Fire/Rescue Chief Gerencer officially announced his retirement with his final day being Friday, July 10 ^th .

Chief Gerencer has provided 27 years of service to the Township since he started in 1993 as a firefighter. He was promoted three years later to a Lieutenant; was promoted, again, five years later to Captain; and, was selected as the Fire/Rescue Chief in 2007 .

During the Chief’s tenure, the department went through tremendous changes ( such as becoming the only ALS certified department in West Michigan ) and enormous growth ( as seen with the 1,398 emergency runs during 2019 ).

The Chief plans to start a new career as a substitute teacher at Grand Haven Area Public Schools and find more time to pursue his passion for writing “young adult fiction”.

With a six-month notice, there will be a more than adequate time to widely advertise the opening, review resumes, interview candidates and ensure a process that finds the best candidate for the Township. 

2019 was another record year for the Fire/Rescue department in terms of emergency responses – with a total of 1,398. This is a 11.4% increase↑ over the previous record from 2018. 

Health Pointe accounted for about 7% of the emergency calls ( i.e., 98) followed by the Village at Rosy Mound accounting for about 4.5% of the calls ( i.e., 62).

Christmas Tree Drop Off

Christmas Trees can be dropped off at the Township Hall until January 27 ^th.

The area is located behind the Fire/Rescue Building near the Ferris Street entrance…just look for the signs!

PLEASE limit this to natural Christmas trees only. All lights, hardware, and stands must be removed.

Fire Hydrant Snow Removal

If you have a fire hydrant near your home, please take the time to ensure it is accessible. 

A few minutes of time clearing the hydrant can make a significant difference when fighting a home structure fire.

You should have received your 2019 winter property taxes. The due date is Friday, February 14 ^th for payment without interest or penalty. However, the Township will accept payment through March 2 ^nd; but, taxes paid after February 14 ^th are required by state law to add interest and penalty. 

Winter taxes paid after March 2 ^nd will have additional costs and pursuant to state law must be paid to the Ottawa County Treasurer.

If you choose to pay in person, the Township Office is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You may also mail your payment or use one of two Drop Boxes – one is located across the driveway from the Township office 's main entrance while another is located within the foyer of the offices. Postdated checks will not be accepted. All checks will be cashed when received.

If you choose to pay by credit or debit card, please note that Point and Pay LLC will charge your credit/debit card a fee of 3% of the payment amount for this service. 

For more information, please use the following link: http://www.ght.org/i-want-to/#bill

Which roads are plowed first? Winter maintenance operations are conducted in accordance with the established priority system based on traffic volumes, road classification, and location. The priorities are as follows:

1 - State Trunklines

2 - Multi-lane Primary Roads

3 - Primary Roads

4 - Local Paved Roads

5 - Subdivision Streets

6 - Local Gravel Roads

7 - Dead End Streets and Cul-de-sacs

 

If a mailbox is damaged by Road Commission equipment or snow thrown from Road Commission equipment during winter maintenance operations, the property owner may receive a new standard mailbox and/or a single 4"x 4" wood post at one of their garage locations.

The property owner is responsible to remove the damaged mailbox/post and to install the replacement mailbox/post. The property owner shall provide either the actual damaged mailbox/post or a photo of the actual damaged mailbox/post before a new standard mailbox and/or a single 4"x4" wood post can be issued. Upon receipt of a new mailbox and/or post, the property owner shall sign a register and provide the property address.

A tip when shoveling your driveway. Snowplows operate by pushing snow to the right. Piling snow to the right of your driveway and mailbox ( as you face the road) will help reduce the amount of snow pushed into or in front of your driveway and mailbox. Snow must be piled as to not obstruct motorist's vision.

For more information from the Ottawa County Road Commission go to http://www.ottawacorc.com/ or call 616-842-5400.