Greetings from the Mayor's Office | |
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The City’s Building Committee recently met to discuss strategies around the addition to the current Walker library. As you may recall, we made a change in strategy earlier this year in deciding to pivot from our plans to add onto the Ice and Fitness Center with a new library and community gathering space. For several reasons, we have decided to add onto the current library. Sometime before the holidays, there will be a request for proposal sent out to prospective firms inviting them to submit ideas based on the public feedback meetings we have had, as well as input from the City staff and elected officials. This is something that I personally have wanted to get off the ground for some time now and would expect that we are making significant steps to do so in 2023.
One item that is not official yet, but, I am comfortable sharing, is that the upstairs level of Walker Fire Station 3, on Three Mile Road, will become the new home for the Senior Neighbors program in our community. Pre-pandemic, they previously had met in Fire Station 2 in Standale in the large upstairs community room. The pandemic obviously shut down operations for quite a while, and this gave all of us time to reflect and strategize if there might be a better location. Furthermore, we were painfully aware of the need for our seniors to be able to come together and have a sense of belonging and place. Our fitness programs at the Walker Ice and Fitness Center have validated the importance of that. However, we knew that no matter the location the needs of the seniors attending have evolved and we would need to adapt the space. A large and cavernous room that served multiple purposes on any given day/night of the week was not ideal. We have been meeting with the leaders from Senior Neighbors for some time now working out the details on a comfortable place we can have them call home. Look for more to come on this in the coming months, yet there is a great deal of excitement.
Lastly, as our contentious election cycle winds down next week I am reaching out with a huge, but critical ask of our community. Given the intensity levels this year, please do not think you are alone if you find some anger or disappointment in the messaging that is out there. As a result, my request is to have us all take a deep breath and move on to a better place. We cannot afford to have our neighborhoods and community torn apart because of differing opinions. These times will pass, and so should any anger or disappointment we might have with others.
Thank you for making the decision to call Walker home.
Mayor Gary L. Carey, Jr.
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Contact Your Commissioners | |
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Watch Meetings Live
Can't make City meetings in person? We get it. Life is busy! We stream many of our City meetings live so you can watch or listen from a place that's convenient for you.
To find the list of City meetings, go to www.walkermi.gov and click on Agendas and Minutes in the black bar.
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Clerk's Department Updates | |
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Added Office Hours
The Walker City Clerk's office will be open Saturday, November 5, for all your last-minute election needs. Hours will be from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm.
Voting Absentee
Michigan.gov/vote is a great resource for tracking your ballot back to the Clerk's office.
Election Day
The general election will be November 8. The ballot will include a U.S. representative, governor, state senator and representative, secretary of state, attorney general and county commissioner, city mayor, city clerk, and city commissioners. All polling precincts are open from 7 am to 8 pm on Election Day and are handicapped accessible.
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Greening Your Cleaning
As you’re cleaning up your home and yard this fall, take special care to dispose of household hazardous wastes appropriately so that you protect people’s health and the environment. Products such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides can contain hazardous ingredients and require special care when you dispose of them.
What is a household hazardous waste?
A product is considered hazardous if it has one or more of the following properties:
Toxic – poisonous or lethal when ingested, touched or inhaled;
Flammable – ignitable and burns easily;
Corrosive – eats through materials & living tissue; or
Reactive – can possibly explode or react with other chemicals.
Improper disposal of household hazardous wastes can include pouring them down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or in some cases putting them out with the regular trash. The dangers of such disposal methods might not be immediately obvious, but improper disposal of these wastes can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health.
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Certain types of household hazardous waste have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers or to contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets. They can also present hazards to children and pets if left around the house1. Storm sewers lead directly to surface waters without being treated, so dumping waste in storm drains pollutes nearby creeks, rivers and lakes.
Make sure any household hazardous wastes are safely disposed of according to your community’s guidelines. To find out how and where to dispose of household hazardous waste, visit www.LGROW.org/disposal. Better yet, swap out chemicals when possible for all-natural cleaning supplies. To find products that are safer for people and the environment, check out www.epa.gov/saferchoice.
By safely disposing of household hazardous waste, you are doing your part to “Keep your Lakes Great and your River Grand”!
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Help Bring Broadband to More Homes
Internet is an essential service for those who live, learn, and work in Kent County. However, some areas of the county do not have access to reliable or high-speed Internet. You can help Kent County get a better idea of which properties do not have essential Internet through this survey.
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Income Tax Department Updates | |
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Due Dates
Fourth quarter estimated payments for calendar year 2022 are due January 31, 2023. Forms are available on our website.
Forgotten Returns
If you have past years of Walker returns that you have forgotten to file, contact the tax department immediately at (616) 791-6880. If you file prior year returns and pay the tax and interest due, you may request a waiver of penalty. If the tax department contacts you first regarding unfiled returns, you will not be eligible for a waiver of penalty. We are electronically matching State of Michigan returns filed from a Walker resident address with Walker returns filed. If you have forgotten to file Walker returns from prior years, now is the time to get that cleared up before the letters go out from this matching program.
Questions?
If you are not sure if you need to file Walker Income Tax returns, the most common questions are answered on our website. You can also call us at (616) 791-6880.
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Cook with Caution
Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity, and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips you can prevent these fires.
• If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.
• Stay in the kitchen while frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains — away from your stovetop.
If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire...
• On the stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire…
• Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
• Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from outside the home.
Information provided by nfpa.org.
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Police Department Updates | |
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Keep Car Doors Locked
Although cooler weather is setting in, we still see many larceny from vehicle calls. We’d like to remind citizens to park in locked garages or well-lit areas, when available. Wherever you park, always lock your vehicle and ensure windows are up. Never keep anything of value in your vehicle, especially firearms. Your vehicle should not be used as a storage unit. When thieves move through, they are looking for easy targets & quick grabs. Anything electronic, cash, purses, wallets, firearms, and other items that can be quickly thrown into a backpack for an easy getaway are common targets. Thieves will often move past locked cars, to avoid wasting time and being detected and move on to easier targets, aka unlocked vehicles. Very rarely do we see “smash & grab” larceny from vehicle calls, so please, lock up vehicles!
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Friendly Fall Reminder
Another reminder we make every fall is that Walker PD cannot control the weather. While you should not be purposely depositing raked leaves onto someone else’s property (unless you have permission), we cannot respond to calls where Mother Nature is the culprit and has blown your neighbor’s leaves across property lines. Keep this in mind when the snow starts flying as well!
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Walker Ice and Fitness News | |
Winter Hours are Back
Monday - Friday: 5am - 9pm
Saturday and Sunday: 7am - 7pm
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Learn to Skate/Learn to Play Hockey/ Snow Plow
Session 2 of WIFC’s Learn to Skate/Learn to Play Hockey begins November 5 at 10am.
Register online. For questions on registering, please reach out to Gillian via email. [email protected]
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Calling All Writers!
Michigan writers of all ages are invited to enter the Write Michigan Short Story Contest, with separate categories for youth, teens and adults. Writers can enter in either English or Spanish. Winning entries will be published and receive cash prizes. Stories can be submitted through Wednesday, November 30. Details include a 3,000 word maximum length; $10 entry fee for ages 18 and above, free for 17 and under; current Michigan residents only; all entries must be submitted online.
Those who enjoy reading stories are encouraged to sign up to be a volunteer story reviewer. Click here for more information on Write Michigan.
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Library Card Perks!
Your KDL library card allows you free access to so many library materials. It also earns you discounted ticket prices for Grand Rapids Griffins' games!
For all Wednesday and Sunday games, fans can present their Kent District Library card at the Van Andel Arena box office on the night of the game or at The Zone anytime during the store’s regular business hours to purchase an Upper Level Faceoff or Crease ticket for $16 (regularly $22), an Upper Level Center Ice ticket for $19 (regularly $25) or a Lower Level Faceoff ticket for $23 (regularly $28). Limit four tickets per card per person, subject to availability.
Go Griffins!
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Friends of Walker Trails News | |
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Are you following the Friends of Walker Trails on Facebook? Follow along for updates and news on our lengthy network of trails right here in Walker!
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