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Administrator's Digest - August 29, 2022

Kent County, Michigan sent this bulletin at 08/29/2022 04:07 PM EDT

Administrator's
Digest

A Note From the Administrator

I am pleased to present the latest edition of the County Administrator’s Digest. I hope that you find it timely and informative and also that you send ideas and articles for inclusion.

I jumped back into things last week after a week in California visiting our eldest daughter in Ventura. I came back to a robust schedule as we are finalizing the proposed 2023 budget, working on finishing touches to the ARPA deliberation process, and many other initiatives as well. We had a spirited Board meeting on Thursday in which several groups and residents expressed their views on the impact of auto insurance reform on home health care and many other items.

It was great to welcome our new Deputy Administrator Mark Rambo to his new duties early this morning and we look forward to working with him as we move forward!

Finally, I want congratulate Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young and her team on the arrest of a suspect in the murder of Shannon Hammack in 1996. It is great to live in a place where human life is valued so much that when someone is murdered, law enforcement simply doesn’t quit. Ever.

Please let us know if you have suggestions for improvement and have a great week!

- Al Vanderberg

Welcome Mark Rambo

Join us in welcoming Mark Rambo as the second deputy county administrator. Mark was the deputy city administrator for the City of Kentwood, Michigan. Mark will coordinate and oversee operations activities of the Equalization, Facilities, Parks, and Information Technology Departments and facilitate several task force initiatives all under the direction of the County Administrator. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree and is a credentialed manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

Welcome Steve Faber

We are also excited to welcome Steve Faber to the Department of Public Works as the new communications & marketing manager. Most recently, he worked as a senior strategist for Byrum and Fisk Communications. Prior to Byrum and Fisk he was the executive director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, leading several initiatives to improve volunteerism and funding for local parks. He holds a master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management from Grand Valley State University and a bachelor’s degree in geography from Calvin University.

Congratulations Bureau of Equalization!

(Jenny James, Deputy County Administrator)

Congratulations to our very own Bureau of Equalization and Director Matt Woolford for receiving two awards from the Michigan Assessors Association. The department won the Distinguished Assessment Jurisdiction award which is given to a state, county, or local assessment agency that has instituted a technical, procedural, or administrative program which is, for the affected jurisdiction, an improvement over prior programs, and which is generally recognized as a component of model assessment system and a contributing factor to equity in property taxation.

Matt Woolford received the Stronger Together Award which is given to colleagues who consistently help others in their assessing community by advising them on procedures, software, forms, policy, general assessing knowledge, and more on a regular basis. These are the "go to" people we all know and love.

Boards, Commissions and Committees Openings

(Lisa Ampulski, Board of Commissioners Office)

A reminder that the Kent County Board of Commissioners is seeking residents interested in serving the community through appointment to its boards, commissions and committees by September 30, 2022.

Interested residents may view all current vacancies and apply online. Applicants are able to include a cover letter and professional resume in .PDF file format. For more information, please contact the Board of Commissioners office at (616) 632-7580.

Back to School Bus Safety

(Kent County Sheriff's Office)

With many schools starting, remember to watch out for school buses. School bus safety is everyone's responsibility. The majority of bus-related deaths and injuries involve pedestrians - mostly children - who are struck by a bus or injured when they are exiting the bus to cross traffic. Those who pass stopped school buses may be charged with civil infractions carrying a fine between $100 and $500. Violators may also be required to perform up to 100 hours of community service at a school.

Anyone who can touch the bus with an outstretched arm is TOO CLOSE to the bus!

School bus safety tips for drivers:

Prepare to stop when a slowing bus has its overhead yellow lights flashing
Stop at least 20 feet away from buses when red lights are flashing, unless driving in the opposite direction on a divided highway
Slow down in or near school and residential areas
Look for clues-such as safety patrols, crossing guards, bicycles, and playgrounds-that indicate children might be in the area
Watch for children between parked cars and other objects

COVID Exposure and Isolation Guidelines

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the Community COVID-19 Guidance to help people better understand their risk, how to protect themselves and others, what actions to take if exposed to COVID-19 and what actions to take if they are sick or test positive for the virus.

The updated guidance is recommended to be used on an as-needed basis, to be determined by individual health risk, the health risk of close contacts and the level of community transmission where you live or are visiting.

The updated guidance makes the recommendations for exposure and isolation consistent regardless of an individual's vaccination status.

Anyone exposed to COVID-19 should wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day 5, but you are not required to quarantine.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you should stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home.

If after 5 days, you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and your symptoms are improving, or you never had symptoms, you may end isolation after day 5.
Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 until at least day 11.
You should wear a high-quality mask through day 10.

If you experience symptoms of COVID-19, but test negative, you may end your isolation.
The CDC will no longer recommend testing for COVID-19 if you do not have any known exposures and do not have symptoms.

In addition to basic health and hygiene practices, like handwashing, the CDC continues to recommend following the updated prevention methods, which include:

Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
Improve ventilation indoors and spend time outdoors when possible.

Move indoor activities outside.

Get tested for COVID-19, if necessary

The Kent County Health Department is also now offering the Novavax vaccine. The Novavax vaccine is created using more traditional protein-based technology for vaccine development, unlike other COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States. It uses a combination of purified coronavirus spike proteins and an immune-boosting stimulant called an adjuvant (common in many vaccines, such as the hepatitis B vaccine, influenza vaccine and the whooping cough vaccine) to strengthen the body's immune response. As a protein-based vaccine, Novavax is another option for people who are allergic to one of the components in an mRNA or viral-vector vaccine. To learn more about this option or schedule a vaccine appointment, call the Kent County Health Department at (616) 632-7100.

Census Bureau Invites Public Input on Designing 2030 Census

The U.S. Census Bureau is inviting the public to share their input and ideas for an improved 2030 Census. The public can submit comments in two ways:

E-mail comments to 2030.Research@census.gov
Submit comments online through the Federal Register Notice linked from the 2030 Census

Comments must be received by November 15, 2022. Comments should be specific, detailed, clear and identify which topic(s) each comment addresses.

The Census Bureau will summarize and share the input received publicly. While the Census Bureau may not be able to implement all recommendations received, each idea and recommendation received will be given careful consideration as the agency researches, tests and plans the 2030 Census operational design.

Update on Canine Mystery Illness

(Angela Hollinshead, Kent County Animal Shelter)

The Michigan Department of Agriculture has announced that the the mystery illness impacting dogs and puppies in Northern Michigan is indeed Parvovirus and the affected dogs did not have a history of complete vaccination.

MDARD is encouraging all dog owners to take a few simple steps to protect their animals:

Keep up with routine vaccinations by ensuring dogs/puppies are vaccinated against canine parvovirus, rabies, canine distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and leptospirosis by a veterinarian.
Have dogs/puppies fully vaccinated before interacting with other animals to keep them healthy and safe.
Keep dogs/puppies at home and away from other dogs if they are exhibiting any signs of illness and contact your veterinarian.
Be sure to clean up after your pet when you’re walking them in public.

Canine parvovirus is NOT contagious to people or other species of domestic animals. The disease is common in Michigan and is not required to be reported to the state veterinarian’s office.

Kent County by the Numbers

Thank you to the residents of Kent County for voting to pass the proposals continuing the Senior Millage & Veterans Millage during the August 2nd elections!

The millage request for Kent County senior citizen services was to maintain the current millage rate of 0.50 mills for eight years, from 2023 to 2030. Funds from the millage support services for residents aged 60 and older with home delivered meals, transportation, personal care, home repairs, healthy aging classes, adaptive equipment and more.

The ballot proposal for Kent County veteran services and resources was to continue the 0.50 mill originally approved in 2014 for eight years, 2022-2029. The millage supports veteran outreach and emergency services in the county through the Veterans Services Office, according to county officials. The funds also help with hiring more staff to assist veterans and their dependents with finding benefits, while shortening the time it takes to be approved or denied for them.