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Administrator's Digest - September 13, 2022

Kent County, Michigan sent this bulletin at 09/13/2022 01:38 PM EDT

Administrator's
Digest

A Note From the Administrator

The week started off with a bang when we dedicated the new Kent County Parks Office on Butterworth. When I say this has been a long time coming, I’m not kidding. Twenty years ago, when I was Deputy County Administrator for Kent County, I managed the transfer of the Parks Department from the Kent County Road Commission to the County proper where then Parks Director Roger Sabine reported to me in the new structure. I’ll never forget the all-Parks employee meeting where I said that we were moving the department to temporary offices on Butterworth and we would start plans soon for a new Parks facility. My initial thoughts were to emulate an idea from a parks department in Ohio and build the new headquarters on top of the silos that are on the property even yet today. That idea didn’t fly.

The County planned to build the Parks Office over ten years ago but these plans, along with others, were disrupted by the Great Recession. The Board of Commissioners voted to approve $2.68 million for the new Parks Office in January 2020 but more delays ensued due to the pandemic and resulting supply chain issues. The facility was dedicated on Monday and Chair Stan Stek and I made brief comments. We were joined by Vice-Chair Brieve and Commissioners Carol Hennessey, Phil Skaggs, and Stephen Wooden.

Parks Superintendent Dan Delooff, IT Director Tim Beck, and Facilities Director Al Jano, whose individual and departmental contributions were huge to get this done. I’d also like to shout out to Facilities project manager Linda Rensland as she is the unsung hero of our building and improvement projects as she quietly and effectively makes them happen. We also appreciate our building partners, Progressive AE, JKB Construction and, last but not least, the Kent County Building Authority.

- Al

Board Chambers Improvements

Our Board of Commissioners chambers are undergoing a face lift. We are adding space for two more Commissioners and replacing the carpet that has been in the room since before Al's first employment with Kent County! We will also be going to paperless agendas soon so many improvements are underway with your County government!

Voices 2022

(Martha Burkett, Veteran Services)

Kent County Veterans Services and [Has Heart] are proud to present Voices 2022 at Veterans Memorial Park in Grand Rapids. The Voices project returns for another impactful ArtPrize exhibit, highlighting the art, stories, and struggles of U.S. military veterans, the majority of whom are from Kent County and greater Michigan. The project features the artwork of 22 veteran artists, symbolizing the tragic number of veterans who commit suicide daily in the United States.

The exhibit runs from Thursday, September 15, to Sunday, October 2, 2022. The opening ceremony is on Saturday, September 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., with live music by Chick and the Boomers until 2 p.m. This free, family-friendly event is made possible by volunteers and dedicated partners, Kent County Veterans Services, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, Finish the Mission, and Comerica. Primary funding for this project is provided through KCVS grant funds awarded by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. Click here to watch a special thank you from Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Welcoming Week

(Hollin De La Cruz, Welcome Plan)

On Tuesday September 6, Kent County Commissioner Carol Hennessy and City of Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss recently read respective proclamations for Welcoming Week. Celebrated on September 9-18 2022, this is a week where we honor the spirit of unity that is bringing neighbors together across Kent County. We invite all residents to join this movement of communities nationwide by taking action in the spirit of welcoming. By working together, we can make our community the kind of place where diverse people from around the world feel valued and want to put down roots. Join us in celebrating this week by completing our Welcome Week Activity that was launched on the Welcome Plan Facebook Page September 9th.

Kent County Animal Shelter (KCAS) Update

(Angela Hollinshead, Animal Shelter)

A decade ago, shelters functioned as if their work only began once an animal entered their doors. However, over the last ten years, statistics and research have proven that shelters can serve their community (humans and animals alike) just as well, if not better, by working with owners and residents to keep pets OUT of shelters.

We are seeing fewer animals enter our care because we shelter externally- meaning we provide resources that help pet owners without automatically taking the animal into the shelter. Those resources range from food and supplies to behavior support. KCAS works closely with other animal welfare organizations in the community and often will join forces to help individuals struggling to keep their pets. We utilize technology, including dog licenses with QR codes and websites with pet facial recognition, to reunify pets before they enter our care. All of these reduce animal intake. When intake is reduced, overcrowding is less likely and disease transmission is minimized. In addition, animal stress is drastically reduced. These collectively lower the number of animals euthanized and increase positive outcomes.

While intake decreases with managed intake and community resource programming, it is essential to note that the staffing level to accomplish this work is as high, if not higher, than it would have been at previous intake levels. Once sheltering facilities exist to serve those pets that are truly in need of its services, the level of care and investment to prepare those pets for adoption is more intensive than it would have been previously.

KCAS has made tremendous improvements over the last decade, but much more is still to be done. Shelter leadership follows animal welfare best practices, establishes programs at the forefront of animal sheltering, and will continue moving forward with modern animal sheltering practices.