One of the reasons I am running for township trustee is to improve the amount and quality of information available to township citizens. As I’ve noted before, agendas often are posted just before meetings, and with very limited details. Minutes can take quite a while to appear, and they are equally sketchy. For example, the agenda for the July 3 meeting was just posted today (July 2).
Supervisor Mike DeVries kindly provided me with the packet of information board members receive, so let’s look at the agenda in more detail.
Item 4 on the agenda is “consider cash disbursements.” This is a regular item. For June 2012, the township disbursed a total of $171,126.80. The biggest items include a transfer of nearly $28,400 to the Kent County Treasurer, to which a good share of the property tax revenues the township collects goes to. An almost identical amount is to the local law firm of Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones. I assume at least part of that is for legal fees relating to the township’s attempt to prevent electronic billboards, as well as for the legal work on items 8 and 9 below.
Item 5 is pending bills, $38,000 of those. The biggest item is about $14,700 to the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council, an umbrella group representing local government units in Allegan, Barry, Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, and Montcalm counties. This is an organization I suspect few township residents have heard of. Browsing its website is worth the time.
Item 6 is of particular interest to me: “Consider authorization to proceed with Revize LLC to update the Grand Rapids Township website.” The proposal looks well worth the $2,700 cost.
Among other things, it provides for a better overall appearance, easier content updating and editing, automatic removal of outdated items, the ability to easily conduct on-line surveys, and better ways to organize and manage content.
These are excellent additions that deal with some — but not all — of the concerns I’ve raised. The primary issue remaining is whether or not content is updated and maintained. A useful website depends on keeping the site current — something that could have been done even under the current site.
In short, this looks to be in the right direction, but it depends on putting more effort into the website than is currently done — and it should have been done years ago.
Item 7 is the purchase of a utility vehicle for $12,600. This is a John Deere Gator that will be used to check bike paths, spray for bugs, maintain parks, etc.
Item 8 is the first reading of an “Amendment to sign provisions in Grand Rapids Township Zoning Ordinance.” The ordinance will be voted on at the July 17 meeting. This concerns placement of signs on exterior building walls — not the electronic billboard issue that has recently been in the news. This applies to building walls facing streets, and also five areas in which building walls face the I-96 expressway. This is a rather complicated ordinance that gives the Planning Commission the right to approve such signs and lays out the guidelines.
Item 9 allows restaurants limited outdoor dining permission. This is limited to seating for 12 patrons or fewer. This looks like a good idea. One of the pleasures of summer is eating outdoors.
Item 10 is “Consider authorization to proceed to bid the 3 Mile/Dunnigan Utility Extension project.” This will permit building a water main and sanitary sewer line to serve the Spectrum Health facility.
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