CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE & FINANCE
UPCOMING CITY COMMISSION MEETING RESCHEDULED
To accommodate any spring break staycations or travels, the Monday, April 5 City Commission meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, March 29.
COVID-19 UPDATE & RESOURCES
As of Friday, March 5, restaurants may increase their indoor capacity to 50% up to 100 people and stay open until 11 p.m. However, tables must continue to stay 6 feet apart and seat no more than six people at a table. Retail also can operate at 50% capacity.
The City Commission will continue to hold hybrid virtual/in-person meetings through March 31 as allowed by recent amendments to the Open Meetings Act. Given the recent changes to the indoor gathering size limits, we anticipate moving back to in-person meetings beginning with the April 19 City Commission meeting. Stay tuned for more updates.
Although vaccines are being distributed, restrictions are slowly lifting and things are looking up, we’re still in a pandemic. Check out the Kent County Health Department’s answers to
frequently asked questions about testing and vaccinations.
CITY COMMISSION ELECTION
The filing deadline to run for a City Commission seat in the November 2021 election is Tuesday, April 20 at 4 p.m. There is one seat open in each of the City’s three wards. Interested candidates must be a registered voter of the City in the ward they are filing for office, have lived in EGR for at least one year and submit 25 signatures from voters in the ward where they are seeking election. Packets and forms are available in the Finance Department at City Hall. Contact City Clerk Karen Brower at 616.949.2110 or visit
eastgr.org/elections for more information.
PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS
Thank you to all who attended the Public Safety Department’s first quarterly community engagement session of 2021. Our officers enjoyed sharing information about the City’s fire services with you.
Save the date for upcoming opportunities to learn more about your Public Safety Department: May 13, Aug. 26, Dec. 9 — all at 7 p.m. More details can be found at
eastgr.org/communityengagement.
View these events on Facebook.
BIKE PATROL CADETS
We are searching for Bike Patrol Cadets! If you or someone you know is interested, visit our
website to learn more and apply.
SMART 911
It can be difficult to prepare for an emergency. However, you can provide 911 call takers with critical information about you and your loved ones during an emergency through Smart911. Through this service, call takers — in EGR’s case, from Kent County Dispatch — can alert first responders of any medical conditions, a description of pets and vehicles and emergency contacts while help is on the way. You can customize how much or how little information you provide and even set up an account for a loved one. Smart 911 saves time and saves lives. Learn more and sign up by visiting the
Smart 911 website.
TIME CHANGE & FIRE SAFETY
Don’t forget to set your clocks forward on Sunday, March 14. We may be losing an hour of sleep, but it’s a great step toward warmer weather.
Our Public Safety officers remind residents and community members to take the time to check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. They recommend confirming these two items function properly at least twice a year, making Daylight Savings Time a great biannual marker.
PUBLIC WORKS
YARD WASTE SERVICE
It’s almost spring — but not just yet. Yard waste service will resume Monday, April 5. As a reminder, no loose yard waste is permitted in the street in the spring. For yard waste regulations and routes, please visit our
Refuse Collection webpage.
STREET SWEEPING
Street sweeping will begin during the first full week of April, following behind yard waste collection routes. Street sweeping helps to keep our streets clean, reduces debris from entering the storm sewer system and has a positive impact on stormwater quality.
TREE MAINTENANCE
A reminder to those who participated in the 50/50 tree planting program in fall 2020: The trees need to be watered. Please review the planting and maintenance guidelines included with the tree for additional care tips.
WATER SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
City crews will perform preventive water main maintenance and water main flushing in Zones 1 & 2 this spring. Learn more about this work and how it may affect you by reading our
latest news article.
ADOPT A DRAIN
With the snow melting, it’s important to take care of our stormwater drains. The City continues to partner with neighboring communities through the
Grand Valley Metro Council and
Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds, or LGROW, to promote water quality for our watersheds and minimize localized flooding.
Learn how you can adopt a drain and care for it by visiting
lgrow.org.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
CONTINUE SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESS DISTRICT
With restrictions lifting, it’s even easier to support the businesses in Gaslight Village who continue to need your patronage. If you are still uncomfortable dining in, remember our restaurants offer takeout and two heated structures are available in Shopping Center Plaza, in addition to other tables in the district.
We recommend guests verify hours of operation and services on individual business websites and/or social media pages before visiting the Village. Thank you to all who are helping our businesses keep their doors open.