Administrator's
Digest

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A Note From The Administrator

It has been an interesting couple of weeks. I was eagerly applying my new weed whacker to my jungle at home and ingested poison ivy vapor into my lungs. I had no idea …  Although I sounded like a five pack a day smoker or had pneumonia, I felt fine with the exception of the poison ivy in my lungs and on other parts of my body. Meanwhile, I participated as one of three panelists on a national webinar titled Local Government Workforce Challenges and Recovery in the Wake of the Pandemic  sponsored by the American Society for Public Administration. The County also completed its public input and engagement process prior to the American Rescue Plan Act project application deadline which was July 15. We conducted six community forums, received more than 3,700 survey responses, met with more than 33 disproportionately impacted groups, and held several separate meetings with interested individuals and groups. Now the hard work of processing applications begins with our consultant Guidehouse, County staff, and the Board of Commissioners. Last, the Board of Commissioners held a work session on the proposed Fiscal Year 2023 Capital Infrastructure Plan (CIP) which will come up for final approval with the budget process this fall. I hope that you enjoy today’s Digest and as always we are open for additional content and ideas for improvement.

Veterans Services Artprize Gala

(Martha Burkett, Kent County Veteran Services)

Please mark your calendar for the Kent County Veteran Services Artprize Gala!  

August 20, 2022

6:30 p.m. 

Grand Valley State University Eberhard Center 

301 Fulton St W. Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Come celebrate Michigan veterans  who make art at this amazing event featuring Keynote Speaker, Judge  Rosemarie Aqualina. There will also be heavy hors d’ouvres to enjoy and live music for dancing.

Kent County Veterans Services (KCVS) will honor all of the veterans who participated in its art workshops with Artprize Artist Pamela Alderman over the past three years. They will also honor the 43 veterans who showed or will show their works at the newly designated Artprize Venue at Veterans Memorial Park under the guidance of Michael Hyacinthe/Has Heart, supported by Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency/KCVS grant funds. Please plan to join us as we celebrate our veterans!

Alida Bryant Appointed to the 17th Circuit Court (Andy Thalhammer, Circuit Court) Governor Whitmer recently announced the appointment of Alida J. Bryant to the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County. She currently serves as the District Court Chief for the Kent County Defender’s Office. She has been in this position since 2021, supervising misdemeanor attorneys and providing legal representation at the arraignment stage. Prior to her current role, Bryant was a staff attorney with the Defender’s Office handling a large case load of litigation ranging from retail fraud to capital offenses. Early in her career, Bryant maintained a private practice and work as an attorney with White, Beekman, Przybyowicz, Schnieder & Baird.  Bryant holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Accounting from Mount St. Mary’s University and earned her Juris Doctor degree from Drake University Law School. Additionally, she is a member of the Kent County Mental Health Court and a board member with Dawn Damon’s BraveHeart Ministries. Alida is a long-time resident of Kent County and currently resides in Grand Rapids with her family.  This appointment was made to fill a partial term, which will start on August 15, 2022 and expire on January 1, 2025, following the appointment of Judge Christopher P. Yates to the Michigan Court of Appeals. If Ms. Bryant wishes to seek a full six-year term, she would be required to run for reelection in November of 2024.

Van Andel Arena and DeVos Performance Hall Rank Among Best Entertainment Venues

(Sue Waddell, ASM Grand Rapids) 

ASM Global-managed venues Van Andel Arena and DeVos Performance Hall have once again been ranked among the world’s best by Billboard Magazine. 

Van Andel Arena and DeVos Performance Hall appeared on Billboard’s Mid-Year charts with the arena ranking #5 worldwide and #3 for U.S. venues with a capacity between 10,001 and 15,000. DeVos Performance Hall ranked #8 worldwide and in the U.S. for venues with a capacity of 5,000 or less. Billboard ranked venues by total gross ticket sales from November 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022.

Joint Statement from Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons

and Ottawa County Clerk Justin F. Roebuck

The Kent and Ottawa County Clerk's Offices have received calls and messages concerning election results data that has been posted on local media sites. Our respective clerks want to be very clear that results posted on these sites were not provided by official election administrators, nor were their offices involved in any way.

Prior to every election, websites are stress tested to ensure that data can accurately be reported. It is their understanding that the media organizations inadvertently made their testing “live”. Proper protocols should be in place and followed to do this testing in a “non-live” environment.

Misinformation from any source, whether intentional or unintentional, can damage public confidence in our elections. Therefore, Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons and Ottawa County Clerk Justin F. Roebuck are encouraging these media outlets to issue a public explanation to their audiences so that the public has the facts and the situation cleared up.

As a reminder, results posted on media websites are never official results. Michigan’s election process has many checks and balances in place, built to protect against errors such as these. 

What voters can be assured of is that every Election Day, the first task of poll workers is to sign a zero report that prints directly from the tabulator, ensuring that no ballots have been cast or votes have been tabulated. After the close of polls, these same poll workers will sign the totals tape that lists the totals for all ballots cast in their precinct. These totals tapes are verified by the bi-partisan Board of County Canvassers in each County and compared to unofficial results that appear on the County’s website. This check and many others must occur before results are certified. Following the certification, hand count audits conducted in every county will also ensure that the ballot count matches the certified total.

As always, voters are encouraged to seek accurate information from their election officials whenever they have questions or concerns. 

Kent County Community Action Commodity Supplemental Food Program

(Jennifer Smith, KCCA)

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program  works to improve the health of persons 60 years or older by supplementing their diets with nutritious United States Department of Agriculture commodity foods. Eligible households receive a monthly distribution of food products, which may include cheese, milk, canned meat, plant-based protein, vegetables, fruits, grains, cereals and juices.

Location: Kent County Human Services Complex - North Parking Lot

Address: 121 Franklin St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507

Time: 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM or while supplies last

Dates:

August 19, 2022

September 23, 2022

October 21, 2022

November 18, 2022

December 16, 2022

Local Unit Quadrant Meetings 

A reminder that our County/local unit quadrant meetings are coming up this Fall. Join us at an upcoming meeting where local unit officials, County Commissioners, county-wide elected officials, and staff will present on and discuss various topics. Please be sure to respond to the calendar invites. 

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