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.
Ground Breaking Ceremony - Schmidt Heritage Park
Water System Reliability Study
The member units of the Northwest Ottawa Water System (NOWS) collectively completed a 188-page Water System Reliability Study of both the NOWS Water Treatment Plant and each of the five (5) municipality′s water distribution systems.

In brief, although the NOWS water plant can produce sufficient water for the Township and other municipal units, during periods of high usage (e.g., dry summer days with heavy lawn sprinkling), the Township′s two transmission mains are not sufficient to transport the water from the NOWS plant to Township customers. (During these periods, the Township is relying on the two 500k gallon water tanks – which is only a short-term solution and reduces the overall system reliability should a water main break or major fire event occur at the same time.)
The long-term solution is a second connection to the Township′s 24″ transmission main at Grant Street and Ferry Street within the City of Grand Haven – with a new 16″ line being installed south along Ferry Street to the Township′s border – and construction of a third meter station to be located near the 172nd Avenue and Robbins Road intersection. This $5.85 million project is tentatively scheduled for 2024 and will likely use Water Fund cash reserves, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies and utility bond proceeds.


With regard to that portion of the Township′s water distribution system that receives its water from the Grand Rapids′ Water Treatment Plant – which provides water to the southwest quadrant of the Township – the report recommends connecting the Hiawatha/Fillmore meter station with the US-31/M-45 meter station. This will require the installation of about two (2) miles of water main, an upgrade to an existing meter station, and construction of a relatively small water tank (i.e., 250k gallons).  
The Grand Rapids water distribution system improvements are tentatively scheduled for 2025 and 2026 at a cost of about $3 million. A portion of this cost could be covered by Water Fund cash reserves, Tax Increment Finance monies and utility bond proceeds.
Tax Collection - 2021
Assessing Director Larrison and Finance Director Sandoval recently completed the 2021 “tax settlement” process with Ottawa County.
March Board of Review
Assessing Director Larrison notes that the March Board of Review processed 49 Veteran Exemptions (48 exemptions were granted and 1 was denied due to lack of meeting qualifications) and 18 Appeals (11 were denied and 5 property assessments were reduced, 1 personal property was filed, and 1 small business exemption was approved).
 
In total, the Assessed Value of the Township was reduced by $15,573,263 while taxable value was reduced by $14,898,869 … most of the reduction is due to Veterans Exemptions.

The final figures are as follows:

The 2022 Assessed Value is $1,246,215,537 an increase↑ of about 5.4% over 2021
The 2022 Taxable Value is $967,588,090 an increase↑ of about 6.8% over 2021
Tree Trimming Along Pathway
The Public Services crew will be trimming trees and bushes along the pathways throughout the Township.  

If your property has a tree or bush that you would prefer to trim yourselves, please contact the Township so that staff can remove your property from our trimming route.  (Please keep in mind that if the tree or bush that you wish to trim yourself is not trimmed sufficiently and presents a safety risk to the users of the pathway, the Public Services crew will need to re-trim the tree or bush.)

If you have any questions about the trimming, please contact Kristi Walsh at 616.604.6325.
Township Questions?
If you have specific questions about Township operations, please send an email to [email protected] .
(616) 842-5988  | [email protected] | www.ght.org