up at 4 a.m. with the news as he was leaving for work and I saw I had 20 notifications on my phone! … I just want to thank the voters so much for their support and invite them to reach out to me with any ideas or concerns.”
(Postler’s email address is marissapostler@gmail.com.)
Back to work; working at large
Burrill, who was reelected for a second 4-year term as council member-at-large, ran unopposed and still gained nearly 18,500 votes — as well as a few ribbings — from constituents.
Joking aside, he says he is grateful not only for reelection but for the confidence in this work and work ethic shown by city voters.
“I do hope (the high number of votes he gained) says that folks recognized that I do a nice job for the city,” Burrill said. “I put the community’s best interest at heart. I put a lot of time and effort in that position, so I hope it says, ‘This guy is doing a pretty good job.’ Some of these (public service) positions can be pretty thankless sometimes, and I think that people are thankful that someone is doing it and putting forth effort on it.”
Burrill also said he takes pride representing the entire city as member-at-large, but he stressed that all the council members really represent the entire city.
“We have such a diverse community, and I think that is totally awesome,” he said. “When I think about our community, I see it from so many directions. It is such a great place to live. I do think I look at it as that I do not represent just one area, one ward, you do feel a sense of duty to the entire community.
“Of course, I know the ward commissioners do the same. Sure they represent their ward, but they also are looking for what is best for the people throughout the community. I know in those wards, they all of have a good sense of community for the entire community. Not just their area. You have to look at Wyoming as a whole. The decisions you make on the north end can affect the south end, so you have to look at the community as a whole.”
Of course, Burrill said, being well-known and accessible to the voters can have it’s, ah, moments.
“This past election, I had more people text me and say ‘Dan, I voted for you.’ Of course, some of them joke around: people that know me said ‘Hey, we had a tough choice but we voted for you anyway.’ When you get those text messages, those calls, from people it makes you feel really good. More than anything, this election made me feel really good; it gave me a lot of confidence in what I am doing.”
Postmen has ties to local community and local business
Postema — please call him “Rob,” he says, to avoid any confusion with his father and brother, both Richard — has a long history in Wyoming and, while he sees the many strengths of the city, he sees things he wants to make better.
“Wyoming has a lot going for it,” he said this week. “Good infrastructure, strong neighborhoods and great citizens. City services have generally remained stable and the city is good financial shape despite some difficult economic times. But there are opportunities for improvement in many areas.
“I’d like to see both public safety departments strengthened,” he said. “The DDA area (28th Street area) is an area we should continue to look for improvement. The DDA appears to be a great tool to compound investment in the area without any added tax burden. Wyoming’s DDA suffers a bit from unlucky timing with the economic downturn and several large business closures that have left it struggling for funding. The 28 West project, hopefully, will spur some positive momentum and as that momentum builds I think we could see some real positive change in this area of the city. I think there is opportunity along the Division corridor for positive change as well.”
Postema said his initial focus, however, will be in not only representing his ward but in “gaining a greater understanding” of the city and the working of the City Council.
“My exposure to city government from my work on the Planning Commission and BZA is an asset, as is my experience running a business,” he said. “But I recognize there will be some issues I do not yet fully understand and need to learn.”
Postema works for Richard Postema Associates PC, an architectural and engineering firm which moved to the city in 1981. It is a family business, named after his father, but both his father and his brother are “Richard” and his brother — who goes by “Rick” — is also part owner. “It can be confusing,” Postmen said.
Postema, 49, grew up in Wyoming, attended South Christian High School, graduated from Calvin College with an engineering degree. He is married, to Shelley, with two daughters, one a graduate from Hope College and in the nursing field, and the other just starting study at Calvin.
His becoming a city council member is just starting to sink in, however.
“Running for election is a humbling event,” he said. “It seems cliché to say so, but it really is an honor to have people place their faith in you to represent them in such an important role. I am so very thankful to everyone who placed their faith in me. I will do my best to honor that faith and follow the commitments I made to everyone when running for office.”
