TOWNSHIP BOARD MEMBER CHANGES
Last fall Zeeland Charter Township Supervisor Brad Slagh became Treasurer for Ottawa County. Trustee Glenn Nykamp was appointed to fill his position. Ed Zylstra, 37 year resident of our township and member of the Planning Commission, was appointed to fill the open Trustee position.
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FROM THE SUPERVISOR’S DESK
Please let me introduce myself to those who may not know me. My name is Glenn Nykamp. I am married to Cindi and we have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. I was born in Zeeland Township and moved to Zeeland City as a youngster. I moved back into the Township in 1963 and live on part of what was once my grandfather’s farm. I became involved with the Township as a member of the Road Committee in the late 70’s and was elected to the Board as a trustee in 1984. In October of 2007, I was privileged to be appointed to Supervisor when Brad Slagh accepted the Ottawa County Treasurer’s position.
One of my objectives for this year is to pull together a group of individuals who would be interested in gathering material to compile a history of Zeeland Charter Township. We basically have three different areas in the Township with each one surrounding one of our “Villages.” There are books about Drenthe and Vriesland. I’m sure we have many residents who have stories that others would find interesting to hear. If you are willing to participate or know someone who would be valuable to this project, please feel free to give me a call or email me at the Township Office.
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ROAD IMPROVEMENTS FOR 2008
The Township Road Committee will upgrade two miles of roads this summer:
- 52nd Street between Byron Road and Perry Street
- Perry Street between 48th Ave. and 56th Ave.
With the completion of these two miles, Zeeland Township will have less than twenty miles of unpaved roads.
Gravel roads will receive four brine applications this summer.
Roads receiving asphalt are:
- 64th Ave from M-121 north to New Holland St.
- 72nd from Riley St. to just south of Felch St.
- 48th Ave. from Byron Road to Adams St. This is a joint project with Jamestown Township.
If you have any questions regarding roads, please call Supervisor Glenn Nykamp (772-6701 Ext. 109) or Ed Zylstra (772-9434)
SHARED USE PATHS
Bike paths are now called Shared Use Paths. The board approved building 1 ½ miles of new paths this summer. The Adams Street path will extend from 76th Ave. to 64th Ave. in Drenthe. We are able to proceed with this project because we received grant money.
Planning still continues on the Fred Meijer Trail. The trail will run from Byron Township through Jamestown Township and end at the east end of the Upper Macatawa project in Zeeland Township. The path will run along Byron Road. We did not receive any 2008 grant money but will re-apply again for future monies.
PROJECTS
We will be installing 1½ miles of new water mains this year. There are two Section Improvements to connect existing water lines:
- Frontage Rd. between 88th and 84th Ave.
- Black Brook Dr. (north of Byron Rd. west of 72nd Ave.) under I-196 to Felch St.
One new Extension:
- 72nd Ave between Ransom St. and New Holland St. This previously proposed project addresses the needs of residents with water problems.
BUILDING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT
Don Mannes
Those of us that are old enough to remember the housing slowdown of the early eighties could now be witnessing a replay of those days. This slowdown started showing itself in the first two months of 2008 after a reasonable amount of activity in 2007.
The Restated Zoning Ordinance adopted in August 2007 is more user-friendly than the previous ordinance. After several months of use, we are finding some areas that still need tweaking. The Planning Commission is working on these changes now.
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ELECTIONS
Zeeland and Hudsonville Schools both have Board Trustee positions up for Election.
SCHOOL ELECTION …………...May 6, 2008
PRIMARY ELECTION……….August 5, 2008
GENERAL ELECTION.….November 4, 2008
Absentee Ballots are available on request for each election. You may also request to be put on the Permanent Absentee list. Call 772-6701.
NOMINATING PETITIONS
All seven township Board Positions are up for election this year. A Nominating Petition needs to be filed to have your name placed on the ballot. The deadline for filing is 4:00 p.m., May 13, 2008. Petitions are available at the office during office hours. If you are interested, feel free to call. We will try to answer any questions. Call 772-6701
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WEB SITE
www.zeelandtwp.org
Please note the change in our web address. Some of the information you can access using our website:
- Property Information
- Financial & Statistical Data
- Code of Ordinances
- Forms & Applications
- Voter Information
- Township Meetings
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Drenthe Grove and VanZoren Woods need occasional cleanup and maintenance. If you are willing to be help out, please call the township office.
REMINDER from FIRE CHIEF
Before you light your spring cleanup fire, call Fire Chief Gord VanHaitsma for a burn permit!
616-886-6666
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MICHIGAN GROUNDWATER STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
Rachel Hackett
AmeriCorps Environmental Educator
The goal of this program is to reduce the risks to water quality by providing a local educational resource to impart information and assessment tools to the citizens of Michigan. Some of the topics include water conservation, septic maintenance, smart lawn practices, household hazardous products, and green cleaning techniques.
For residents with private wells the home assessment includes a test for nitrates and nitrites. Nitrates and nitrites are among several well water contaminants that are colorless and odorless, so testing is necessary to detect them. Both are linked to health problems and may indicate the presence of other contaminants like disease-causing bacteria. You can call for a free home risk assessment.
616-451-3051 ext. 23