Tag Archives: WKTV Government Matters

Local government leaders look ahead to 2020 at Chamber’s WKTV Government Matters meeting

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At the Jan. 13 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Committee’s monthly forum at Wyoming City Hall were chamber member and moderator Kathy Bates, chamber president Bob O’Callaghan, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley and Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll. (WKTV)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

Local governmental leaders — from the mayors of Wyoming and Kentwood, to a county commissioner and state legislators, to representatives of federal officials — looked ahead to 2020 as part of a wide-ranging inter-governmental leaders meeting Monday, Jan. 13. at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Committee’s monthly forum at Wyoming City Hall.

The meeting, as always, was hosted by chamber member and moderator Kathy Batey and chamber president Bob O’Callaghan. The intergovernmental discussion hosted by the chamber focuses on issues that effect residents and businesses in the two cities.

The Government Matters meeting brings together representatives from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, Kent County commissioners, local Michigan state senators and representatives, as well as often representatives of Michigan’s U.S. senators and U.S. congressman who represent the Wyoming and Kentwood area.

At the January meeting, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley and Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll represented their cities. Kent County Commissioner Monica Sparks was also present. State leaders included Sen. Peter MacGregor and Reps. Tommy Brann and Steven Johnson.

On the federal level, the panel included Brian Patrick, communications director for federal Rep. Bill Huizenga (Michigan Congressional District 2), and Peter Dickow, West Michigan Regional Director for U.S. Sen. Gary Peters.

The Government Matters meeting is rebroadcast on WKTV’s channels and on-demand website (wktvlive.com). This month’s meeting is available here.

The next meeting will be Feb. 10, from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., at Wyoming City Hall.

For more information about the chamber and Government Matters visit southkent.org.

The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the latest meeting on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., as well as on select Saturdays, on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26. For a highlight schedule of WKTV cable programs visit wktvjournal.org.

WKTV to broadcast, make available on YouTube, Chamber’s Kentwood commission candidate forum

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By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

The two candidates for the City of Kentwood’s Ward 2 Commissioner seat currently held by Michael Brown, which will be decided on the Nov. 5 ballot, recently answers questions from a moderator at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Candidate Forum.

The Chamber’s Candidate Forum took place Sept. 11, at the Kentwood Branch of the Kent District Library, with WKTV Community Media cameras recording the event. The event was hosted by Chamber President Bob O’Callaghan and moderated by Kathey Batey.

The two candidates for the Ward 2 seat are Bill Benoit and Ron Draayer. Also on the ballot in November but not at the forum as they are running unopposed for other Kentwood Commission seats are incumbent Commissioner at Large Maurice H. Groce and incumbent Ward 1 Commissioner Robert D. Coughlin.

Draayer, according to the candidate, is a Kentwood resident who was a classroom teacher at Davenport University for 40 years and taught classes in the field of technology and cyber security.


Benoit, according to the candidate, is a Kentwood resident who works for the Charter Township of Cascade as a building inspector and plan reviewer, and is currently on the City of Kentwood Planning Commission.


WKTV Community Media was at the forum and will both broadcast it on WKTV Government Channel 26 as well as making it available on WKTV’s YouTube Channel. The forum will be broadcast today, Friday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 26, at noon; as well as several but as-yet unscheduled times in October. See the WKTV on-air schedule for dates and times.

WKTV also recorded candidates Benoit, Draayer and Coughlin as part of “We The People” candidate introduction videos series which are produced prior to each election voted on by Wyoming and Kentwood residents. Those videos will be made public the week of Sept. 23.

‘Red Flag’ gun control laws discussed at Chamber’s WKTV Government Matters meeting

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By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

In the wake of recent mass shootings, state and federal efforts to introduce and pass so-called “Red Flag” laws — which would allow persons with access to guns to be investigated as being possible dangers to themselves and others, and to give authorities the ability to seize that person’s guns — was one topic discussed as part of a wide-ranging inter-governmental leaders meeting Monday, Aug. 12, at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Committee’s monthly forum at Wyoming City Hall.

With bipartisan bills being introduced both in Lansing and in Washington, D.C., Peter Dickow, West Michigan Regional Director for U.S. Sen Gary Peters (D-Mi.) echoed other leader at the meeting by saying: “There is room for common sense legislation” on this issue.

The Government Matters meeting is rebroadcast on WKTV’s channels and on-demand website (wktvlive.org). This month’s meeting is available here.

The Government Matters meeting brings together representatives from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, Kent County commissioners, local Michigan state senators and representatives, as well as often representatives of Michigan’s U.S. senators and U.S. congressman who represent the Wyoming and Kentwood area.

The next meeting will be Sept. 9 at Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW, from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

The intergovernmental discussion hosted by the chamber focuses on issues that effect residents and businesses in the two cities.


For more information about the chamber and Government Matters visit southkent.org.

The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the latest meeting on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., as well as on select Saturdays, on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26. For a highlight schedule of WKTV cable programs visit wktvjournal.org .

Road work, Kentwood and beyond, discussed at Chamber’s WKTV Government Matters meeting

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Election, Our Cities, Politics, WKTV Projects

WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

The annual roadwork “construction season” in Kentwood and beyond was one of the many discussion items of a wide-ranging inter-governmental leaders meeting Monday, June 10, at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Committee’s monthly forum at Kentwood City Hall.

The monthly forum is free and open to the public, and allows public questions.

“We do have two seasons: snow season and construction season, and we are starting that construction season,” City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said at the meeting. “We do have road construction projects in place and I encourage everybody to go to our website, and see when those are (happening) and where those construction projects are taking place.”

Mayor Kepley pointed out major work along Sparks Drive SE and Forest Hill Avenue SE including the intersections of Burton Street SE and East Paris Avenue SE. According to the city’s website listing 2019 roadwork, the project will cost $1.3 million and run June 24 through August. For more information see a WKTV story (from the City of Kentwood) here.

The meeting is rebroadcast on WKTV’s channels and on-demand website (wktvondemand.com). This month’s meeting is available here.

The Government Matters meeting brings together representatives from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, Kent County commissioners, local Michigan state senators and representatives, as well as often representatives of Michigan’s U.S. senators and U.S. congressman who represent the Wyoming and Kentwood area.

The next meeting will be July 8 at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St SW, from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

The intergovernmental discussion hosted by the chamber focuses on issues that effect residents and businesses in the two cities.
 
For more information about the chamber and Government Matters visit southkent.org .

The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV offers replays of the Monday meetings on the following Wednesday and each Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26. It will also be replayed on the Saturday a week after the meeting at noon, also on Channel 26.

For a highlight schedule of WKTV programing visit here .