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Wyoming mayor pleased with turnout for first 2020 outdoor meeting

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The Wyoming City Council prepares for its first 2020 outdoor meeting at Pinery Park. The meeting took place Monday, July 20. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The picnic tables at Wyoming’s Pinery Park in front of the city stage were full, not for a concert but for the Wyoming City Council’s first 2020 summer outdoor council meeting.

For the past four years, the Wyoming City Council has taken its meeting on the road, visiting different neighborhoods within the city during the summer.

“I have been wanting to come to a meeting for awhile,” said Wyoming resident Mary Vickers, who added that attending was often difficult as she had to get her son ready for bed at about the same time as the meetings. “When I heard that this one was going to be at Pinery Park, I said good. We’ll go for a walk and find out what it is all about.”

That according to Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll is the reason why the Wyoming City Council has been hosting the outdoor meetings: to connect with the citizens and to encourage more people to get involved.

“We had some new faces and more citizens here for the meeting who had some individual concerns and it was good we were to be able to listen,” Poll said after the meeting.

Before the meeting, residents were able to have a treat and visit with city officials. (WKTV)

Several residents talked to council members and staff before the meeting on topics of concern including helping to slow traffic on some city streets to more universal access for the city parks. During the meeting, a couple of residents came up to talk about the cost of the replacement of the police cars that were lost during the May 31 riots in Grand Rapids and the need for crossing guards at Lee Street and Cleveland Avenue.

“We don’t see this kind of crowd at the city council chambers,” said Mayor Pro Tem Sam Bolt during the meeting. “It is nice to be able to hear their community concerns and to know what is going on in their neighborhood.”

Police Chief Kim Koster presents the 2019 Public Safety Annual Report. (WKTV)

During the meeting Police Chief Kim Koster presented the 2019 Public Safety report, which is available to citizens at the City of Wyoming website under the Public Safety tab. Koster noted the department had almost 7,000 calls for service in 2019, the highest number the department has had in a year. This included 4,677 EMS responses, which was also the highest number in a year.

Other numbers for year were:

158 Fire Events

404 Fire Alarms

330 Service Events

815 Good Intent Responses

409 Hazardous Condition Responses

Koster also noted that the Community Services Unit continues to maintain and build positive relationships having had 11,472 citizen/student contacts. The unit has attended community events, community meetings and provided lectures and presentations, along with follow-investigations, truancy complaints, and arrests.

Along with Koster’s report, the council received a report on an analytical study on how the residents felt the city was doing. The council also approved several budget items that included the approval to have Prein & Newhof design and oversee construction of the Plaster Creek Boulevard and non-motorized trail project from Buchanan Avenue to Division Avenue.

Mayor Jack Poll talks to residents before the meeting. (WKTV)

Poll announced that the next on-the-road meeting will be Aug. 17 at the SpartanNash YMCA, located off of Gezon Parkway at 5722 Metro Way. All city council meetings start at 7 p.m.

The Wyoming City Council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. throughout the year. Regular meetings are at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. For more information about the Wyoming City Council or the various city committees, visit wyomingmi.gov.

All the city council meetings are broadcast lived by WKTV on the WKTV Community Media Facebook page and on the WKTV Government Channel 26. Meetings rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays.

Wyoming City Council goes on the road

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Wyoming City Council has two outdoor meetings planned. The first meeting is July 20 at Pinery Park Lodging Area. (WKTV)

by Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The Wyoming City Council is hitting the road again this summer with plans to host two meetings within the city’s neighborhoods.

“We’re hosting our City Council meetings in neighborhoods across Wyoming,” said Mayor Jack Poll about the outdoor meetings. “My fellow council members and I are excited to meet you, your neighbors, and the businesses in your area. For us to make good decisions for the community, we need to hear from the people who live, work, and play in Wyoming!”

Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll with Wyoming City Clerk Kelli VandenBerg at previous outdoor council meeting. (WKTV)

The first outdoor meeting is set for July 20 at 7 p.m. at Pinery Park Lodging Area, 2301 DeHoop Ave. SW. The second meeting is set for Aug. 17 with a location to be announced.

This is the fourth year the city council has opted to host meetings with in city neighborhoods. The goal of the meetings is to provide an opportunity for residents to meet with council members in their own neighborhoods. According to city leaders, this gives residents an opportunity to learn about how its council works along with talking about issues or concerns within their own neighborhood directly with council members.

At last year’s outdoor meetings, Poll said the council has found them to be very successful, “as it allows the City Council to meet people where they are and interact with them in different ways. In addition to educating residents about the City Council and how our meetings are conducted. These summer meetings also encourage council members to visit areas of the community that may be unfamiliar to them.”

Before the 7 p.m. meeting, there is a meet-and-greet with council members and city officials available to talk to residents, answer questions about the process, and enjoy a summertime treat. The council meeting will begin promptly at 7 p.m. and will follow the city’s meeting guidelines. Public comment time is provided during the meetings. Click here to see the official agenda for the meeting.

A Wyoming resident talks to the Wyoming City Council about traffic concerns at a previous outdoor summer city council meeting. (WKTV)

As with all the city council meetings, WKTV will be at the outdoor council meetings, broadcasting it live on Facebook and on the WKTV Government Channel 26.

The Wyoming City Council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. throughout the year. Regular meetings are at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. For more information about the Wyoming City Council or the various city committees, visit wyomingmi.gov.