open houses - WKTV Journal

By Tessa Schulz
WKTV Contributor

You might be able to climb into this truck during the Wyoming Department of Public Works’ open house on Monday, May 15. (WKTV/Tessa Schulz)

Have you ever looked outside on a snowy day, sipping a hot chocolate while flurries blow through the frosty air? On wintry days plow trucks keep us safe by providing salt for the streets and scraping snow from the roads.

The Public Works team is here for many seasons, whether it is the icy winter, leafy fall, or road construction.

The Wyoming Department of Public Works is hosting an open house this Monday, May 15, from 5-8 p.m. at the Public Works Facility located at 2660 Burlingame Ave. SW to educate the community on who they are and what they do.

The Kentwood Department of Public Works will be hosting its public works open house Thursday, May 18, 4-7 p.m. at the Kentwood Department of Public Works facility, 5068 Breton Ave. SE. The event is a joint venture with th eKent County

Both events are an early celebration of Public Works Week, May 21-27, which celebrates how public works connects a community through service and infrastructure.

Public Work professionals include engineers, public service, traffic, and fleet service workers. The Kentwood and Wyoming teams provide construction, maintenance, and repairs for streets, sidewalks, waterlines, sewer systems, traffic signs, city vehicles, and equipment.

During the events, community members will meet the public works team, check out demonstrations and climb into a public works vehicle.

Wyoming Public Works Day

“It’s a fun way to show off what we do for the city,” said Jay VanDyke, Wyoming Public Works assistant director. “It’s a great way for the community to come and meet the team who largely works behind the scenes. It’s a hands-on learning opportunity. It has something for every age. Many people never really grow tired of being fascinated by some of this larger equipment.”

The Wyoming open house will feature equipment, including a hydro excavator, dump truck, salt truck, boom truck, and street sweeper. In addition, guests may play games (hammer toss or Plinko) to win prizes or explore booths and displays, including the sewer jet flusher.

The Wyoming open house will serve hot dogs, chips, popsicles, and refreshments. In previous years, several hundred residents attended the city’s open houses.

“We hope that people walk away with a better understanding of the various responsibilities we have at the Public Works Department and the services we provide,” VanDyke said. “Some of these services include providing everyone clean, safe drinking water and a reliable, efficient sewer system. The nice thing about a reliable, efficient sewer system is if you never have to think about it, it’s working great!”

Kentwood Public Works Day

The Kentwood event will have hands-on activities, maintenance and repair demonstrations, and giveaways. All guests may take home free red maple and river birch tree seedlings. In addition, the event will have complimentary food and refreshments.

The Kentwood Department of Public Works will host an open house with the Kent County Road Commission on Thursday, May 18. (Supplied)

Semifinalists and finalists of the Work Zone Safety Poster competition will be recognized at 5:30 p.m. Sponsored by Kent County Road Commission and public works agencies throughout Kent County, the poster contest invited third-graders from across the county to design a caution sign focused on safety tips for driving through a work zone. A gallery of entries will be displayed during the event.

“The Kentwood Department of Public Works supports many aspects of our residents’ daily lives, from plowing roads to maintaining trails to repairing public safety vehicles,” Public Works Director Chad Griffin said. “We’re looking forward to connecting with the community to share more about what we do and display some of the equipment we use to get the job done.”

The Kent County Road Commission will also have team members and equipment on-site to share more about the department’s role in the community.

“Our team works collaboratively with public works departments throughout the county to serve residents by keeping roads safe,” said Steve Warren, managing director of the Kent County Road Commission. “We are excited to connect with community members and share more about our dedication to maintaining public infrastructure.”

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.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

To give its residents an opportunity to view and comment on its new master plan, the City of Wyoming will be hosting eight open houses across the city.

In August, the Wyoming City Council voted to open the 63-day public comment period for the community-driven master plan, Wyoming [re]imagined. City Planner Nicole Hofert said with the social distance requirements due to COVID-19, city officials decided to offer a series of outdoor public events where residents would be able to review the plan.

The 18-month master plan process continues to involve Wyoming residents, businesses, employees of businesses, developers, and stakeholders who are guiding the content and priorities of the plan. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

The four-day event starts Monday, Sept. 28 at Oriole Park, 1380 42nd St. SW. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., city staff will be on had to discuss the new master plan with the event also featuring the Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s K-9 unit. The rest of the schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 28, at Lemery Park, 4050 Byron Center Ave. SW, from 5 to 7 p.m. and will feature the Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s Bicycle Unit
Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the KDL Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 29, at Marquette Park, 1251 Marquette SW, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Wyoming Senior Center, 2380 DeHoop Ave. SW, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Wednesday, Sept. 30, at Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson SW, from 5 to 7 p.m. and will feature the Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s K-9 unit.
Thursday, Oct. 1, at Ideal Park, 5843 Crippen SW, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Thursday. Oct. 1, at Gezon Park (north side), 1940 52nd St. SW, from 4 to 6 p.m.

All events are open to the public and require attendees to follow COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, including face coverings and physical distancing.

“We received input from the community and it formed the foundation of the plan. Our community knows Wyoming and what it wants for our future. They want to see things like affordable housing options and flourishing economic development and parks,” Mayor Jack Poll said in a recent release about the events. “Please join us at one of our open houses. You will have a chance to learn about the plan and provide us with the necessary feedback we need for a successful master plan.”

At the open house events, community members have another chance to provide input after the draft master plan was intentionally developed with community voice and needs at the forefront. The 18-month process continues to involve Wyoming residents, businesses, employees of businesses, developers, and stakeholders who are guiding the content and priorities of the plan. Each section of the draft plan details what community stakeholders and residents want to see in Wyoming’s future and how the collective vision will be implemented. Upon final approval, the master plan will guide how the City will develop over the next 15 to 20 years.

To view the draft plan and provide feedback, visit www.wyomingmi.gov/reimagined.