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I always enjoy bidding farewell to winter and welcoming yet another spring. It seems to me that spring is our busiest season here in Grandville and we look forward to the months ahead. Be sure to mark your calendar for the week of May 23, 2005 for our annual Michigan Week Celebration. We’ll have the opportunity to gather in the amphitheatre adjacent to the library for the City Barbeque and some special entertainment . This will all take place in the evening on Wednesday, May 25. Memorial Day is very special here in Grandville and this year will be no exception. The parade will originate at Wedgwood Park , followed by the ceremony at the Grandville Cemetery. This special day is possible thanks to Bill Schrader and members of the American Legion Fonger Post and our Grandville Elementary and Middle School students. The Grandville Park and Recreation Board are busy planning our 36th Annual Fourth of July Celebration. We will begin our activities on Saturday, the second, with the Buck Creek Run and the Little League Boys and Girls’ All Star games followed by the traditional game between the Guns and Hoses. On Sunday, the third, we will observe our traditional community worship service on the front lawn of the Grandville Middle School . Monday, the fourth, will be a big day: the pancake breakfast, the parade, the arts and crafts show, entertainment, the sky divers, band concert, concluding with a “super” fireworks display. It will be another great party! While growth in the southern section of our city has certainly subsided, it is great to welcome the Red Robin restaurant and the Harold Ziegler Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealership to our City. On March 10, we had the opportunity to battle the snow as we participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new dealership. The results of the DDA Master Plan study have been shared with the City Council and the Planning Commission and the Zoning Boards. During the next several months, the results and recommendations will be given further study. This report is available at City Hall and certainly makes for some interesting reading. We look forward to hearing our citizens thoughts and recommendations. I believe Assistant City Manager, Dan Johnson’s article on the report, which is included in the newsletter, is excellent. As I indicated previously, the Park and Recreation Master Plan will be available soon for our review. The eighteen members of the committee did an excellent job and my thanks to each of them for their involvement. We look forward to being able to share the results with all of our citizens in the months ahead. This is a great time of year to enjoy all of the amenities of Grandville. Take some time to visit our parks and to walk our trails. ENJOY! P.S. Once again, thanks to our Department of Public Works for doing a fantastic job on our streets and sidewalks this winter!
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY The City of Grandville Downtown Development Authority (DDA) recently completed a lengthy process to update its overall plan. This plan is what guides the DDA in its actions to support downtown Grandville. The DDA began the process of updating the plan over a year ago. Adoption of the plan occurred after working with a team of consultants, conducting public meetings, interviewing stakeholders, receiving lots of public input, and constantly revising the plan. The final product includes information on existing conditions, a summary of public input, a market analysis and, most importantly, a chapter on recommendations. Everything from streetscapes to the creation of mixed-use districts downtown is included in the recommendations. You can review the entire plan at either City Hall or the library. Additionally, the chapter of recommendations can be found on our website, www.cityofgrandville.com. Simply follow the quick link on the first page to DDA Master Plan.Although the recommendations include items such as gateways and path connections, one item in this plan has garnered the lion’s share of attention. This is the suggestion that on-street parking return to a stretch of Chicago Drive and the number of vehicle lanes is reduced down from four lanes. There are a myriad of reasons for this suggestion, but they can be summarized into making downtown Grandville more of a traditional, pedestrian friendly downtown. Both the City Council and the Downtown Development Authority have agreed a traffic study must be conducted before any decisions are made as to the on-street parking recommendation. This study is currently underway and will be completed by summer. Once the study is complete both bodies will begin discussing whether on-street parking returns to Chicago Drive. There is no present schedule of when a final decision will be made, but please keep in contact with City Hall for information.
Family Fun Nights at Grandville Senior NeighborsJune 14 – “A Grand Celebration” (Patriotic Theme) October 18 – “An Enchanted Evening” (Halloween Theme) December 13 – “A Hometown Christmas” (Holiday Theme) Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm Dress: Dress in Theme Clothing or just come as you are! Cost: No Charge! Donation cans are available to help cover cost. What? Games and/or activities for kids, cakewalk, live music, ice cream, popcorn, raffle and more! Grandville Seniors Launches FREE Movie NightGrandville Senior Neighbors will be showing a movie at 6:00pm on the 3rd Tuesday of each month beginning April 19th. All seniors age 60 and older and their guests receive FREE admission. Seniors will also receive a FREE small popcorn and pop. Other concessions will be available for purchase. Some movies are recently released to DVD and others will be classics. Call Dawn at 531-5250 for movie titles and more information.
January 2005 We, of the Grandville Historical Commission want to thank those of you who have come through our museum these last few months, and for our No. 10 Schoolhouse open house visitors last fall. We were open all day on Election Day and many people came through. Those who have never visited our city museum are missing out on a great form of history given to us from those who have been before us. The City of Grandville has a great legacy, as was told by Carl Bajema who came and shared his knowledge of Grandville in years past. Mr. Bajema made it very interesting for all in attendance. We thank you for coming. Look for his presentation of WCET TV. Those of you who might be interested in our history or family genealogy will find that we have collected obituaries of Grandville citizens from the early 1900’s. We have many scrapbooks saved and given to us from people of the past. They have very interesting articles like engagements, weddings, news clippings, etc. You are welcome to visit our museum and look through them. Our hours are every first Thursday of the month from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and also by special request. If you have extra Calvin Christian High School yearbooks, we would like to have a collection of them. Please drop it off at the City Offices and put it in our mailbox with your name and address on it. A couple of dates to put on your calendar. On July 2 and September 17, 2005 the No. 10 School will be open for the day. We always look forward to the school classes coming to hold class this Spring. That is always a fun time for the children and we of the Historical Committee who take turn staying for day. We appreciate those who help us during this time. Come visit Grandville’s best kept secret, our very own museum located in the lower level of City Hall.
KENT DISTRICT LIBRARY - GRANDVILLE STAMPING
AND SCRAPPING PARTY
Friday, April 22 from 6:30 PM until 11:00 PM Held at Central Elementary School
Join the Friends of the Grandville Library for a night of stamping, scrapping, door prizes and munchies. Bring your own materials. Presentations with some supplies will be available. Craft book library on hand for inspiration. Tickets are $10.00 and will be available at the library beginning March 22nd. The
Islands of Michigan with Diane Stampfler
Tuesday, April 19th at 6:30 PM Join Dianna Stampfler of Promote Michigan as she embarks on a slide show tour of the picturesque islands of Michigan. Call the library to register at 647-3890. Hey
Grandville Teens Open House
for Teens Only! If you
haven’t stopped by the library in awhile, you’re missing out! Come check
out the Grandville Library’s new Teen Space. We’ve completely
changed the teen area – moving it from one side of the library to
the other. We’ve painted the walls, added more comfortable
seating, and decorated it from top to bottom. You can still find an
array of teen books, magazines, graphic novels and audio books, but
our new location adds an Internet computer, and is along side the
DVDs , videos, and CD-ROMs. Stop in soon to check it out, or come to
our Teen Open House, which will be held after library hours on
Friday, April 15th from 6:00-7:30 PM.
The Open House is for teens only. There will be plenty of
munchies and music, so stop by and bring a friend. TEEN POETRY
CONTEST Calling all
teen poets! Enter your best, most heartfelt, most ridiculous, most
whatever poems in Kent District Library’s second poetry contest
for teens. Each branch will have a winner who will receive a $50
gift certificate from Schuler Books & Music. Winning entries
will be posted online and in a special 2005 poetry booklet. Look on
the KDL website (www.kdl.org)
for rules and entry forms, or stop in and pick up the information at
the Grandville Library. The contest runs from March 1st
– March 31st. Let the words roll!!! COMING SOON: Amped
@ the Amphitheatre Are
you a local teen musician / band looking for a rockin’ venue to
showcase your talent? Then sign-up to play at the Grandville
Library’s outdoor amphitheatre summer music festival. Pick up an
application after March 1st at the Grandville Branch or get one at www.kdl.org.
Slots are limited, so sign-up today! Grandville
Library Thursday,
July 14th at 6:30pm Thursday,
July 21st at 6:30pm Thursday,
July 28th at 6:30pm
Once again as I am writing this, we are coming off a very busy Christmas season for all of the businesses in Grandville. Rivertown Crossings Mall reported a record year for the number of people visiting their facility. From personal observations at the other area businesses, it looked like a lot of people made Grandville their shopping destination. All of those people going to one area do cause some traffic concerns. It looks like 2004 may be the first year since the commercial growth that has resulted in more accidents than 1998, the last year before the mall opened. Overall, the planning and construction of the roadways in the south end of the city have resulted in a very efficient and safe traffic flow. Although we don’t have the final numbers, the red light enforcement project that was initiated in the Kent County area two years ago looks like it will result in a significant overtime grant from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP). This project has used officers from different departments working together to enforce red light violations at high crash intersections. The project that we started here is awaiting final approval from the OHSP to be used as a pilot project at five locations throughout the state. The new grant will fund overtime red light enforcement by Grandville, Walker, Wyoming, Kentwood, and Grand Rapids officers. Investigations are continuing in the aftermath of two heroin related deaths that occurred in the City of Grandville. The investigations have resulted in a number of arrests. On Friday, February 18, 2005, one of the suspects pled guilty in United States District Court to distributing heroin resulting in a death. Meetings have been held including representatives from the city, the schools, and the clergy to discuss this problem. The police department and the schools have partnered with other area police departments to provide at low cost, drug testing kits that parents can purchase to use if they suspect that their children may be involved with drugs. Community Policing Officer Dave Greco was honored during the fall as the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan’s (CPAM) Crime Preventioner of the Year. This organization is includes as members representatives from law enforcement, neighborhood groups, insurance companies, and other organizations. It was a very proud moment for me to see Dave to receive this distinguished honor. Much of the work that Dave and his partner Officer Ken Rosher do involves the young people of our community. Their efforts include projects that at times reach far beyond jurisdictional boundaries. The safety and well being of our kids is a very important priority of the department.
ASSESSOR’S
OFFICE FIELD SURVEY
An Assessor’s Office employee will soon begin taking digital photographs of selected properties in order to update our property data files. This employee will be taking both front and back pictures of houses in selected neighborhoods as time permits. It is also possible that remeasuring of certain structures may need to be done. Our Field Inspector will carry City of Grandville identification. Anyone having specific questions about this procedure, please feel free to call the Assessor’s office at 530-4979. The goal of the Assessor’s Office is to have digital photographs of all structures in the City of Grandville to replace and update the current conventional photographs.
MICHIGAN
WEEK BBQ
NEW
HIRES The Waste Water Treatment Plant hired two new employees in the past few months. Fred Taylor lives in Grand Rapids with his three children: Gregory, Bradley and Morgan. Fred enjoys coaching baseball, playing softball, hunting and rock/mineral collecting. Mike Thomas lives in the Gun Lake area with his life partner Cathy. Mike’s interest include boating, fishing and playing golf. Fred and Mike are both welcome additions at our Waste Water Treatment Plant. HOLIDAY
CLOSURES:
ELECTION HIGHLIGHTS Because of legislation, many changes have been made in election laws.
Election Consolidation legislation, passed in 2004, requires
that all school elections including intermediate school district and
community college district elections be administered by Michigan’s
county, city and township clerks effective January 1, 2005. The City of Grandville will be utilizing municipal precincts and polling
locations for all elections. This
means Grandville voters will vote at the same polling location for
every election. Legislation has also limited the number of elections held within the
year. The Grandville
Public School elections will be held annually in May and the next
school election is May 3, 2005.
Absentee ballots are available from the City Clerk’s office
of the municipality you are registered to vote in. New Voter ID cards are being sent to registered voters to inform you of
your voting location. If
you have any questions please call the City Clerk’s office at
530-4976 or 724-1906. CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES The Mayor and three City Council Members will be elected this year.
In order to be nominated as a candidate for one of these
positions you must file a petition in the City Clerk’s office by
May 10, 2005 at 4:00 p.m. The petition for each of the candidates
must be signed by at least 25 but not more than 40 registered voters
of the City of Grandville. VOTING MACHINES Funding for new voting machines was received under the federal Help
America Vote Act (HAVA). The City of Grandville is scheduled to
receive the new voting equipment for the May 3, 2005 Election.
The new machines are similar to the equipment currently used
and voters will not notice a big change. PASSPORT INFORMATION The Grandville City Clerk’s office has been accepting passport
applications since January, 2004.
Information and passport applications can be found on the
U.S. Department of State website ( www.travel.state.gov).
To apply for a passport you must bring a completed
application, proof of citizenship i.e. birth certificate, two
passport photos, and the fees. Effective March 8, 2005 passport fees will increase to $67 to the U.S.
Department of State. The
$30 execution fee collected by any acceptance facility (City of
Grandville) will not change. If you have any questions, please give City Hall a call at 531-3030.
Spring Cleanup 2005 May 5-7 The City of Grandville will hold its Annual Spring Cleanup Week on May 5 (12:00pm-7:00pm), May 6 (12:00pm-7:00pm), and May 7 (8:00am-5:00pm) Grandville residents may bring yard waste, scrap metal, wood, furniture, equipment, appliances (without Freon), and other items to The Department of Public Works, 4095 White Street. This service is for Grandville residents only. One load per household will be accepted, with identification required at the gate. Trash must be put in dumpsters and brush must be dumped in a designated area in the Public Works yard. There will also be a waste oil disposal available this year on site. There will be workers at the gate and in the yard to direct you to the proper dumping location. No hazardous waste, household chemicals, paint or pesticides will be accepted. For hazardous waste drop off, call Kent County DPW Resource Recovery at 336-3694. A Guide to Waste Management Options and Alternatives, provided by Kent County DPW will be available at the gate. The Grandville High School Wrestling Team will pick up trash for a fee of $35.00 per pickup load. Proceeds will go for summer wrestling camp. To be put on the schedule for Thursday or Friday, call 261-5746. This service is only available to Grandville residents. Celebrate National Public Works Week May 15-21, 2005 Public works is everywhere you look. We take so many things the city provides for granted. We don’t always notice all that public works maintains for us when it is there and well maintained. Without public works a peaceful ride in your car would be ruined by intersections of total chaos, unsafe, dirty streets full of potholes. No signs indicating speeds, directions or street names. No storm drains to prevent flooding on rainy days and no snowplows to prevent slippery or snow covered streets in winter. Parks (if they existed) would just be a visit to overgrown flat sites with no place to relax, play, eat or take a walk. At home, there would be no clean city water running down drains that take the water back to a clean water plant. We can be glad this is not the way we have to live in Grandville. I hope this raises your awareness of public works and increases your confidence in the employees who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for present and future generations. Public works takes care of everything from making sure you have flags flying in your community, to making sure your sinks, drains and sewers are flowing. I appreciate the professionals who run our city safely and effectively, overseeing numerous responsibilities to serve the public good every day with quiet dedication. They work behind the scenes to make sure everything is working and safe just for you. So relax and rest assured the Grandville Public Works Department is working for you. Signs in the right of way Whether it is campaign season or garage sale season, signs will appear throughout the community. Any sign placed in the public right-of-way (between the sidewalk and the curb) is a violation of city code. City inspections enforce this code as seen or as complaints are called in. Unfortunately, staffing levels and work loads do not permit the removal of offending signs on a daily basis but they will be removed as soon as possible. Citizens are encouraged to place signs on private property, not on public rights-of-way or other public properties (such as parks). A good guideline for estimating the edge of the public right-0f-way is 2 feet behind the sidewalk (not between the sidewalk and the curb). With the community’s awareness of the code and willingness to help out, Grandville neighborhoods will be visually less cluttered and more pleasant for everyone. Thank you for your cooperation. Signs prohibited by the City of Grandville in the public right of way:
Signs allowed by the City of Grandville in the public right of way: A. Garage sale signs (must be dated and removed by owner after sale) B. Estate/Moving sales (must be dated and removed by owner at after sale)
In
2004 the City of Grandville paved 3.9 miles of major streets, and
1.5 miles of local streets. The total cost of these paving
projects was supplemented by nearly $500,000.00 in state and federal
grants. We have an equally ambitious program of street
improvement projects scheduled for the 2005 construction season.
State and federal grants for 2005 again equal approximately
$500,000.00 and will be applied toward the following major street
paving projects: Century Center Street – from Ivanrest Avenue to the Mall Ring Road Prairie
Street – from Ivanrest Avenue to Wentworth Drive
Ivanrest
Avenue – from Chicago Dr. to 28th Street
Viaduct Street – completion of phase II improvements between Sanford Street and Ivanrest Avenue Spartan
Industrial Drive– from 44th Street to the north and
south ends Also
included in the street improvement projects will be the intersection
of Prairie Street and Ivanrest Avenue which will provide for two
through lanes north and south bound and a dedicated left turn lane
for both directions. Information regarding start dates for
these projects will be provided when bids are awarded in the spring.
A
Citizen’s Guide to Boat and Vehicle Care How we take care of our boats,
personal watercrafts, mobile homes, cars, and other vehicles greatly
influences the health of the Grand River and its tributaries. You
can do your part to prevent pollution at the source by checking up
on your marina and following a few simple tips at home. Car
Washing and Boat Cleaning ●
Look
for non-toxic and phosphate-free cleansers. ● Use alternative cleaners, such as baking soda and lemon juice. Avoid those with bleach, ammonia, lye, or petroleum distillates (see chart).
References:
Marine Environmental Education Foundation’s National Clean Boating
Campaign 2000 Action Kit and Michigan Department or Environmental
Quality’s “Tips to Protect the Environment” Fuel
and Oil ● When fueling, avoid topping off! Remember that fuel expands as it warms up in your tank. ●
Store
fuel only in approved containers. ●
Routinely
check for and fix oil and fuel leaks. Engine
Care ●
Keep
boat and car engines properly tuned for efficient fuel consumption and clean exhaust. ●
Use
a drip pan when doing engine maintenance. Drippings left on the cement get washed into nearby drains
and end up in our streams. Sewage
Control ●
Use
onshore restrooms when docked, and encourage everyone to use the
facilities before casting off. ●
Empty
portable toilets only at pump-out stations or at home. ●
Clean
up after your pet to prevent pet waste from washing into storm
drains. Many
marinas statewide have pump-outs and allow non-members to use them. Keep
sewage out of storm drains and lakes!
FRIENDLY REMINDERS NOW THAT SPRING IS ON THE WAY CLEANING UP AFTER YOUR DOG ON A WALK Not only is it neighborly and polite to pick up after your dog on a walk, it is required by City Ordinance. Anyone walking a dog, or any other animal, is required to clean up after it when it defecates on any public or private property (other than the property of the walker). Animal owners are also responsible to make sure their animal does not create a nuisance by way of noise, odor, or other manner. WEEDS, GRASS AND OTHER NOXIOUS VEGETATION April showers bring May flowers and weeds and grass and all kinds of noxious vegetation that grows quickly. All property owners are required to make sure that no type of noxious vegetation (including grass) grows higher then ten (10) inches in height. Additionally, dead weeds, grass, and brush are not allowed to be accumulated on any property. Even if grass and other vegetation is not growing quickly all lots must be cut at least once before June 1st. Property owners are also responsible to cut and maintain properties as necessary throughout the year. TRIMMING TREES AND BUSHES NEXT TO SIDEWALKS Now that everyone ho walks their dog is cleaning up after them, the property owners should also make sure that sidewalks are clear of trees and bushes that may impede the use of sidewalks. If you have a tree or bush on your property that is immediately adjacent to or hangs over a sidewalk, please trim it so that the entire sidewalk is useable. Trees and bushes should be back a reasonable distance from the edge of the sidewalk. Any branches that hang over a sidewalk should also be trimmed to a reasonable height so that even a person who is above average in height may pass under without having to duck.
Contact the webmaster by clicking here. An online community since 2000. City of Grandville This page last modified
03/14/07 .
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