Board of Commissioners Transition
As this year comes to a close, we wish farewell to six commissioners: Mandy Bolter, Dave Bulkowski, Diane Jones, Roger Morgan, Phil Skaggs, and Robert Womack.
In 2023, we will welcome our new commissioners: Jennifer Merchant (District 3), Katie DeBoer (District 4), Dave Hildenbrand (District 5), Lisa Oliver-King (District 15), Tony Baker (District 17), Kris Pachla (District 19), Ivan Diaz (District 20) and Walter Bujak (District 21).
The new commissioners will be officially sworn in during the Board of Commissioners Organizational Meeting on January 3 at 8:30 a.m. The meeting is open to the public or available via livestream on the County's social media sites.
DPW to Construct New Transfer Station for Residents, Waste Haulers
(Steve Faber, DPW)
The Kent County Board of Public Works voted at its Dec.15 meeting to construct a new North Kent Transfer Station at 2908 10 Mile Road in Plainfield Township. The current transfer station at that site opened in 1992 and, due to population and business growth in northern Kent County, needs to be replaced with a larger transfer station facility that will meet recycling and disposal needs.
Ultimately, this new station will allow for more efficiency when repurposing materials and diverting them from a landfill. It is also part of Kent County’s plans to build a more integrated waste management system, including the proposed future Sustainable Business Park.
The Board of Public Works approved a $15.9 million budget for the new transfer station and construction is slated to be completed in the spring of 2024. The DPW has been planning for this expansion for several years and the project will not incur any debt.
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KSCO & GRPD Can Now Receive 911 Text Messages
As it has been widely reported, these in Kent County can now text the 9-1-1 center for emergency services. This option helps those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired. It also aids in situations where safety can be compromised if a caller were speaking out loud, such as those being held against their will, domestic violence or in-progress home invasions. To text for emergency services, type 9-1-1 in the "to" field and send your location, emergency services will respond.
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Broadband Survey Gains Over 9,000 Responses
(Jenny James, Deputy County Administrator)
Over the past five months, we have been gathering information about the locations of service gaps and preparing to compete for federal and state dollars dedicated to broadband infrastructure. The data collection is completed and our consultant, Merit Network, is currently analyzing the data to share with Guidehouse for developing strategy, plans, and partnerships to address our residents’ broadband needs. The recommendations that come from the consultants will be used to create a blueprint for internet service providers (ISPs), the county, and local municipalities on where the gaps and underserved are located and how they can be addressed. This work will also contribute to ongoing opportunities to challenge state and federal maps of broadband services that impact the allocation of broadband funding and position the county to pursue the aforementioned grant opportunities with robust and current data.
Lastly, we want to thank all of the local units of governments and other stakeholders for their help with promoting the broadband survey to residents. Without you, we could not have achieved a response rate of over 9,000!
Kent County Partners with the Essential Needs Taskforce on a Food Systems Study
(Matt Channing, Agricultural Preservation Specialist)
The Kent County Food Policy Council, a committee of the Essential Needs Task Force, in partnership with Kent County and the City of Grand Rapids, will study local policies, codes, and ordinances that impact the production, generation, distribution, and access of food as well as the recovery of waste in the county. This review will help the Kent County Food Policy Council understand what opportunities still exist for local governments to plan for a thriving food system by updating regulations or adopting new policies that advance local food access for everyone.
The goal for 2023 of the Kent County Food Policy Council is to create a Food Systems Plan with a vision that benefits the entire community. Therefore, this effort will include community engagement meetings and outreach events with key stakeholders in the local food system to ensure representation from diverse viewpoints.
Ford International Airport Pilot Tests Autonomous Mowing System
(Heidi Groenboom, Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority)
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport’s Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship (FLITE) supported the pilot test of Renu Robotics’ fully autonomous Renubot mowing system to operate in areas of land at the Airport.
The Renubot is equipped with highly accurate GPS and LiDAR for navigation, its mowing deck can adjust during operation to ensure an optimal cut over any terrain. The vehicle is overseen by Mission Control, which continuously monitors, controls and sends updates in the field, while allowing access on specific mobile screens to track performance.
The Ford International Airport covers over 3,100 acres, which is an excellent opportunity for the design and development of new products like the Renubot. The pilot test includes both daytime and nighttime mowing activities to test the capability of the vehicle in different lighting elements.
FLITE, which was first launched in January 2022, provides grants and testing opportunities to companies focused on bringing emerging air travel solutions to market. With support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Southwest Airlines, this is one of the first airport-based initiatives in the nation that provides funding to encourage the design and development of new products and services in a live airport environment.
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Kent County Offices Closed for the Holidays
In honor of the upcoming holidays, County offices will be closed Dec. 23, 26 and Jan. 2. We wish you a safe and happy holidays!
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