(Courtesy, City of Kentwood/All photos taken by Ingrid Campos) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood) 
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)
By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org
While making the rounds at the Kentwood Public Works Open House last Thursday, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said it best, “Little kids love big equipment.”
That was part of the appeal of the Open House, which was co-sponsored by the Kentwood Department of Public Works and the Kent County Road Commission. The event was held at the Kentwood Public Works facility at 5068 Breton Ave.
It was not only kids taking part, but community members of all ages taking a look behind the scenes at how Public Works serves residents.
“We’re here to celebrate the Department of Public Works and the staff who run it,” said Mayor Kepley, of the third annual event. “Kids light up when they see a big piece of equipment, and to be able to climb inside, feel the steering wheel and honk the horn. When I was a kid I was fascinated with excavators and bull dozers and I never got a chance to climb in one.
“It’s an opportunity for kids to see some big equipment, but also to educate the kids and the parents of what we do here in Public Works. People primarily focus in on police and fire, but they take for granted so many different things, for instance, our roads, our water, sanitary sewer, storm water, and also the Parks, and who maintains it all. When the Department of Public Works does its great job, it really goes unnoticed, because everything is working properly.
“When you turn on your water, do you get dirty water? No, you get clean water and that’s thanks to the Department of Public Works and their staff doing an excellent job.”
Mayor Kepley said he loves talking to students and classrooms about the different divisions at Public Works and how great the department operates, and jokingly apologizes to them about the lack of snow days.
“When I talk about roads and road maintenance (to students), I do apologize for us cleaning the roads really quickly and efficiently during the winter because chances are if you live in the City of Kentwood you have very few snow days because we do an excellent job of cleaning the road,” said Kepley with a grin. “If someone hits a deer who cleans that up? The Department of Public Works. They do so many different things.”
Kentwood Director of Public Works Chad Griffin talked about the opportunity the Open House provides for his staff to mingle with residents.
“We really love to have the community come out and see what we do,” said Griffin, who leads a staff of 37 full-time workers and 10 seasonal. “It’s a great chance for residents and employees to interact, meet one another and talk about the work that we do.
“We had many families and kids attend the event … we are considering it a success. We counted nearly 300 in attendance.”
Griffin said complimentary grilled hotdogs, chips, freezer pops and bottled water was served and kids of all ages received coloring books, construction themed snap bracelets and construction equipment temporary tattoos.
The Kentwood Department of Public Works has five divisions that work together to maintain the City’s infrastructure, which includes more than 150 miles of pipes underground and more than 155 miles of streets above ground, as well as parks and grounds, buildings and vehicles. The five divisions are building maintenance, fleet services, grounds maintenance, streets maintenance and utilities (water and wastewater) services. To learn more about Kentwood DPW, visit kentwood.us/DPW.
