Welcome to the electronic newsletter from
Grand Haven Charter Township!
Stay informed on what is happening in the township. This newsletter will deliver up-to-date information including upcoming meetings, development news, township services and more! You can always find more information on our
website
or
Facebook
.
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Closed For the Holidays
Holiday Hours
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Grand Haven Charter Township will be closed on the following dates:
- Monday, December 25th
- Tuesday, December 26th
- Starting at noon on Friday, December 29th
- Monday, January 1st
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FEMA Community Rating Program
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The Township will soon be authorized to join the FEMA “Community Rating System” program, which will lower flood insurance premiums for those living within a floodplain. (
Only 5% of communities in the nation and only 21 communities in Michigan participate in this FEMA cost saving program).
FEMA has created a series of informational brochures, including making insurance decisions when buying a home, and taking advantage of low-cost Preferred Risk Policies.
To review the full checklist of insurance questions to ask your agent, or to learn more about the Preferred Risk Policies, please visit our website at
www.ght.org/floodplain or email
floodplain@ght.org.
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Winter Taxes
Due February 14, 2018
You should have received your 2017 winter tax bills with a due date of Wednesday, February 14, 2018.
If you choose to pay before the end of this year, please note that the Township Office will be closing at noon on Friday, December 29
th. If you have any questions call
(616) 842-5988. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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About eighteen percent (18%) of households have natural Christmas trees. From December 26
th through January 31
st, you can bring your Christmas tree to the Grand Haven Charter Township Fire/Rescue station at the intersection of Ferris and 168
th. The drop-off site is located at the Ferris Street entrance to the Fire/Rescue station.
This service is limited to Christmas trees only. All lights and hardware must be removed.
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When plowing snow this winter, please keep in mind that the that you cannot deposit snow on any Township pathway or on private property without the owner's consent.
You can be held liable if this ordinance is violated by you or your snow removal contractor.
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Are you experiencing a financial hardship that threatens your housing stability? Are you unable to pay your upcoming property tax bill?
Neighborhood Housing Services
(NHS) can help.
Mortgage/property tax relief programs can be complicated. NHS can provide you with up-to-date information on your rights, your options, and program eligibility. These foreclosure services are
FREE,
available to all Township residents, confidential, one-on-one, objective and judgment-free, informative, and supportive.
The NHS office is located at 11 North 6
th
Street in Grand Haven. Call today with questions, (616) 935-3270.
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Amended Ambulance Agreement
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Notice was provided last December to North Ottawa Community Health Services (NOCH) that there was a desire to re-negotiate the ambulance agreement to increase the amount of coverage.
After eleven months of work, the Ambulance Oversight Committee
(that was chaired by Township Fire/Rescue Chief Gerencer) completed the re-negotiation process. The new agreement will add 60 hours per week of ambulance coverage by adding a third ambulance. When compared to the current 336 hours per week of coverage, this is about an
18% increase↑ in coverage.
If needed, staffing for this third ambulance will be partially provided by local fire departments with NOCH reimbursing the local departments for their labor costs.
In addition, the new agreement will better monitor and track response times when the NOCH Ambulance Authority is forced to rely upon other ambulance companies – such as Pro-Med from Muskegon.
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The Harbor Transit Board received the FY 2016/17 financial audit – which was “clean”. The financial trend for Harbor Transit continues to be positive. For example, Harbor Transit’s financial position has changed from starting with a
$311k deficit (which was covered with a loan from the City of Grand Haven) to a cash reserve of about
$1.45 million at the end of the 2016/17 fiscal year.
Bottom line – unlike many transit authorities – Harbor Transit does not have an operating deficit as it provides on-demand bus service for this region’s population. The growth and expansion of Harbor Transit is the main reason that this transit service can operate so strongly in the “black” – with a positive net cash of over
$371k for FY 2016/17. (See graph below.)
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Museum Display
Corduroy Road
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Before paved roads were the norm, dirt roads were used almost exclusively to connect nearby towns and cities. Unfortunately, dirt roads could make traveling by horse or wagon very difficult in certain weather conditions such as rain or snow. The road surface would turn into mud that would be several inches deep and could potentially wash out completely. In an effort to stabilize roads in marshy areas, logs were laid closely together, perpendicular to the direction of travel. This provided added stability to the road surface and made traveling significantly easier. Therese roads became known as “corduroy roads” due to the logs resembling corduroy fabrics used on jackets, pants, and other clothing.
In July of 2017, road crews working on 168th Avenue near the Grand Haven Township Administrative Offices discovered sections of a Civil War Era corduroy road beneath the current paved road. With the booming lumber industry in the Tri-Cities area, it is no surprise that corduroy roads would have been build here. The logs seen in the museum’s Barn exhibit were excavated from 168th Avenue and were part of over 100 linear feet unearthed at the site. Be sure to stop in at the museum to view this interesting part of our local history.
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The Hofma Preserve walkway going to the Pottawattomie Bayou viewing tower has been re-decked and some of the structural supports have been replaced.
This project was completed under budget.
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