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One final reminder that the County Wide Road Millage ballot renewal question is on the August 6, 2024, primary election ballot.
Here are some facts about the proposed millage renewal:
In 2014, Ottawa County voters passed a countywide road millage of .5 mills for 10 years, beginning in 2015 and ending in 2024.
Through the Headlee process, the road millage rate is estimated to be renewed at .4578 mills (about $0.46 per thousand dollars of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years, from 2025 through 2034.
100 percent of the road millage funds collected within a township or city WILL ONLY be spent on road projects within that township or city.
Millage funds will be utilized to continue improving local roads with higher traffic volume roads that balance getting across the county and getting to local destinations.
Pavement condition, capacity and congestion issues, crash history, maintenance problems, other funding sources are some of the project selection considerations.
Public involvement and input continue to be a vital part of the millage-funded project selection process for local roads in each township.
 Interested in learning more about the proposed renewal and how the Road Commission has utilized funds from the 2014-24 road millage? Visit: Countywide Road Millage | Ottawa County Road Commission (Michigan) (ottawacorc.com).
The Ottawa County Road Commission recently acquired 2 sets of new traffic control signals that aim to improve safety and efficiency during roadside maintenance.
These new temporary traffic signals will set up at each end of a closed road lane. They will allow each direction of traffic to take turns traveling through a closed lane work area without the need for manual flaggers.
The benefit is that crews are kept away from standing in front of oncoming traffic, reducing the safety risks that come with traffic control.
The new signals also free up crew members and promote worksite efficiencies, as it allows employees that would be flagging to spend time on more productive tasks.
When you come upon these new signals, you should treat them like you would any normal traffic light.
When a signal cycles through, you would stop on a red light and, when a green light comes on, proceed through the work zone safely.
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Summer is hardly over, but we have some important winter news to share!
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed Senate Bill 465, which makes it illegal to drive closer than 200 feet from an active snowplow. The new law went into effect immediately.
The goal of the new law is all about improved safety for both motorists and our crews, and helping to reinforce good driving habits when traveling during the winter months.
Motorists who are going at or above the posted speed limit may come up quickly behind a plow truck that's actively operating and traveling below the speed limit, as trucks plowing snow often travel 20-35 mph.
The law also requires motorists stay at least 20 feet away from an active snowplow that is stopped at an intersection. Motorists stopped too close to a snowplow end up in the drivers’ blind spot and can be easily backed into during work at an intersection.
Penalties for violating the new law would be a civil infraction.
Did you know mailboxes are the only item allowed to be placed within the public road right-of-way?
When placing your mailbox, make sure that the box meets the requirements of the OCRC in order to meet traffic safety standards.
We all want our mailbox posts to be sturdy enough to hold up the mailbox in all
types of weather, but it should also not pose a hazard to vehicles that leave
the road.
If a mailbox support is struck by a vehicle, the post must easily break away when it's hit.
Acceptable Mailbox Supports:
- 4" x 4" wooden post. Larger wooden posts (4" x 6" or 6" x 6") may be used only if post is drilled through with an appropriate spade bit
to create a breakaway post.
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One-inch to two-inch round
diameter steel or aluminum pipe, or standard Uchannel post.
Please note: No post may be embedded more than two feet into the ground.
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Unacceptable Mailbox Supports:
- Anything filled with concrete
- Masonry and stone structures
- Large diameter wood posts
- Posts fitted with an anchor plate
- Posts set in concrete
- Objectst intended for other uses (e.g., antique plows, I-beams, engine blocks, etc.).
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Other Considerations
Please be sure to follow all United States Postal Service (USPS) guidelines when choosing and installing your mailbox.
Make sure your mailbox is safely set back at a minimum of 1 foot from the edge of the road shoulder — regardless of whether the shoulder of the road is gravel or paved.
This will ensure that the mailbox is out of the way of our roadside maintenance crews, but still safe and convenient for your mail carrier.
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