The State Bureau of Elections (BOE) has determined that a Special Election to fill the Trustee vacancy on the Grand Haven Charter Township Board will not be required.

In brief, it was noted that the 14-day window for certification of the November special election runs up to November 19th and the swearing in of the new Township Board members occurs on November 20th . Therefore, it is essentially impossible for the one candidate elected at a special election to “serve” the residents for a single day.

This decision, by the BOE, comes full circle to the position of the Township elected officials and staff.

Kudos to Ottawa County Clerk Roebuck for advocating for this decision by the State BOE –which is prudent, reasonable and “makes sense.”

Community Development Director Rory Thibault has accepted a unique employment opportunity with the Land Conservancy of West Michigan (LCWM).

Specifically, Rory will be a “Land Protection Specialist” with a focus on community conservation projects in historically disenfranchised communities (i.e., underprivileged urban areas).

Rory has done an exceptional job with the Township and will be difficult to replace – his expertise in planning, his inimitable personality, and his professional demeanor will be missed by all the Township staff.

It is expected that the Community Development Department will be slightly reorganized as the Township seeks a new senior planner and fills a vacancy in ordinance enforcement.

Grand Haven Charter Township sprayed about 3,200 acres for spongy moths (formerly referred to as gypsy moths) on May 15th at a cost of about $150k … and it appears to have been successful.

There have been very few complaints regarding the spongy moth caterpillars. That said, if your property is being negatively impacted, please contact the Township by either emailing Assistant Manager Karen Sherwood at ksherwood@ghtmi.gov or phoning her at 616.604.6309 with your property information. 

The Township will continue to monitor spongy moth activity within our municipal boundaries.

The Fire/Rescue Department has a new front line EMS vehicle. This 2023 Chevy Tahoe replaces a 2019 Ford F-250. The previous vehicle will be stepped down as a backup EMS vehicle.

The State of Michigan completed their final inspection and officially licensed it as the department′s newest Advanced Life Support (i.e., ALS or paramedic) Vehicle.

It is important to note that Grand Haven Charter Township is one of the few departments in West Michigan that is certified at the ALS or paramedic level. The decision to move to this highest certification level was made decades ago when it was obvious that most of the emergency calls would be for medical or rescue. Currently, about 75% of all emergency calls are for medical or rescue situations (i.e., about 1,100 annually).

Finally, the previous secondary EMS vehicle (i.e., the 2012 Chevy Suburban) will be sold at the Miedema public auction next month once the graphics and emergency lights have been removed.

The State of Michigan sent the final payment of about $77k for the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) grant project – i.e., the trails and 168th Avenue entrance project into Hofma Preserve project to the Township.

Currently, the Grand Haven Charter Township Board has set aside about $2.15 million for the next phase of park improvements. Planning for these park improvements will begin in late 2024 and continue into 2025 – and will require public input. 

The Loutit District Library will be requesting a 10-year supplemental millage of 0.1557 mills during the August 6th Primary Election. (This request equals $15.57 per $100,000 of taxable value.)

The library will be using the additional funds for various outreach programs including:

• Adding new services throughout the community, with materials and program outreach to seniors and children, by going to assisted living centers, Four Pointes, preschools, and daycares.
• Adding homebound delivery services to qualified residents.
• Expanding library hours.
• Expanding local history and genealogy hours and services.
• Adding additional programs and story times in and out of the library.



For more information about this millage request, please use the link below: