By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
Tommy Brann takes the oath of office from Wyoming City Clerk Kelli Vandenberg as his wife,Sue, holds the Bible. (WKTV)
Acknowledging it was a tough decision, the Wyoming City Council appointed former state House Representative Tommy Brann to fill a vacant council seat.
The seat was vacated by John Fitzgerald, who was elected in the fall to serve as the 83rd District State House Representative. Fitzgerald had two years left of a four-year term with the seat up for election in 2024.
At a special meeting on Jan. 16, each candidate had a 30-minute interview where council members asked a series of questions and candidates asked questions and gave a final statement as to why they should be selected for the open council seat. After a short discussion, each council member voted for the candidate they wanted to appoint. Brann received four of the six votes. De La Vega and Kilgo each received one vote.
The council then had a motion to appointed Brann to the vacant seat, which passed unanimously. Brann took the oath office after the vote.
Focusing on the needs of the city
“As I said when we got started, I knew this was going to be a challenge,” said Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderoowd. “I knew two weeks ago that it was going to be a challenge with great, great applicants.
“We are looking at different strength sets and different skill sets and we have to decide which is best for the city right now because we can only appoint one.”
Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood with recently appointed Council member Tommy Brann.(WKTV)
Looking at what the needs are of the city, Vanderwood said council needed to appoint the person who brought the “most to the table to serve our greatest needs.”
Several council members pointed to Brann’s long history with the city. He has lived in Wyoming for 51 years and is the longtime owner of Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille, 4157 Division Ave. S.
Brann termed out of the state’s House of Representative, serving for eight years. In the fall, he ran for a seat in the state Senate, which Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks won.
Several council members noted that Brann is a strong advocate for public safety and faced with a May millage to help fund fire and police, Brann could be an asset in helping to expand the needs.
“I’m a small business man,” Brann said as he talked about the upcoming milage. “Do I want to pay more taxes? Of course not.
“Do I want the safety of my employees when they go out to their cars at 10 or 11 o’clock at night? Of course.”
A desire to serve
Brann made it clear that for him to be on the council, he wanted to be able to impact residents lives. He pointed to the 19 bills he was able to get passed while serving in the state House of Representatives. He said he is not afraid of being the dissenting vote and did not always side with his Republican peers in the state, which he demonstrated by supporting bills for the smoking age to become 21 and civil rights for LGBTQ and others.
“As a restaurant owner I am use to serving people…I serve my customers and I served my employees and it is just in my nature,” Brann said. “I want to continue to serve people. I believe as a city council member, it is just important as being a state rep. Actually it can be a little more important because you are one-on-one with people…”
From a state level, Brann said he has seen how cities like Wyoming that are financial responsibility loose out on state revenue sharing. On the state level, he has worked on the appropriations committee and helped solved financial needs.
A small business is similar to running a city in that you are dealing with people, payroll, paying taxes and making financial decisions to keep that city running, Brann said, adding he would use those skills to help connect residents, especially those in the Godfrey-Lee area, so that they feel welcome and comfortable to share their concerns and ideas.
“I think Wyoming is really underrated,” Brann said. “What I love about Wyoming is that we have starter homes and we have homes for your whole life. So you can start in Wyoming in a starter home and as your family gets bigger you can get a bigger house in Wyoming.”
Wyoming City Council will hold a special session tonight, Thursday, March 24, at 7 p.m., to inform voters about the May 3 vote for Proposals 1 & 2, the city’s proposed income tax and property tax decrease proposals for funding of the Wyoming’s Police, Fire and Parks & Recreation Departments.
Watch it live on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on WKTV’s Comcast Channel 26 or on Facebook at the WKTV Community Media Facebook page.
The City of Wyoming is moving forward on redevelopment plans for Gezon Park. (WKTV)
By Rebecca Rynbrandt City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation
The City of Wyoming is excited to announce the next steps in the redevelopment of Gezon Park. 5651 Gezon Ct., in an effort to continue to provide high quality and well-maintained parklands.
On Monday, April 20, the Wyoming City Council authorized the mayor and city clerk to execute an agreement for professional services with Johnson Hill Land Ethics Studio in the amount of $132,710 and Fishbeck in the amount of $23,850. The profession services are to prepare construction drawings and bid materials for the next phase of Gezon Park’s development which will include a splash pad, walking and bike trail, restroom, shelter, and expanded parking.
“We are grateful to our residents as we continue to invest in the local economy through our parks system,” said Jack Poll, mayor. “The redevelopment has been highly anticipated by area residents as the project has been guided by community input.”
The large-scale park is expected to serve as a regional recreational source for the entire community. Currently, the interior of the park is undeveloped. This project would improve this area and increase access to recreation and leisure services for a significant portion of the community.
In 2018, The City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department offered three development plan options for Gezon Park which were produced by Johnson Hill Land Ethics Studio. (WKTV)
Gezon Park currently borders a densely populated residential area of the community which includes multi-family and single-family homes. The southernmost portion of the park has been developed as an athletic complex featuring baseball, softball, and football fields. The northernmost portion has been developed with a small shelter, playground, and basketball court.
“During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen an increase in our residents using our trails and recreational resources to maintain their physical and mental health. We’re excited for this next step in the process to make improvements to Gezon Park which will continue to add to these valuable facilities,” said Rebecca Rynbrandt, director of community services.
The development plan for Gezon Park was approved by the City Council on April 2, 2018. Funding for the professional services was planned for in the city’s 2020 budget from the capital parks revolving fund.
Construction for this next phase for the park development is slated to begin in the spring of 2021. In the meantime, the community can look forward to the opening of Ideal Park, 5843 Crippen, this summer of 2020 and Jackson Park, 1331 – 33rd SW, in 2021.
First comes the meet-and-greet with council members and city officials. And then, the grand affair — the meeting proper — at 7pm. This past Monday marked the Wyoming City Council’s first summer outdoor meeting. Read all about it here.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7pm. The July “on the road” meeting will be July 15 at St. John Vianney Church, 4101 Clyde Park Ave. SW, and the August meeting is Aug. 19 at Aurora Pond Senior Living & Retirement Community, 2380 Aurora Pond Dr. SW. Beats being cooped up indoors.
You’re only young once
Hello West Michigan, West Michigan’s regional talent attraction and retention organization, will host its 6thannual Intern Connect conference on Wednesday, June 19, in Grand Rapids. The organization hopes to impart “essential skills” such as interpreting dress codes, navigating networking events, creating positive workplace communication and how to #adult to the more than 350 summer interns participating in the conference. More info here.
‘I could be a contender’
Recently, students and teachers gathered in the Kelloggsville High School auditorium for a time-honored tradition: signing day. The tables on the stage had logoed caps and contracts just waiting for signatures from high school seniors, ready to commit to a team for the coming year. Go here for the story.
Fun fact:
142.18
The number of licks it takes to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop. You’re welcome.
Each generation must, at the height of its power, step aside and invite the young to share the day. You have laid claim to our world and I believe the future, in your hands, will be bright and prosperous.
Wyoming resident Cullen Dyk in the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre production of “Newsies.” (Supplied)
Extra, Extra
If you haven’t heard, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s production of Disney’s “Newsies the Musical” is currently running at its theater, located at 30 N. Division Ave. The story follows the 1899 newsboy or “newsies” strike that pitted the young, poor against the establishment such as publisher Joseph Pulitzer. Who wins? Well you will just have to go to find out. The show runs through June 23.
The Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival runs through June 16.
Celebrating Diversity
According to The Right Place, about 35,400 people from Asia and the Pacific Islands (including Hawaii) live in the West Michigan area in 2018. Spend some time this weekend exploring the culture and heritages of Asia and the islands at the Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival which is at Rosa Parks Circle, located in front of the Grand Rapids Art Museum in downtown Grand Rapids. The event, which runs through Sunday, June 16, includes a variety of entertainment from classical to Korean hip-hop. There will be workshops on origami, weapons, Quigong-alternative healing, modern-Japanese martial art Aikido, yoga, and Haka dance. Food will be available from the Philippines, Thailand, Bhutan, Korea, China, and Vietnam along with rolled ice cream. For more information, visit grasianfestival,com.
The Wyoming City Council will start its On the Road program Monday, June 17.
On the Road Again
The Wyoming City Council is packing up and hitting the road with plans to host three of its summer meetings in local neighborhoods. The first is Monday, June 17, at the Wyoming Junior High School, 2125 Wrenwood St. SW. There will be a meet-and-greet at 6 p.m. with council members and city staff with the meeting starting at 7 p.m. The July “on the road” meeting will be July 15 at St. John Vianney Church, 4101 Clyde Park Ave. SW, and the August meeting is Aug. 19 at Aurora Pond Senior Living & Retirement Community, 2380 Aurora Pond Dr. SW.
That’s a Big Horse
Grand Rapids is not only known for having the first public outdoor sculpture funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is Alexander Calder’s La Grand Vitesse, but also for the largest equestrian bronze sculpture in the Western Hemisphere, which is the 24-foot Leonardo da Vinci horse called “Il Gavallo,” located at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, 1000 E. Beltline Ave. NE. Check it out along with the Meijer Gardens’ recently opened Stuart and Barbara Padnos Rooftop Sculpture Garden.
The Wyoming City Council at Southlawn Park in 2017. The council will be heading out on the road this summer visiting three of the city’s neighborhoods. (WKTV)
The Wyoming City Council once again will be taking its meetings on the road with its first summer council meeting at Wyoming Junior High, 2125 Wrenwood St. SW. The meeting is Monday, June 17, at 7 p.m.
Started in 2017, the Wyoming City Council has three of its summer meetings, this year it is the third Monday of the month in June, July, and August, in a neighborhood within the city. The goal being to provide an opportunity for residents to meet with council members in their own neighborhoods. Mayor Jack Poll said this gives residents an opportunity o learn about how its council works along with talking about issues or concerns within their own neighborhood directly with council members.
The Wyoming City Council at the Del-Mar Community Center in 2018. (WKTV)
“The Council on the Road program has been a great success for the City of Wyoming, as it allows the City Council to meet people where they are and interact with them in different ways,” Poll said. “In addition to educating residents about the City Council and how our meetings are conducted. These summer meetings also encourage council members to visit areas of the community that may be unfamiliar to them.
“Overall, we have a lot of fun and I think everyone enjoys them!”
From 6 – 7 p.m., there is a meet-and-greet with council members and city officials available to talk to residents, answer questions about the process, and enjoy a summertime treat. The council meeting will begin promptly at 7 p.m. The official agenda for the meeting will be posted here.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. The July “on the road” meeting will be July 15 at St. John Vianney Church, 4101 Clyde Park Ave. SW, and the August meeting is Aug. 19 at Aurora Pond Senior Living & Retirement Community, 2380 Aurora Pond Dr. SW.
Poll said “I encourage you to ‘be involved and be informed,’ and we look forward to meeting you and your neighbors this summer.”
No straight ticket balloting: This year, the ballot does not have straight party ticket voting for Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green Party, etc. This means that voters will have to vote for each office: governor, secretary of state, etc., right on through to school boards.
Turn that ballot over: Ballots are two-sided. So make sure to flip the ballot over. The order is governor, secretary of state, state attorney general, congressional candidates, state candidates, county candidates, judgeships, community college, local school districts, state proposals and, finally, county and local proposals.
Vote the number: If a section says vote for no more than two, vote for only two. If you vote for more, your vote will not be counted.
Absentee balloting: You have until 4 p.m. today (Monday, Nov. 5), to request an absentee ballot. You have until 8 p.m. the day of the election to return the absentee ballot to your municipality’s clerk’s office.
Get an early peek of the ballot: If you want to get an idea of which candidates and proposals will be on the ballot for your area, visit michigan.gov/vote. All the candidates will be listed along with their campaign finances and links to their websites. You can check to see if you are registered, where your polling place is, and if you filled out an absentee ballot, the status of that ballot.
All polls are open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Make sure you are in line by 8 p.m. to vote.
Here is another look at the state, county, and local candidates running in the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming,
City of Wyoming
Mayor Jack Poll is seeking his third term as the city’s mayor. He is running unopposed for the seat. Also running unopposed are Sam Bolt and Kent Vanderwood, both who are seeking re-election as council members at large. For the city’s 1st Ward Councilor seat, incumbent Sheldon DeKryger will face candidate Pete Rickertson. For more from the candidates, click here.
Kent County Board of Commissioners
The Kent County Board of Commissioners has 19 districts of which six represent portions of the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming. Of those six districts, two have unopposed candidates. Those districts are 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, and 13th. Harold Voorhees is running unopposed in the 8th District and Emily Brieve is running unopposed in the 10th District.
In the 7th District Kent County Commissioner race Republican incumbent Stan Ponstein, of Grandville, will be facing off against Democrat challenger Mike Johnson, of Wyoming.
In the 9th District Kent County Commissioner, Republican incumbent Matt Kallman is being challenged by Democrat candidate Bob Smith. Both are from Byron Center.
With the announcement that incumbent Harold Mast would not be seeking another term, the 12th District Kent County Commissioner race features three new faces, Republican Jill Martinez, Democrat Monica Sparks, and Green Party Charlotte Aikens.
For the 13th District Kent County Commissioner, Republican candidate Jessica Ann Tyson is challenging Democrat incumbent Betsy Melton. Both are from Kentwood.
The 72nd District House of Representative seat covers the cities of Kentwood and Wayland, along with a portion of Cutlerville and the community of Dorr. There are three candidates, one a one-term incumbent, seeking the 72th District House of Representatives. They are, in alphabetical order, Republican incumbent Steve Johnson, Libertarian candidate Jamie Lewis and Democratic candidate Ron Draayer.
The 77th District House of Representative seat covers the City of Wyoming, Byron Township and a portion of Cutlerville. There are three candidates, one a one-term incumbent, seeking the 77th District House of Representatives. They are, in alphabetical order, Republican incumbent Tommy Brann, Democratic candidate Dana Knight, and Libertarian candidate Patty Malowney.
The 26th District of the State Senate includes the City of Kentwood along with all of Allegan and Van Buren counties. Three candidates are running in the Nov. 6 General election to replace term-limited Republican Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker. They are, in alphabetical order, Libertarian candidate Erwin Haas, Democratic candidate Garnet Lewis and Republican candidate Aric Nesbitt.
The 28th District of the State Senate includes the City of Wyoming as well as the cities of Walker, Rockford and Cedar Springs. In the 28th District State Senate race, three candidates are running in the Nov. 6 General election. They are, in alphabetical order, Democratic candidate Craig Beach, Libertarian candidate Nathan Hewer, and Republican incumbent Peter MacGregor.
Michigan’s 2nd District of U.S. House of Representatives includes Lake, Oceana, Newaygo, Muskegon and Ottawa counties as well as portions of Allegan, Mason and Kent counties including the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood. Three candidates are running in the Nov. 6 General election. They are, in alphabetical order, Democratic candidate Dr. Rob Davidson, U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Ronald Graeser and Republican Incumbent Bill Huizenga.
All five public school districts in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas have school board elections. Of those districts, only two have contested races, Godwin Heights and Wyoming. School board elections will be towards the end of the ballot. For more on the candidates, click here.
For the Wyoming City Council, there is only one seat contested out of the four seats on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Mayor Jack Poll is seeking his third term as the city’s mayor. He is running unopposed for the seat. Also running unopposed are Sam Bolt and Kent Vanderwood, both who are seeking re-election as council members at large.
For the city’s 1st Ward Councilor seat, incumbent Sheldon DeKryger will face candidate Pete Rickertson. DeKryger was appointed in March to fill the 1st Ward seat when longtime council member Bill VerHulst announced he would not be seeking re-election and stepped down from the council due to health concerns.
The city’s 1st Ward Wyoming’s encompasses Precincts 1 – 9. That area covers most of the eastern edge of the city which is Clyde Park Avenue to Eastern Avenue north of 36th Street and from Burlingame Avenue to Eastern Avenue south of 36th Street.
Sheldon DeKryger – Incumbent
Occupation: Residential home builder
Why did you decide to run for the Wyoming City Council Ward 1 seat?
My wife and I believe in servant leadership, that is why our family has spent the last 20 years serving others in our community, school, and church. I believe the next step in serving my community is being the people’s voice on the Wyoming City Council. That is why when Bill Verhulst retired I applied for the position and was appointed last March. I would like to continue the great work the City is doing now.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on and why?
Public Safety- I believe the Police and Fire departments need the tools and equipment necessary to do their jobs. The city needs to maintain the current funding levels to keep our community safe and protected.
Pro Business- I want to work on getting good manufacturing businesses in the Site 36 property. It would bring in hundreds of well paying jobs and be great for our city.
Financial Sustainability – I believe the city needs to live within its means. We also need to keep taxes low and bring funds back to our city from Lansing.
Pete Ricketson – Candidate
Occupation: Bus Driver
Why did decide to seek election to the Wyoming City Council Ward 1 seat?
Well for one thing, I saw how the city council influenced things with The Rapids. I see how things could be for public transportation and how as I looked into the city, I was appalled to see thousands of dollars being wasted. The majority are putting there own interested above the people who elected them. For that reason, I believe there is a huge disconnect between the actions of the city council and the will of the people.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on and why?
I think we need to overhaul how we use our resources as a city, stopping unnecessary spending. I would like to see us bring back things for our community such as the Fourth of July parade or perhaps, create a Taste of Wyoming at Lamar Park.
The Wyoming City Council will have its last summer on-the-road meeting this Monday, Aug. 6, at Oriole Park, 1368 42nd St.
There will be a meet-and-greet from 6-7 p.m. with the meeting scheduled to start at 7 p.m. This is the third on-the-road meeting held this year with the first being in June at the Godfrey-Lee Early Education Center and in July at the Del-Mar Farms Community Room. Both of the meetings were well attended.
The on-the-road meetings were started last summer with the main goal being to provide an opportunity for residents to meet with council members in their own neighborhoods while taking part in council meetings.
“These are just great opportunities to get out in the community,” said Mayor Jack Poll during the meeting at Del-Mar. “We want our citizens to feel that we are very approachable and that they can come and talk with us.”
On Monday’s agenda is several items that will cover projects for the city’s parks and recreation and public works department along with several bid proposals and ordinance changes.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
The Wyoming City Council took “the show on the road” by having its first meeting of the summer at the Godfrey Lee Early Childhood Center.
Started last summer, the Wyoming City Council has three of its summer meetings, usually the first meeting in June, July, and August, at a location in the city. The goal is to provide an opportunity for residents to meet with council members in their own neighborhoods while taking part in council meetings.
“These are just great opportunities to get out in the community,” said Mayor Jack Poll. “We want our citizens to feel that we are very approachable and that they can come and talk with us.”
Chief Kim Koster addresses the council
In fact, the seats at the Monday night meeting were full as the council went through the Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s annual report and approved several resolutions which included naming Brain Bennett as the city’s new deputy director of fire services.
“We encourage citizens that when we get around to your community to feel free to come in and see what a council meeting is all about,” Poll said.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. The next “on the road” meeting will be Monday, July 2, at 7 p.m. at Delmar Community Room, near 56th Avenue and Wilson Street. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Newly appointed 1st Ward Commissioner Sheldon DeKryger takes the oath of office presented by Wyoming City Clerk Kelli VandenBerg. DeKryger’s family looks on.
The members of the Wyoming City Council openly admitted they had a tough decision between two potential candidates for the city’s open council seat but by the end of last night’s special meeting, the council made the unanimous decision to appoint business owner Sheldon DeKryger.
DeKryger will fill the 1st Ward Commission seat vacated by Bill Ver Hulst due to his resignation earlier this month. The appointment is through November when the seat is up for election.
“Looking over the resumes we received here, I said to my wife, we can’t go wrong with either one of them,” said Mayor Pro Ten Sam Bolt during discussions on the candidates, which were DeKryger and business owner and 18-year Wyoming resident Jennifer Franson.
Regardless of who was selected, Council member Dan Burrill said during the meeting, he hoped that both would continue to stay involved in the community.
DeKryger and his family have lived in Wyoming since 1995. He has three children attending Tri Unity Christian School, where he has been a board member for the past five years and was the building site coordinator for a recent addition at the school located on Wilson Avenue. He has one son attending Western Michigan University. He is a member of Resurrection Life Church, where he serves as a deacon and has been involved in the Powerhouse Ministry, an inner city Sunday school program that would set up at different sites in Wyoming, Kentwood, and the Grand Rapids area providing Bible lessons for local children.
DeKryger has a degree in economics from Calvin College and he currently owns and manages a residential building company that is based in Wyoming. According to DeKryger he got into construction due to his father-in-law and has enjoyed the field. He has served on the city’s Construction Board of Appeals for the last nine years.
He will serve out the remainder of the term which expires this fall at which time he plans to run for the seat.
“This is something that I have been taking about and my wife and I have gone back and remember a conversation I had with a person from six years ago,” DeKryger said during the his interview at the special meeting. “…we were talking about the city council back then and I don’t even know what seat it was for, but it was ‘hey, have you ever thought about running for City Council’ and it planted a seed and it is something that I’ve always wanted to do.
“I knew there was going to be opportunities this year so at that point I filed my paperwork. I was going to run this fall in the November election and the reason that I am here today is things got speed up and if I am running in November there is no reason I shouldn’t be sitting at this table hoping you guys will listen to me and try to get this appointment.”
DeKryger currently is the only candidate who has filed for the 1st Ward seat for the upcoming election. That area covers most of the eastern edge of the city which is Clyde Park Avenue to Eastern Avenue north of 36th Street and from Burlingame Avenue to Eastern Avenue south of 36th Street.
Beside’s the 1st Ward seat, two council member-at-large seats, currently held by Kent Vanderwood and Sam Bolt, and the mayor’s seat, currently held by Jack Poll, are up for election. Vanderwood, Bolt and Poll said they all plan to run for re-election for their current positions.
Those interested in running for any of the council or mayor seats need to file with the Wyoming City’s clerk office by 4 p.m. April 24. The clerk’s office is located in the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. Candidate packets are available at the front desk.
The Wyoming City Council is scheduled to interview and select a resident of the city’s First Ward to fill a vacated seat on the council Monday, March 26. WKTV will be broadcasting the interviews and swearing in of the new council member on WKTV Channel 26.
The special meeting is set to start at 5 p.m. with the interview of Jennifer Franson. The interview session will be about 30 minutes followed by a 10-minute break and the second interview with Sheldon DeKryger will take place at 5:40 p.m.
After the second interview, there will be a short discussion session with the council scheduled to selected one of the two candidates to fill the seat. The candidate is scheduled to be sworn in that night, said City Clerk Kelli VandenBerg.
William VerHulst
In January, William VerHulst announced he would not be seeking re-election to his 1st Ward seat due to health concerns. His current term is up in the fall. About a month later, he sent in his resignation from the council. With the vacancy, the council is obligated to fill the seat, VandenBerg. said. The person selected at Monday night’s special meeting will serve in the seat until November when the term expires.
Whoever is elected in November will then take over the seat. Any candidate seeking the 1st Ward seat must live in Wyoming’s 1st Ward. That area covers most of the eastern edge of the city which is Clyde Park Avenue to Eastern Avenue north of 36th Street and from Burlingame Avenue to Eastern Avenue south of 36th Street.
VandenBerg said that currently only DeKryger has filed a petition seeking to be on the ballot for the vacated seat. She added that several packets have been taken out. For the August primary, Aug. 7, and the general election, Nov. 6, the city will have several council seats up for election. Beside’s VerHulst’s 1st Ward seat, two council-member at large seats, currently held by Kent Vanderwood and Sam Bolt, and the mayor’s seat, currently held by Jack Poll, are up for election. Vanderwood, Bolt and Poll said they all plan to run for re-election for their current positions.
Those interested in running for any of the council or mayor seats need to file with the Wyoming City’s clerk office by 4 p.m. April 24. The clerk’s office is located in the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. Candidate packets are available at the front desk.
Former Wyoming City Council member and longtime Wyoming resident Richard Kent Pastoor died Sunday, March 18. He was 79.
Pastoor had lived in Wyoming most of his life, noting in a 2016 interview that “he could remember back before Wyoming was a city because I was living here in the Second Ward.”
He served on the Godfrey Lee Public Schools Board of Education and the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Commission. In 2001, he was appointed to fill the seat of Jack Magnuson, longtime council member and former mayor who died during his term. Pastoor was re-elected three times to the Wyoming City Council serving the Second Ward.
During his 2016 re-election campaign, Pastoor said in his “We the People” segment that “I love this city. I make no bones about that. I have seen so much growth and we have such wonderful people in administrative positions in the city and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to serve you…” He said the people of Wyoming had proven that by working together, all things are possible and he was proud of the opportunity and growth within the city.
“Richard [Pastoor] was a true severant and leader of the City of Wyoming,” said Mayor Jack Poll. “His heart was always with the City of Wyoming. He did a wonderful job representing his district.
“Of the many things, it was his very positive nature that for the city and those who knew him will remember.”
At Monday night’s regular city council meeting, several council members echoed the mayor’s thoughts about Pastoor, sending prayers and thoughts to family and friends.
Pastoor worked in broadcasting and sales. He started with the Children’s Bible Hour as a teenager and later was an announcer on WFUR and WMAX. He co-hosted the Polka Pops for nearly 20 years on WYGR. He also was a longtime member of the Eighth Reformed Church.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret “Maggie” Pastoor, and his sister, Faith Heinrich. He is survived by his children, Scott Pastoor and fiancée, Beth Carroll, Kevin and Susan Pastoor, Deb and Bob Hoyle; seven grandchildren, his nieces and nephews and many other relatives and friends.
Visitation with the family is from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, at Matthysse-Kuiper-DeGraaf Funeral Home, 4145 Chicago Drive SW, Grandville. There will be a visitation from 10-10:45 a.m. before the funeral service which will be held on Thursday, March 22, at 11 a.m. at Eighth Reformed Church, 841 Burton St. SW, Wyoming. Rev. Harry Koops will be officiating. Interment will be at Rest Lawn Memorial Park.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Eighth Reformed Church Radio Fund. For more information or to send condolences, visit www.mkdfuneralhome.com.
At a recent luncheon of about 200 educators, business people and church and community representatives involved in the One Wyoming collaborative, Wyoming Director of Police and Fire Services Chief James Carmody posed a question to the crowd: “Will anyone who is currently attending high school please raise their hand?”
No hands were raised, and thus Carmody made his point. At a meeting of passionate, committed leaders, why weren’t youth present? It was an all-too-common scenario. “Here we are again, finding ourselves talking about the future of our community and the future of our young people, but we are not allowing them to be at the table.”
Godwin Heights freshman Madisyn Rogers said she’d enjoyed talking about issues with the police chief
Carmody himself has made it a priority over the past three years to give high school students a voice at the table. Every week he spends an hour meeting with students, rotating between Wyoming, Godwin Heights, Lee and Kelloggsville high schools to hear their thoughts, receive input and help bridge any divide that may exist between the police force and community.
“I think the importance of how you guys fit into the whole thing is: What do you see in terms of your future here in the city?” Carmody told Godwin students at a February session. “The bottom line is hopefully at some point, whether it’s here or some other community, you realize the value of getting involved.”
While Carmody, who has served in law enforcement for 43 years and has headed the Wyoming force since 2006, is retiring April 26, he said the department’s work with high school students will continue under his successor.
“I’m old enough be your grandfather but young enough to know you have a big, big impact on what’s going on the city,” he told the Godwin Heights students. “This isn’t going away. It’s been too valuable.”
Wyoming Director of Police and Fire Services Chief James Carmody talks with Godwin Heights students about his plans to retire
During sessions, students ask for information about law enforcement and crimes. They seek Carmody’s perspectives on issues and share their own thoughts. They said they’ve learned a lot about the role of officers in Wyoming.
“We can talk to him about issues now. He can do something about it and we get a lot of useful information,” said Godwin Heights freshman Madisyn Rogers.
Students said they’ve also learned that police officers’ main objective is not to lock people up. “He wants to make the world a better place,” said freshman Jeffrey Young.
Carmody said the sessions humanize both teens and officers: “(Teens) don’t want to be defined by that one person who goes out and does horrible things. They don’t want to be painted with a broad stroke of the brush. On that same token, neither do we.”
Senior Mark Herrera listens to Chief James Carmody talk about his hopes for students to be involved in the community
Looking Beyond the Uniform
Students have gotten to know the candid Carmody, who always encourages two-way dialogue and listens to different points of view. He said he started the meetings to give students a chance to get to know him as more than a cop and to directly address what matters to them. He said he’s learned that he and students care about a lot of the same things.
“I really wanted to get down and find out what they think of us,” he said, noting that nothing good is gained from fear of police officers, and that reaching students at a young age is important. Still, police mistrust has become a heated issue nationwide. “I don’t ask for people to do anything other than be objective and to question both sides.”
In Wyoming, he said his role is to serve and protect the public, regardless of anyone’s legal status.
“I’ve gone out on public record where I fall on immigration, and I’m not ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). When I go to someone’s home, I’m not asking for their identification because I want to find out what their status is. I’m asking for their identification because I’m going to have to reach back to that person and talk to them. That’s an uphill battle. But we are not here to do (ICE’s) work.”
Two years ago, students from the groups were invited to a Wyoming City Council retreat and offered valuable input, Carmody said.
“A lot of them want a safe, secure community whether it’s here or anyone else,” he said. “They want to have jobs. They want to know their families have resources and that their families are taken care of. Those are the same questions everybody asks.”
At the Godwin meeting, students asked if they could come to Carmody’s retirement party and mentioned hosting their own. Carmody talked about his past, including highlights of serving on the force and how public safety has evolved over the years. They also talked about the Super Bowl, applying to colleges and planned majors.
It was a conversation between a police chief and teens who have taken the time to get to know one another. “We’ve found mutual respect,” Carmody said.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
First Ward Council member William VerHulst announced his retirement from the Wyoming City Council.
William A. Ver Hulst, the longest-serving Wyoming City Council member, announced his retirement at Monday night’s meeting.
Citing health reasons, Ver Hulst said that he would step down effective immediately from his representation of Wyomings First Ward. Ver Hulst, 77, served six years on the board of Wyoming Public Schools before being elected to the seven-person Council in 1993. He has served with four different mayors and 21 different Council members during his tenure on the Council.
The Wyoming City Council plans to appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of Ver Hulsts term, which expires in November. Those interested in being considered should submit a letter of their qualifications and a resume by Thursday, March 15, to City Clerk Kelli VandenBerg.
Wyoming’s First Ward encompasses Precincts 1 – 9. That area covers most of the eastern edge of the city which is Clyde Park Avenue to Eastern Avenue north of 36th Street and from Burlingame Avenue to Eastern Avenue south of 36th Street.
After resumes are reviewed, Council members will interview candidates during its special meeting on Monday, March 26, at 5 p.m. and select a replacement, whose tenure will begin at that time.
”As a community, we are deeply grateful for Bill’s decades of selfless leadership,” said Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll. ”He has always had a heart to serve the community, which he has done with tremendous integrity. For Bill, it was never about advancing his own agenda he cared about his fellow Wyoming residents and did his best to represent their interests.”
Born and raised in Holland, Mich., Ver Hulst graduated from Holland High School. After a brief stint in the National Guard, he graduated from what was then Davenport College with an associates degree. He then attended Ferris State University, where he received a bachelors degree in accounting. He was offered a scholarship to attend Michigan State University, where he earned a masters degree in accounting before successfully completing the requirements to be a certified public accountant, or CPA.
Ver Hulst took a position working at the accounting firm Seidman & Seidman. He and his wife, Karen, bought a house on Plas Street SW in Wyoming, later moving to a home on Cranwood Avenue that they shared until her death in 2016. He loved the intimacy of the Wyoming community and the proximity to his church, Grace Reformed Church. The couple raised their three children, Clark, Julie (Dyke) and Bart in Wyoming.
Clark Ver Hulst said his father’s faith was the most important thing in his life and the driving factor in his decision to run for the school board first and then City Council.
“I remember campaigning with him when he was running for City Council,” Clark Ver Hulst reminisced. “I went door-t-door with him, and it was a great opportunity to say Vote for my dad; he really cares about the community and the people.
“My dad felt his accounting background and experience as a CPA would be beneficial to the City of Wyoming.”
And it was, according to City Manager Curtis Holt.
“Throughout his tenure, Bill made tremendous contributions to ensure our fiscal stability,” Holt said. ”Bill’s steady hand and wise counsel helped the City navigate safely through the Great Recession of 2008. The team at City Hall and I deeply appreciate his dedication and his passion for service.”
After leaving Seidman & Seidman, Ver Hulst went to work at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, where he spent more than two decades as chief financial officer. Before retiring a dozen years ago, he took a position with Priority Health, where he worked as an auditor.
Active in the community, Ver Hulst served on the board of Westown Jubilee Housing and is a longtime supporter of Words of Hope Ministries. Active in Grace Reformed Church, which he still attends, he has been a youth group leader, Sunday school teacher, after-school program volunteer and mentor. He still oversees the finances for the Reformed Church of America.
“Family has always been very important to my father,” Clark Ver Hulst said. ”He has been a great dad to the three of us and wonderful to his six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. When he was on outings with his grandchildren, it was always hard to tell who was having more fun my dad or the kids. He’s a big kid at heart.
“He was also an exceptional partner and outstanding caregiver to my mother, Karen. In the last two years of her life, he was her round-the-clock caregiver and companion.”
Clark Ver Hulst noted that his father is a huge sports fan and very faithful to the Chicago White Sox and the Michigan State Spartans.
Gezon Park is not the only City of Wyoming park property that will be seeing some improvements in the near future. At its Monday night meeting, the Wyoming City Council approved work to three city parks, Ferrand, Buck Creek, and Lamar, totaling about $624,366.
All of the improvements were part of the city’s 5-Year Community Recreation Master Plan, with one project falling under the 2017 approved library millage proposal for .16 of the .39 library millage money tube used for park improvements.
Ferrand Park was one of four parks that was part of the 2017 library millage. Gezon Park and its master plan process was another park under this proposal along with Ideal and Jackson parks. Ferrand Park is a small pocket park located off of Byron Center Avenue that serves a very dense residential area, according to city staff. Staff added that the park has not had any improvements or new equipment in a number of years. It currently has no shelter, pathways or swings and outdated play equipment.
At its meeting, the Wyoming City Council unanimously approved a contract for $344,376.70 to the lowest bidder, Denny’s Excavating, Inc., for work on the park. This work would include accessible pathways, shelter, new and expanded play equipment that would include swings, and improved turf conditions.
The current restroom facility at the Buck Creek Nature Preserve.
Also unanimously approved by the city council was a bid for $136,990 by by low bidder Vancer Kodde Construction for the replacement of the more than 30-year-old restroom at the Buck Creek Nature Preserve. The Buck Creek Nature Preserve entrance is located just north of the Burlingame and 44th Street intersection on Burlingame Avenue. The city had initially budgeted about $115,000 for the new restroom, adding another $64,290 to the over budget — now totaling $189,290 — to help cover the difference plus other costs associated to the project.
The city staff noted in its report that the city was able to save money on the project by re-using the architectural plans for the Frog Hollow restroom. Those plans, which were designed by Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr and Huber, Inc., were modified for construction in a floodplain. The facility will be converted from wood to brick to ensure a longer life as well as reducing a fire hazard. The new restroom also will meet ADA requirements and will be located in the general footprint of the current building.
The city council also approved a bid of $143,000 for LED sports lighting equipment to Musoc Sports Lighting, LLC. The lighting will be for the north softball field at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. By going through a national bid process, the city was able to save about 15-20 percent on the purchase of the lights. However, staff is expecting an increase in costs for installation as “contractors are busy.” The overall cost for the project is estimated to be around $362,730. A bid process is underway for the general contractor to install the lights.
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.
Wyoming City Council member Kent Vanderwood said he is planning to seek re-election in the fall for for his fourth term as a council member-at-large.
Vanderwood’s seat is one of four seats that will be up for election in the fall. The other three are another council member-at-large seat held by current Mayor Pro Tem Sam Bolt, a 1st Ward Council member seat currently held by William Verhulst, and the city mayor seat currently held by Jack Poll.
Verhulst, who is currently the longest serving member of the Wyoming City Council, announced at the Jan. 11 City Council work session that he would not seek re-election due to health concerns. Poll announced during his State of the City Address at the Jan. 18 meeting that he would seek another term. Poll has served as mayor for the City of Wyoming since 2009. Before that, he served on the Wyoming City Council from 2001-2005 and 2007-2009. After the Jan. 18 meeting, Bolt said he too planed to run for re-election. He is seeking his fourth term on the council.
Poll, Bolt, and Vanderwood were re-elected in 2013 but served an extra year in office when, in a cost saving measure, the city decided to move its elections to even years when the state and federal elections are held.
Vanderwood said he was currently working on his petition for re-election with the intent of being on the fall ballot.
Those interested in running for any of the council or mayor seats need to file with the Wyoming City Clerk’s Office by 4 p.m. April 24. The clerk’s office is located in the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. Candidate packets are available at the front desk.
The primary election is set for Aug. 7 and the general election is set for Nov. 6.
Drivers heading down Byron Center Avenue just south of Gezon Parkway may have noticed some large red balls on the utility lines.
Those balls are there to help mark the new helipad site at the City of Wyoming’s Fire Station and Training Center, located at 2300 Gezon Parkway. The Wyoming City Council approved an agreement with Metro Health – University of Michigan Health for the helipad at its Monday night meeting.
“I went out there and saw it all painted up, and it’s pretty impressive,” said Mayor Pro Ten Sam Bolt just before the vote which was unanimously in favor of the agreement.
The helipad is about 100 feet by 100 feet located behind the Fire Station and is visible from the Family Fare located next door. The helipad includes lighting, signage and wind cones.
The large red balls marking the utility lines which were put in preparation for the Metro Health – University of Michigan Health helipad.
The agreement is for one year with possible extensions. The agreement allows for ambulances, emergency vehicles and personal access through the Fire Station and Fire Training Center driveways to the helipad site. Metro Health — University of Metro Health contractors, employees, maintenance providers as well as patients would have access to the site as needed, according to the agreement. The hospital is located just a half mile south of the helipad at 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW. The hospital is required to carry liability and property damage insurance.
Councilmember Kent Vanderwood said he has been talking to friends who work at the hospital about the partnership between Metro Health and University of Health, which is just a year old in January.
“I’m talking to everyday employees who work there and they feel really, really good about it,” he said “So I think this is another step in that direction making it even better, stronger.”
City Manager Curtis Holt indicated there is a need for the helipad as he said he received a request from the hospital to use it for an emergency on Saturday before the agreement had been approved. Holt said he did give the go ahead with Wyoming Public Safety Director James Carmody indicating during the meeting that, to his knowledge, the helipad was not used over the weekend.
The community is invited to attend Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll’s annual State of the City Address on Monday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. The Address will be delivered at the beginning of the regularly scheduled City Council meeting in the Council Chambers of Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. Individuals who are unable to attend in person are invited to watch the Address on WKTV or stream it live at wktv.org.
Mayor Poll will give an overview of the City’s activities from 2017 and a preview of its initiatives for 2018. He is also expected to announce his future political plans, as his current term expires in November of this year. Prior to being elected mayor, Poll served on the Wyoming City Council from 2001-2005 and 2007-2009.
For more information, visit www.wyomingmi.gov or follow the City on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CityofWyoming. You can watch the the Wyoming City Council meeting live on WKTV Channel 26 and it is rebroadcast again at 7 p.m. on Fridays.
The rezoning request for the proposed Reserve at Rivertown PUD has been pulled from the Nov. 6 meeting.
Per the request of the developer, a proposed rezoning for the 56th Street and Wilson Avenue area has been taken off the Wyoming City Council’s agenda for the upcoming Monday night meeting.
The Granger Group had been seeking a rezoning of an an additional 98 acres to a development on Wilson Avenue and 56th Street. The additional acreage would have been combined with an approved 2001 current planned unit development (PUD) for that area bringing the PUD to a total of 211.2 acres.
Granger spokesperson David Jackiewicz, with First & Main Corporate, confirmed last week that Granger was requesting the city council postpone the hearing on the rezoning so as “to allow the Planning Commission to review an updated PUD plan we recently submitted…” Jackiewicz confirmed that on Oct. 19, Granger Group did submit an amendment to its original 2001 PUD that would include a mix of condominiums, townhouses, and single family homes.
Granger started the rezoning process in August. In that proposal of the 211.2 acres, there would have been zero office space but about 3.57 acres of retail space and 686 total housing units. Those units would be 316 single family lots and 370 apartments with no multi-family housing. The Planning Commission had recommended denial of the rezoning request to the Wyoming City Council, which has the final decision on rezoning.
The rezoning request had meet with much opposition from residents currently living in and around the development. At a Sept. 5 City Council meeting, at the Granger Group’s request, the council decided to delay a decision until its Nov. 6 meeting. Company officials stated at the meeting that it was their desire to work through the issues and come up with a plan that would have a mutually satisfying conclusion.
Some of the concerns expressed by residents were:
decrease value to existing homes
density too high in one spot
increase traffic along 56th Street
violation of current property owners’ rights
developer does not need to max out the density on the PUD
residents should have input on changes
growth assumptions of 1 percent are too low
putting a strain on local police and fire services
there already are lots of other options for luxury apartments
other developments such as The Haven have not open and the full impact of those on school and community resources remain an unknown
“It [was] higher right now with M-6, I get that,” said Wyoming resident Jason Gillette, who was discussing the traffic on 56th Street. “Even without that, it is very high traffic in the area. In the evening, I’ll be coming and have to wait 20 minutes…depending on what time you come through.”
Gordon VanMeulen, who is with the Wyoming Citizens for Planned Progress, said everyone understands that there will be development in the area, but it needs to be sensible and balance.
“The 2020 Land Use Plan and Wilson Corridor Report recommended multi-family housing on the northland as a buffer to the RiverTown Crossing and single family homes on the southend,” VanMeulen said. He stated his group is not in favor of the rezoning because of current issues with the Granger Group’s Rivertown Valley, density and number of multi-family units and the failure to follow the 2020 Land Use Plan and the Wilson Corridor Report.
In a staff report presented to city officials, staff said that the proposed rezoning does comply with the 2020 Land Use Plan falling under the 4 units per acre overall density. The proposal called for 3.66 units per acre.
“When you buy some property next to some vacant land you should really understand can and might be done there,” said 3rd Ward Council Member Robert Postema at the Sept. 5 City Council meeting. “And when we have a PUD in place that is exactly what has been done. Those homeowners have a right to expect what was going to be built behind them. It was all planned out in the PUD. The exact nature of the building may not have been built as it was but the idea that they would have some condominiums behind them, some open space, and then apartments way up by Wilson that was pretty well established.”
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.
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.
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).
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.
A recent discussion on whether to sign a pack on its comment to reduce greenhouse emissions has lead officials of the City of Wyoming to the discovery that the city does quite a lot in helping to reduce its carbon footprint and promote sustainability.
“It is part of our DNA,” said Mayor Jack Poll at a recent council meeting on June 19. “We are very conscious of everything we do in the City of Wyoming that we are as green as possible and save funds in different areas as best as possible.”
One of the items the city does not have is an inventory of all its efforts, which staff and officials are currently working to put together.
Many municipalities — locally and across the nation — have been having the discussion on greenhouse gases and carbon footprint on the environment as an outcome of President Donald Trump’s recent decision to pull the United States out of The Paris Agreement or Paris Climate Accord. This is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020.
A reaction to this decision has been local residents asking their city and state representatives what those governments are doing to reduce emissions. Poll said several individuals have reached out to the City of Wyoming, asking where the city stands on this issue and have suggested agreements or packs the city could sign.
Wyoming residents and students help to make their community better.
“There are agreements out there now that they are asking the City of Wyoming to sign on to and some of those agreements if you go in and sign on, the City of Wyoming could be held financially responsible for not doing some things,” Poll said, adding city officials did not want to lock the city into something that it would not have a lot of control over.
However, by looking over such agreements as the Compact of Mayors, which was established in 2014 a year before the Paris Climate Accord was signed, city leaders found that within many of its own projects and various ones in the city, the city has been environmentally aware.
“The City of Wyoming has a long history of being environmentally conscious and it starts with things like our bio-solids land application program, our yard waste program that we have for disposal of yard waste and reuse of yard waste rather than disposing of it,” said City Manager Curtis Holt during the June 19 council meeting. “We recently have done things related to LED traffic lights. As many of you know we do a four-day week in the city of Wyoming and part of that was to close our buildings for one day a week and we have estimated in the past that has been a savings of roughly $50,000 a year in energy costs for the city.”
The city also has a formal sustainability policy that was developed a couple of years ago that the council takes into consideration on every resolution it adopts, using it as guidance related to the economic, social and environmental impacts of that particular issue that they are dealing with, Holt said. City officials also have seen a lot of LEED certification of buildings within the City of Wyoming.
“I am really very proud to live in a city that we do a lot of those things without out a formal agreement in place telling us to,” said Second Ward Council Member Marissa Postler. Postler said she would proposed the city make a compact with itself to keep track of what the city is doing, which is what she liked most about the Compact of Mayors was keeping track and being accountable.
The Compact of Mayors has four components to it, a city would have to register its commitment; take inventory on its current impact on climate change; create a reduction, targets and establish a system of measures; and establish an action plan within the city planning for how the city will make a commitment to reduce its greenhouse emissions and adapt to climate change.
Holt said he believes the City of Wyoming would do very well achieving the goals of something like the Compact of Mayors, however; there would be some costs involved in doing so.
None of the council members were in full support of spending dollars and some raised concerns about spending too much staff time on building the report, however; Poll said he believed it would not take that much time and would mostly those involve those who are handling various projects to put together an inventory of what the city is currently working on and what it has accomplished.
The Wyoming City Council July 3 meeting has been cancelled and the next city council meeting is July 17 at 7 p.m. at Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson Ave. SE.
The Wyoming City Council granted the requested tax exemptions for the new owner of the former Klingman’s/Rogers Department Store building and a future tenant of that building at its Monday night council meeting at Lamar Park.
Earlier this month, the council approved a commercial redevelopment act district which included the former Klingman’s building located on 28th Street. At last night’s meeting, the council received no comment at a public hearing for the commercial facilities tax exemption which was for GR 1001, LLC, owned by The Hinman Company, the owner of the former Klingman’s building. The exemption is for the redevelopment of the facility, located at 1001 28th St., SW and is for a period of 12 years. City staff noted that The Hinman Company would spend between $3 – $5 million in renovations on the site.
“The new roof is going up as we speak,” said Elizabeth Slane, regional property manager at The Hinman Company, during public comments at the meeting. Slane said they are excited about being a part of the City of Wyoming adding that her son currently lives in the city and that that her husband is a 1977 Wyoming Park graduate.
The Wyoming City Council also approved a personal property tax exemption for seven years for Advantage Sales & Marketing, a future tenant for the building. The exemption is for an estimated $845,000 in personal property for a duration of seven years with an option for an additional five years. Advantage Sales & Marketing plans to consolidate its two current offices, one in downtown Grand Rapids and the other in Cascade Township, which will bring an estimated 300 jobs along with adding another 100 new jobs.
Advantage Sales & Marketing is a sales and marketing company that was founded in 1987 in Southern California and now has 120 offices in the United States and Canada. Its only Michigan offices are in the Greater Grand Rapids area, according to its website.
An official from the company indicated that they too were excited to be a part of the City of Wyoming. According to reports from the city, renovations to the building are to be completed in January 2018 and Advantage Sales & Marketing has indicated it would move in at that time.
Opened by Hyman “Hy” Berkowitz in 1955, Rogers Department Store was touted as one of the largest department stores in Michigan. However changes in shopping and the opening of RiverTown Mall impacted the store, with it closing in 2005. In 2008, Klingman’s, a furniture store, moved into the site, only to close two years later with the building being empty every since.
News broke of The Hinman Company’s interest in redeveloping the site when the company sent a letter to the city in May.
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.
Joanne Voorhees has left the Wyoming City Council, having declined to run again for the 3rd Ward seat after nearly a decade of council service and decades of serving the community her and husband Harold call home. But don’t expect her to spend all her time with her grandkids and great-grand kids.
“As the mayor closes every session, he asks the citizens to stay informed and stay involved, so I plan to stay informed and stay involved,” Voorhees said Monday, Nov. 21, as she officially stepped off the council and the city welcomed two new members prior to its regular meeting.
“But I also have three children, 19 grandchildren and I have 14 great-grandchildren,” she said. “So I am going to spend time with family, but I will always be available and will do some volunteer work, hopefully, here in the city of Wyoming.”
At the Monday meeting, the council recognized Voorhees as well as long-time member Richard Pastoor for their service to the council and the city. The city also swore in returning member-at-larg councilman Dan Burrill, who ran unopposed in the Nov. 8 election for his second four-year term, and new council members Marissa Postler, elected to the city’s 2nd Ward seat, and Robert Postema, elected to the 3rd Ward seat vacated by Voorhees.
Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt had nothing but praise for Joanne Voorhees’ service to the city.
“Rich and Joanne have been longtime fixtures in our community,” said Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt. “They are known throughout the community for their good works in the community, whether it is working in the school districts, whether it is working as a state representative.
“Rich owned a radio station in our community and has that radio voice we all know. They are people who have dedicated their lives to our community and that dedication followed through to the city council, where they were always very supportive of the city and city projects. They were always dedicated to making our city better.”
Voorhees’ service includes much more than just a city council member, however. She previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives and joined the Michigan Republican Party leadership committee in 2011, to name just two high-profile positions.
“At one time I served as the chair of the Kent County GOP, before that I served six years as a state legislator, my husband was on there for six years and because of term limits I had the opportunity to run,” she said. “It was a natural fit for me, to not only serve the community as a state representative but then to serve the people here, in the city council room.
“The neat part about Harold and I is that he also served as mayor of the City of Wyoming. At that time, I could be called first lady, and I loved that position. … I have had very unique and very blessed opportunities.”
As you watched her talk to people before the ceremony Monday, at a reception in her’s and Pastoor’s honor, you could there was a sense of pride from Voorhees for being able to serve the city and the 3rd Ward.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve (the Wyoming community), it was a golden opportunity for me to be able to serve in this capacity,” she said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my nine years. We, as a council, have worked together for nine years … We blended. We understood each other. We knew were we were coming from. We did not always agree, but we would disagree very agreeably.
“It has been a tremendous experience, I just can’t say enough about what a blessing it is to have served the residents of Wyoming, particularly the 3rd Ward, who I really represent. I have gone door-to-door, so many times. I know many of them personally. I know their feelings. I truly feel like I’ve been able to represent them to the city more than maybe the city to them.”
Holt may have summed up the feelings of many attending the ceremony, saying:
“The time she has given to our citizens is significant and I am sure at the expense of her own personal priorities in some cases. … You can’t help but admire that dedication and the time she has given to serve the citizens of the City of Wyoming.”
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.”
WKTV takes seriously its role as a communications provider. We want our community to be well-informed and more involved in local matters. Note: Wyoming City Council seats are nonpartisan.
2nd Ward
The City of Wyoming’s 2nd Ward Council 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 2nd Ward western border is Wentworth and the eastern border is the city limits.
Richard Kent Pastoor – Incumbent
Occupation: Worked in sales and broadcasting. Has been on the Wyoming City Council since 2001
Residence: Wyoming
Why did you decide to run for the City of Wyoming 2nd Ward?
“Well, I was appointed to the 2nd Ward back in March of 2001 and liked it, so I decided to run again in 2003. It’s the most rewarding job I’ve ever had and I’ve met some great people. I try to serve the people and I love being able to help them.”
With the announcement that the 28 West project is moving forward, how do you feel it will impact the City of Wyoming?
“Most of that area is in my ward and the people over there have always felt slighted and cheated that the City ignored them. That the business ventures stopped at Burlingame. I hope it’s something that takes off and benefits the businesses in the area. I would like to see all of 28th Street re-birthed.”
Marissa K. Postler
Occupation: Works at Costco Warehouse
Residence: Wyoming
Why did you decide to run for the City of Wyoming 2nd Ward?
“I was frustrated with Millennials engagement into politics. I want to bring more people into politics in order to give a more accurate representation of the community. With a median age of just over 30, the City Council needs more diversity to properly represent the City of Wyoming.”
With the announcement that the 28 West project is moving forward, how do you feel it will impact the City of Wyoming?
“I’d love it as long as we get the right types of businesses in. With young people taking advantage of the low housing market in Wyoming, we need to keep them here. A new 28 West has the potential to increase Wyoming’s appeal.”
3rd Ward
The City of Wyoming’s 3rd Ward Council area encompasses the city’s panhandle area that includes most of the western area of the city from Prairie Parkway on the north to 60th Street in the south. The 3rd Ward eastern border wraps around the city limits to Kenowa Avenue and its western border is Burlingame Avenue.
Rusty Richter
Occupation: Twenty-seven years as a commercial real estate broker and property manager Residence: Wyoming
Why did you decide to run for the City of Wyoming 3rd Ward?
“I’ve lived in Wyoming my whole life and so have my parents and their parents. In order to keep the solid foundation the city is built on, you have to be involved to make sure it remains sound and sensible. I’m looking to dew attention to the issues in the 3rd Ward as some people in the 3rd Ward feel left out and not a part of Wyoming.”
With the announcement that the 28 West project is moving forward, how do you feel it will impact the City of Wyoming?
“I think it’s an important project for Wyoming and will help Wyoming develop a downtown feel. It has to be competitive in growing business development and the project will help with that. It’s important to use the private sector to fill 28th Street.
Robert D. Postema
Occupation: Engineer / Part Owner of Richard Postema Associates PC, Architects & Engineers Residence: 36 years in Wyoming
Why did you decide to run for the City of Wyoming 3rd Ward?
“I am running for election because I believe I have the experience and critical thinking necessary to properly guide the decisions made by the City Council. I have consistently shown in my work the desire to fully understand an issue and make a thoughtful, common-sense decision on how to proceed. I grew up in Wyoming, raised my own family here and own a business in Wyoming. I want Wyoming to continue to be a great place to live, raise a family, and run a business. I am committed to limited government, being accessible and accountable, fiscal responsibility, strong public safety, and smart growth.”
With the announcement that the 28 West project is moving forward, how do you feel it will impact the City of Wyoming?
“The 28 West project is the catalyst that should help drive new development in Wyoming’s DDA. Redevelopment often is about momentum with new development driving more new development. The city needs to work promote the area and also needs to remain flexible enough to work with developers on concepts that may not have been envisioned in the 28 West plan but hold true to the plan’s ultimate goals.”
All candidates were contacted and invited to participate in sharing their message to the voters.
WKTV takes seriously its role as a communications provider. We want our community to be well-informed and more involved in local matters.
City of Wyoming – 2nd Ward
The City of Wyoming’s 2nd Ward Council 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 2nd Ward western border is Wentworth and the eastern border is the city limits.
City of Wyoming – 3rd Ward
The City of Wyoming’s 3rd Ward Council area encompasses the city’s panhandle area that includes most of the western area of the city from Prairie Parkway on the north to 60th Street in the south. The 3rd Ward eastern border wraps around the city limits to Kenowa Avenue and its western border is Burlingame Avenue.
Kent County Commissioner – 8th District
Kent County Commissioner District 8 covers the eastern portion of the City of Wyoming, including the pan handle. For specific boarders, visit accesskent.com.
Kent County Commissioner – 12th District
Kent County Commissioner District 12 covers the western portion of the City of Kentwood and the eastern portion of the City of Wyoming. For specific boarders, visit accesskent.com.
Kent County Commissioner – 13th District
Kent County Commissioner District 13 covers the eastern portion of the City of Kentwood. For specific boarders, visit accesskent.com.
State House of Representatives – 77th District
The 77th District includes Byron Township and the City of Wyoming. The seat is currently held by Thomas Hooker of Byron Township, who is vacating due to term limits.
Take one last good look at 28 Street and Michael Avenue because it could change in a matter of weeks.
Last night, the Wyoming City Council approved the last piece in the 28 West Place project as it accepted a purchase agreement with Loeks Theatres for around $278,000. The agreement was the final piece for the city to construct a new road from the current Wyoming Mall entrance off Michael Avenue to 28th Street across from Hook Avenue where Applebee’s is located.
Adopted in 2013, the 28 West Place is a reimagining of the south side of 28th Street between Clyde Park and Burlingame avenues into a mixed-use town center utilizing form-based code. A form-based code provides for flexibility to developers, according to Wyoming Deputy City Manager Heidi Isakson who has been working on the 28 West Place project.
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.
A key element to the 28 West concept is the construction of a curving slip street which would become the center’s new “main street.” The street is proposed 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. Before the city could move forward, it had to have the property owners on board with the project. Earlier this year, owners of the Wyoming Mall approached the city with some redesign plans for its facility and city officials knew now was the time to move forward with the west portion of the street.
“It has been a nail biter,” Isakson said as city staff pulled together the several elements that needed to be coordinated for the project. This included working with Wyoming Mall officials and Loek Theatre representatives to acquire the necessary right-of-ways.
“We believe that the city investment of public utilities and improving public access combined with the private investment will yield greater results,” said City of Wyoming Assistant City Manager Heidi Isakson.
In June, the Wyoming City Council accepted a $1.6 million agreement with Wyoming Mall, LLC. Total cost to the city will be about $1.2 million for the relocation of city services and construction of the road. At its Aug. 1 meeting, the council awarded the construction of 28 West Place street and utility improvements to Kentwood Excavating which had the lowest bid of $1.74 million. The bid, which was one of five, came in about 11.34 percent below the engineer’s estimate. The total cost for the project, which includes right-of-way acquisition, is estimated at $2.8 million.
Isakson said Loeks Theater officials plan to have the agreement signed by Wednesday with plans for construction starting soon. Wyoming Mall officials already have begun demolition work and are waiting for the city to being moving utilities, she said.
Isakson said she has been in touch with the owners of Rogers Plaza about the project but at this time there are no plans to move forward with the west portion of the new street.
WKTV takes seriously its role as a communications provider. We want our community to be well informed and more involved in local matters.
The City Council election is non-partisan. The top two will advance to the general election in November with the winner earning a seat on the Wyoming City Council.
