Kent County Administrator's Digest - State of the County, Fall Recycling Guide, and more!

It was wonderful to see so many community partners, local leaders, staff and residents come together for this year’s State of the County Address at the Acrisure Amphitheater. It was a special evening, especially as we had the opportunity to recognize two outstanding public servants: outgoing Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Cohle and thank them for their many years of service to our community.

As you’ll read below, it’s been a busy couple of weeks here at Kent County, with community events ranging from our Veteran Services Stand Down to our Welcome Plan team’s Maximize Economic Potential Summit. And there’s plenty more ahead!

I’m grateful for our amazing staff, who pull it all together, and for the opportunity to serve this community with so many great community partners. And I’m looking forward to what we’ll accomplish together in the year ahead.

As always, please let us know if you have articles, topics, or ideas that you would like to include in future newsletters.

- Al Vanderberg

The Board approved recommendations from our Childcare Task Force focused on making childcare more affordable, expanding access to available care and supporting the childcare workforce. And they also approved an updated plan for investing opioid settlement funds, from our Opioid Task Force, with priorities that include expanding recovery coaching, supporting jail-based treatment programs and increasing access to naloxone and other harm-reduction resources.

As fall brings pumpkins, yard cleanups and garage projects, our Department of Public Works team is helping residents make responsible choices about what goes in the recycling bin - and what doesn’t.

Our 2026 Fall Recycling Guide offers simple tips for recycling and disposing of common seasonal items, from cardboard, metal cans and rigid plastics to costumes, scrap metal, batteries and household hazardous waste. It also includes information about free SafeChem drop-off locations for items that shouldn’t go in the trash or recycling.

Before you toss it, check the Recycling Guide to find the right way to recycle or dispose of it and help keep useful materials out of landfills.

A piece of Kent County history is getting a new life at our Sheriff’s Office.

Our Circuit Court Judge Clay West recently discovered a frosted door window from the former Kent County Courthouse and generously donated it to our Sheriff’s Office for display. Based on its design, the window is believed to date back to around 1905, making it more than 120 years old.

Do you know more about this window and it's history? Please contact the Sheriff's Office with any information or historic photos showing it during its original use.

The State of Michigan's High Speed Internet Office developed a Michigan Broadband Map to share updates with the public about the location and status of high-speed internet installation projects statewide.

Users can see information at the individual property level, including service provider(s) and service speed for properties that have access to high-speed internet and provider and construction status for future installation projects under the federally funded BEAD program and other broadband initiatives.

Please email us any questions about the map or broadband installation here.

We had a great time at Riveridge Packing, LLC during Tech Week Grand Rapids last week, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the technology helping move Michigan apples from the orchard to consumers.

We saw Riveridge’s cold and controlled-atmosphere storage and its high-tech apple grader, which uses cameras to sort fruit by color and identify defects.

The tour highlighted the important connection between technology, agriculture and farmland preservation. Supporting a strong agricultural industry helps keep farming viable and ensures there’s a future for agriculture in Kent County.

Thanks to Riveridge for partnering with our Agricultural Preservation team and to the farmers, growers and agricultural professionals who keep this important industry thriving!

On Friday, MEPS 3.0 brought together business owners, entrepreneurs, employers and workforce professionals in Grand Rapids for a day of conversation, connection and ideas focused on strengthening West Michigan’s economy through New American talent and entrepreneurship.

Hosted by our Welcome West Michigan team, attendees explored practical strategies for recruiting, hiring, onboarding and retaining New American talent, with sessions tailored to both entrepreneurs and employers. The summit also introduced the Menu of Support, a new resource designed to give employers practical tools and options they can put into action.

It was a great opportunity to bring people together, share ideas and highlight the important role New Americans play in the strength and future of our regional economy.

If you’ve been thinking about adding a four-legged friend to your family, now is a great time to visit our Animal Shelter. Bissell Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters campaign is helping shine a spotlight on shelter pets and the many animals waiting for loving homes.

One of those dogs is Blu, who recently got a much-needed break from shelter life with Bissell Pet Foundation founder Cathy Bissell. In this video, Cathy can be seen playing Frisbee with Blu and watching as he begins to relax, explore and come out of his shell. It’s a sweet reminder of how much a little time, patience and attention can reveal about a shelter pet.

Could Blu, or another shelter pet, be your forever companion? Visit our Adoptable Pets page and give a deserving animal a chance to find the loving home they’ve been waiting for. For a few more days, you'll be able to adopt a dog for only $70, thanks to the Bissell Pet Foundation!

As our Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) continues to earn national recognition, it’s time for all of us to help GRR earn the title of Best Small Hub Airport in the country again this year!

You can vote once each day from every eligible device. On behalf of GRR, we’re asking everyone to make it a priority to vote daily and help spread the word.

Click here to cast your vote and support GRR today!

Elvis, John Ball Zoo’s newest resident, is a four-year-old North American beaver. He was born in the wild on June 21, 2022, and arrived at the Zoo on August 26 from Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Elvis now calls the former river otter habitat home, located across from the North American porcupines and Canada lynx. Beavers are often called “ecosystem engineers” because the dams they build create wetlands that provide important habitat for fish, amphibians, birds, mammals and countless invertebrates. The zoo team is excited for guests to meet Elvis and learn more about this incredible species and the important role they play in healthy ecosystems!