Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and orders from the Michigan Department of Health and Humans Services, Grand Haven Charter Township will continue to have remote, electronic meetings – at least through March.  

All of the material for Township Board meetings may be viewed at:

This material is the same information provided to the elected officials – except any legal opinions that might be discussed in closed sessions. In addition, the agendas (and OMA postings) will contain information on how the public can participate in these Zoom meetings. 

The May 4th elections will include two property tax renewals and a bond millage. More specifically, the following items will be on the ballot:

The 0.95 mills used to fund Harbor Transit on-demand service and supplement the road maintenance provided by the Ottawa County Road Commission will be up for its second renewal. This millage was originally approved by the voters in 2011. The cost for a family with a home value at $200,000 will be about $95 per year.  

The 0.25 mills used to fund the senior services provided by the North Ottawa County Council on Aging (dba Four Pointes) will also be up for renewal. This millage was originally approved by the voters in 2004. The cost for a family with a home value at $200,000 will be about $25 per year. 

The Parks Bond will authorize the Township to receive a loan for about $6.16 million to fund improvements to the Township′s 672-acre park system. An additional $750k in restricted General Fund cash reserves will be added to the bond monies for the following:

The bond (which is simply a municipal loan) will be paid over a 20-year period. The bond will be funded with a 0.4 mill property tax — the cost for a family with a home value of $200,000 will be about $40 per year. (This will decline↓ over the course of the loan to an estimated 0.36 mills.)

The Township′s financial position will remain strong with the approval of the Parks′ bond. Even after adding the Township′s only remaining outstanding bond (i.e., the Pathway bond), the total indebtedness of the Township will be merely 8.5% of the $120+ million in general obligation debt that the Township is authorized to issue under the State constitution.

COVID-19 related job loss and illness financial impacts thousands of households. The impacts do not have to be life altering, as there are resources available for homeowners and renters. 

Neighborhood Housing Services is a HUD certified housing counseling agency that receives some of financial support from Grand Haven Charter Township. This agency can help navigate available resources and the housing counselors will explore what is available based on your individual situation and help you avoid COVID related scams. 

Resources include mortgage forbearance, creating an exit strategy, student loan moratoriums or utility assistance. 

The services are free, unbiased and confidential. You will meet with an experienced, HUD certified counselor. See the NHS website for more information, grandhaven.org/residents/housing-grants-services/.  

Call for a one-on-one appointment, 616.935.3270 or click the link below for a workshop schedule, www.surveymonkey.com/r/879RMCY

Also, see the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau website for reliable information, www.consumerfinance.gov/coronavirus/mortgage-and-housing-assistance/

There are about 107 miles of public roads within Grand Haven Charter Township. The repaving maintenance on 41 miles of subdivision roadways is the financial responsibility of the Township – working collaboratively with the Ottawa County Road Commission. (Since 2020, the Township has paid to resurface about 46 miles of roadway.) 

For 2021, the Township has identified the following local roads that will be resurfaced:

In addition, the Township will be paving a half mile of gravel road – 160th Avenue between Lincoln Street and Ferris Street. This roadway was selected for paving to provide an alternative route for some of the Ferris Street traffic going Lincoln Street – which will reduce the traffic on 152nd Avenue.

As part of this gravel road paving, the Ferris Street watermain will be looped to Lincoln Street, thereby eliminating a dead end and meeting State recommendations.

In addition, a pathway will be constructed to provide a second connector between Ferris Street and Lincoln Street – which also eliminates the Lincoln Street “dead end” of the pathway.

Many of the public works and public safety jobs within the Township carry an inherent risk of injury. In order to track injuries, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires the Township to keep a record of serious work-related injuries and illnesses. The purpose of tracking and posting this information is to “help employers, workers and OSHA evaluate the safety of a workplace, understand industry hazards, and implement worker protections to reduce and eliminate hazards –preventing future workplace injuries and illnesses”.  

For 2020, the Township’s recordable numbers for cases, days, and injuries/illnesses were all Zero. While the Township can celebrate the 2020 injury free record, we can also note that the Township has a great start for 2021 with no recordable cases, days, and injuries/illnesses.  

If you have specific questions about Township operations, please send an email to bcargo@ght.org .