Greetings from the Administrator

Thank you for your support as we move forward together. This month, I was happy to be appointed by the Board of Commissioners to the Ottawa County Housing Commission, where I look forward to leveraging my years of experience in housing policy for the people of the County.

I’m honored to continue to meet with and deepen relationships with our great department directors, elected officials, and external stakeholders. This month, I took a seat at the table as a board member of the Kent-Ottawa-Muskegon Foreign Trade Zone, a federally-created entity that helps companies increase exports and keep production in America instead of relocating overseas. I was happy to attend its board meeting and contribute to strengthening the effort.

Finally, I would like to congratulate two Ottawa County Public Health employees, featured below, who won awards in March for their work in environmental health.

John Gibbs | County Administrator

The following articles, updates, and upcoming events have been curated from a variety of sources:

Public Health Employees Awarded

Ottawa County Department of Public Health employees, Kayla Anderson and Rebekah Folkert, were recognized at the Michigan Environmental Health Association (MEHA) Annual Education Conference on March 15.

Kayla Anderson, Environmental Health Specialist, earned the Samuel M. Stephenson Sanitarian of the Year Award. This award recognizes outstanding service to MEHA and the environmental health profession within the last three years.

Rebekah Folkert earned the Distinguished Service Award to recognize her outstanding accomplishments in environmental health.

Ottawa County is fortunate to have these exemplary employees in the organization.

Ottawa County partners with provider 123NET on broadband

Ottawa County has selected 123NET, a premier fiber internet, colocation, and voice services provider, to bring broadband internet to the county’s underserved residents and businesses.

Funding for the $27 million project is slated to come from a variety of sources, including up to $7.5 million of Ottawa County's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, $3.5 Million in 123NET's private capital, and additional state and federal grants. This project is able to move forward thanks to swift action taken by the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners during their regular meeting Tuesday, March 14, to approve a letter of intent to partner with 123NET. This motion enabled the County and its partner to submit an application to compete for time-sensitive state grant funding.

Read the entire press release.

Ottawa County Unemployment Rates

Ottawa County’s annual unemployment for 2022 was 3.3% which ranked as the third lowest among Michigan's 83 counties. The 2022 rate shows a decrease in unemployment in Ottawa County from 2021's 4.1%.

Ottawa County’s unemployment rate for January 2023 measured 3.5%, up from December’s 2.9%. This rate is the fourth lowest in Michigan for January, with unemployment rates ranging from 3.4% in Oakland County to 21.2% in Mackinac County.

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Bald Eagle: Taking A Closer Look At Our Majestic National Symbol

Perhaps no symbol is more synonymous with the United States than the American Bald Eagle. This majestic bird with its piercing eyes and impressive wingspan became a national icon in 1782, when Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States.

Learn more about this amazing bird at a Wildlife Encounters - KIDS! Bald Eagles program on Sunday, March 26, from 3-4:30 p.m. at Hager Park. This Ottawa County Parks program is geared for children ages 5-10 years, accompanied by an adult. Registration required: http://bit.ly/baldeagleKIDS

More Bald Eagle programs for ages 10 and up:

• April 16, 3-4:30 p.m. | Bald Eagles: Beyond the Symbol
• April 23, 1-5:30 p.m. | Bald Eagle Walk at Grand Ravines
• May 14, 1-5:30 p.m. | Bald Eagle Walk at Grand Ravines

For more details and to register, visit http://miOttawa.org/OCPevents

Upcoming Board Meeting

To make meetings more accessible, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners now has one meeting each month in the evening. The next Board meeting is scheduled on March 28, 6:30 p.m. Meetings take place in the Board Room at 12220 Fillmore Street in West Olive. Learn more at miOttawa.org/BOC

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