Ottawa County and the
City of Grand Haven have teamed up to bring nationally-acclaimed speaker
Charles Marohn to Grand Haven on May 18.
Charles will explore issues relating to development patterns,
infrastructure, financial resiliency, and quality placemaking practices in
local communities. The all-day workshop
will open up new ways of thinking about development by examining both new
concepts and old-but-forgotten concepts.
Charles “Chuck” Marohn is the author of Thoughts on Building Strong Towns (Volume I) and the forthcoming Volume II. He is also the author of A World Class Transportation System, and you can hear his voice as
the host of the “Strong Towns Podcast.”
He has spoken in dozens of towns and cities across North America.
Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, the cost for the
workshop is $15 per person. Workshop
sponsors include the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, Lakeshore
Advantage, Midwest Construction Group Inc., Nederveld, Prein & Newhof, and
Williams & Works.
Register
Online
If you want to learn more about the Strong Towns Workshop,
please contact the Ottawa County Planning and Performance Improvement
Department at plan@miottawa.org or (616)
738-4852.
May 18
Main Event: 8:30am to 4:00pm. Lunch provided.
After-Hours
Networking: 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Location
Main
Event:
Grand
Haven Community Center
421
Columbus Avenue
Grand
Haven, MI 49417
After-Hours
Networking:
Grand
Armory Brewing
17
S. 2nd Street
Grand
Haven, MI 49417
Cost
$15 per
person
$25 per
person after May 1
AICP continuing education
credits available!
Register
online.
It is an honor to be appointed to the newly created Child
Lead Exposure Elimination Commission by Governor Rick Snyder (click here for the Press Release from Gov. Snyder). The Commission was
formed to “continue Michigan’s fight against lead exposure from all
sources.”
This is a serious problem that many in Ottawa County face as
well. Michigan Department of Public
Health data for 2013 showed that 7.7 percent of 665 children tested for lead in
the 49423 Zip Code (Holland) had blood levels exceeding those in Flint. Preliminary state data also showed that 1 in
9 Grand Rapids children faces blood poisoning due to lead.
It is believed that other environmental factors such as lead
paint have a higher causal relationship to the lead issues in places such as
West Michigan.
I will represent local government on the Commission and will
work along with other member’s to implement the findings of the Child Lead
Poisoning Elimination Board which was chaired by Lt. Governor Brian Calley and
monitor the State’s efforts to eliminate lead exposure in children.
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I am excited to announce our Fourth Annual Forum. This year’s our theme Work Redefined: Space, Culture and Technology, focuses on the changing work
environment. Haworth is sponsoring our
keynote speaker: Mr. Rex Miller. Rex is an author, speaker and co-authored the
book Change Your Space Change Your Culture. Rex will be kicking off this year’s forum
with The Culture Advantage | Creating a Workplace that Leads to
Transformation and Growth. The world surprises
us weekly with new and novel challenges. Healthy and resilient cultures adapt
through innovation. The most innovative organizations approach culture by
design. Our afternoon lead speaker is
Mr. David Behen, Director of the Department of Technology, Management and
Budget and CIO for the State of Michigan.
David offers an insight into the technology priorities for the State and
their efforts to keep Michigan on the leading edge. Ms. Erin Frisch, Director for DHHS and Office
of Child Support along with Mr. Keegan Malone, Policy Analyst for the Office of
Child Support will co-present on the Alternative
Work Location Program. We’ll also
have vendors present who can provide current information on products and
services to meet your immediate needs. Finally, we’ll wrap up the day with Phil
Bertolini, CIO and Deputy County Executive for Oakland County, who is back by
popular demand, to bring technology in the public sector to a level you can
appreciate addressing the day-to-day challenges we all face. The registration site is open. I’ve provided the link for more information
and to register. I hope to see you
there.
Register here!
from left: Commissioner Dannenberg, Commissioner Bergman, Al Vanderberg, Congressman Huizenga, Commissioner Disselkoen & Commissioner Kuyers
from left: Commissioner Bergman, Commissioner Dannenberg, Steve Doocey, Al Vanderberg, Commissioner Disselkoen & Commissioner Kuyers
The National Association of Counties held its annual
Legislative Conference in Washington, DC from February 26 through March 1. Commissioners Don Disselkoen, Phil Kuyers,
Roger Bergman, Francisco Garcia, Al Dannenberg and I attended. There were excellent sessions about legacy
cost (pensions and OPEB), the Opioid Crisis, economic develop, civility, mental
health in jails and many other topics.
While in DC we met with Congressman Huizenga over dinner and discussed important issues to Ottawa such as the possible
elimination of tax free status for municipal bonds, definition of federal
waterway and possible elimination of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
(GLRI) funding.
While waiting for Congressman Huizenga, we ran into Steve
Doocey of Fox News who was gracious to have his photo taken with us.
NACo has done a tremendous job with providing research
materials that show, among other items, economic and fiscal stability information
for all of our nation’s county governments in a format where you highlight a
county on a map and can access a lot of information. One example of this work is the report DOING
MORE WITH LESS, State Revenue Limitations & Mandates on County Finances.
On February 28, President Trump issued his executive order
requiring the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to “review and reconsider”
the 2015 Waters of the U.S. rule that greatly increased the amount and types of
waterways that fall under federal regulation.
Kent County Commissioner Diane Jones informed the Grand Valley Metro
Council Board that she was one of 10 county commissioners out of 2,000
attending the NACO Conference to be present with the President during the
signing ceremony.
Misty Cunningham and I worked with the Supervisor Jerry Hunsburger,
Manager Howard Fink and the Park Township Board of Trustees Saturday morning on
building consensus on objectives and strategies to help continuously bring the
Township closer to meeting its overarching goals.
The group had a lot of excellent ideas and discussion and it
was a pleasure for Misty and me to work with them.
The 20th
Circuit Court has given Ottawa County another reason to boast. Its Adult Drug
Treatment Court, a specialty program for non-violent felony offenders with
substance use disorders, has been selected as a “mentor court” by the
United States Department of Justice and the National Association of Drug Court
Professionals. This distinction is awarded to high-performing drug courts that
demonstrate exemplary practices and operate with fidelity to the drug court
model. Only 9 of 3,000 courts in the US were chosen for this award.
An award ceremony
will be held on Thursday, April 13 at 11AM in Courtroom 3B of the Ottawa County
Grand Haven Courthouse. The ceremony is open to the public.
“With thousands of
drug courts in operation across the United States, this honor really speaks to
the quality and integrity of the work our drug court is doing,"
said Judge Mark A. Feyen. “Even more affirming is that this award
comes on the heels of being nationally recognized by the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration in 2016 in a webinar discussing how drug
courts are leading the way in criminal justice reform,” said Feyen.
The drug court will
hold the “mentor court” distinction for the next three years. “As a mentor
court we will have the opportunity to host other drug court programs from
around the United States, provide consulting and technical assistance to drug
courts, and participate in national drug court planning and policy initiatives,”
said Drug Court Coordinator, Andy Brown. “This is an outstanding opportunity to
showcase the work of our drug court and advance the reputation of Ottawa County
and the 20th Circuit Court,” said Brown.
The Ottawa County
Adult Drug Treatment Court is an alternative to traditional incarceration or
probation and is eligible for only certain offenders. The method
saves money, lowers recidivism and changes lives. A study conducted
by Grand Valley State University in 2014 demonstrated the adult drug treatment
court significantly reduced new crime and repeated drug and alcohol use among
offenders. Drug court participants were 73% less likely to commit a new crime
within three years of discharge from the drug court when compared to a similar
group of people who were sentenced to traditional probation.
April 20, 2017, 5-6:30 pm - brief program begins at 5:15
Nature Education Center, located in Hemlock Crossing County
Park: 8115 W Olive Rd, West
Olive 49460
Learn more about the Ottawa County Parks Foundation.
SOURCE:
MLIVE | February 27, 2017
| By Sherry Kuyt |
skuyt@mlive.com
A community
leader who recently passed away will be honored with a special award by the
Grandville-Jenison Chamber of Commerce.
Ottawa County 6th
District Commissioner Dennis Van Dam, 64, of Hudsonville, lost his battle with
cancer on Dec. 6. He had just been elected to a third term,
and had served as district director for State Senate Majority Leader Arlan
Meekof (R-Olive Township).
He was a longtime
member of the Chamber of Commerce and was also a member of the Government and
Community Relations Committee.
"Denny was a
warm and loving man who walked with Christ, who impacted those around him with
the love of Jesus," said Chamber Director Sandy LeBlanc. "He
faithfully served his church and community."
The Dennis Van
Dam Outstanding Public Servant Award recognizes outstanding achievement in, and
contributions to, public administration and public service in the Grandville
and Jenison communities.
Potential
nominees can be tied to any public service environment, including elected
officials, police, fire, ambulance and government.
Candidates will
be assessed on the extent to which they have made a sustained contribution to
innovative, effective, or inspirational practice, LeBlanc said. They also must
have consistently demonstrated ethical behavior in public service.
The winners will
be notified and announced the week of April 3 and recognized at the Chamber's
Community Awards Ceremony from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at Gleneagle
Golf Club.
The deadline for
nominations is Wednesday, March 29. A nominating letter should include the nominee's
name, position, current employer, and a comprehensive summary of the nominee's
contributions to public service that warrant receiving the award, including
specific examples of outstanding accomplishments within the Grandville and
Jenison community.
Nominations can
be sent by mail to Grandville-Jenison Chamber of Commerce, 2939 Wilson, Suite
106, Grandville, MI 49418; faxed to 616-328-6559; or emailed to sandy@grandjen.com with the subject line
"Nomination."
click the image to view the entire interactive annual report
I am pleased to present the 2016
Ottawa County Department of Public Health Annual Report. In this report, you’ll
find stories written by parents within our community; experiences from our
staff; and videos that will show you some of the work we do. This year I
celebrated my 10th year as Administrative Health Officer, and I
continue to be awed by the exceptional work and continuous improvements made by
our public health staff. With the speed at which the world is changing and the
new public health threats that continue to emerge, we must continue to be
strategic yet flexible, scientific yet creative and leaders as well as
community partners.
Recently, while cleaning out a storage room in our
building, one of our team members found a handmade booklet containing newspaper
clippings. The articles were about the work of our department during the 1930s
and 1940s, including an article about an award it received - “County has ranked
high nationally for work in public health.” Some of the health threats
mentioned from that period included polio, measles, tuberculosis and
diphtheria.
For
me, this was more than just a pleasant walk down memory lane. It was a reminder
of the many public health accomplishments that have led to healthier people and
improved quality of life. This history also reminded me of the forward-thinking
leadership of the Ottawa County Commissioners and Administration who have
supported this department in its mission for more than 80 years. It reminded me
of the people who dedicated their professional lives to public health, and how
their commitment to excellence continues to rank us as the healthiest county in
Michigan.
We’ve come a long way since our department began in 1931, but as you will see in the pages of this report our work is not complete.
We still need to protect our food and water supply,
immunize our children, stop the spread of diseases, educate people about
healthy behaviors and prepare for new health threats. We will continue to serve
the people of Ottawa County and be committed to providing efficient, effective
and customer-centered services that promote and protect health.
Sincerely,
Lisa
Stefanovsky, M.Ed
Administrative Health
The Ottawa
Conservation District Tree Seedling Sale
Fundraiser is now in progress. This annual event raises important operating
funds for District programs and services. The catalog and order form are
available now at www.ottawacd.org.
Orders are
due by April 7, 2017. Order pick-up is Friday, April 21 from noon – 6:00 p.m.
at Reenders Blueberry Farm in West Olive. A limited selection of tree seedlings
and planting supplies will be available for sale at the April 21 order pick-up
event
Ottawa
Conservation District was formed in 1938 to assist local landowners with
managing natural resources on their properties. Programs and services include
conservation information, watershed restoration, invasive species management, forest
management, critical dunes information and education, and more.
A local group held a
pancake breakfast on March 18 to raise funds to preserve a historic one-room school house
on Leonard St. The story below gives details. There is also a GoFundMe page set up to raise funds.
The one room schoolhouse is on
Leonard at the corner of 88th Ave, an Ottawa County treasure.
Ruth is the oldest surviving student that attended this school. Not only
was she able to conduct the interview viewable by clicking the link to the Fox17 article, she also
attended the Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser last Saturday morning.
Click here for the most recent update, for older updates click here.
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