'Transformational' developments are increasing in Kent County, leaders say

KENT COUNTY, MI – With a growing and diversifying population, Kent County is experiencing the most “transformational” period in its history as new investments are being made to meet the county’s changing needs, the chairman said. Kent County Board of Supervisors Stan Stek during Wednesday’s inventory. the county address.

Over the past year, the county has made significant progress in the areas of economic development, mental health and public safety, all with the goal of making Kent County a great place to work and live, Stek said.

“In Kent County, we are committed to meeting the changing needs of our residents and providing innovation, efficiency and excellence in all public services necessary for the future success of our residents,” said Board Chairman of the county. “Our communities are transforming, and that means we in Kent County must transform. »

Stek and Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg jointly delivered the Oct. 2 speech to elected officials, business owners, community leaders and local stakeholders at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids .

No new initiatives or projects were announced during Wednesday night’s speech, but Stek and Vanderberg highlighted some of the county’s recent accomplishments over the past year and shared a vision for the future.

The message of growth and change was a key theme of the hour-long event. Stek said Kent County has become more diverse, more educated and more prosperous over the past decade, and county leaders must transform its services to meet the demands of a changing future.

“…the undeniable fact is that Kent County is changing dramatically,” Stek said. “In a state losing population, Kent County has experienced higher population growth than almost every other county in the state. Today, our population stands at nearly 660,000, almost 100,000 more than at the turn of the millennium.

Stek highlighted some of the transformational economic development projects currently underway in Kent County, such as the $600 million expansion of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, and the big changes coming to downtown of Grand Rapids, such as the Acrisure Amphitheater and the football stadium.

Vanderberg said these types of amenities are “critically important to increasing the county’s image as a place where people want to come for conferences, to sightsee and to enjoy.”

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“Last year, people from 49 states attended events at our major downtown institutions and in several foreign countries, and people from all 50 states and Canada attended the Lantern Festival at the zoo,” said he declared. “We’re becoming a place that’s on people’s travel itineraries across the country.”

These projects will not only boost the tourism industry, but they will also make Kent County a more attractive place to live and work, Stek noted.

“Our employers say that in order to attract the right type of talent to Kent County, it’s important to offer them these types of benefits,” he said. “That’s what people are looking for. So we’re trying to meet that demand and that need as well.

Addressing community mental health needs has also been identified as a top priority at the county level in recent years, Stek said.

This spring, county leaders celebrated the opening of the new Behavioral Health Crisis Center by Network 180 and Trinity Health Grand Rapids, which provides 24-hour walk-in emergency care to residents suffering from disorders mental health and addictions.

RELATED: Behavioral health crisis center opens in Grand Rapids

A few months later, Stek said the new clinic is already showing positive results and helping people in crisis get the treatment they need quickly, while saving taxpayers and people in crisis time and money. money.

Previously, when someone was experiencing a mental health crisis, they were either taken to jail, which did not provide them with the treatment they needed and took away law enforcement time and resources, or they were taken in the emergency room. room, which is also not equipped for a behavioral health response and still took time and resources from police who had to wait there with the subject, Stek said.

Today, initial figures show that nearly 20 percent of people brought to the clinic by police would otherwise have been jailed, Stek said. There has also been a reduction in the number of people going to the emergency room or an expensive psychiatric hospital in a mental health crisis, he said.

“We view this as an important victory for the community and for the individuals involved,” he said.

Stek and Vanderberg highlighted other new additions that have been made at the county level, including:

The new 63rd District Court judge position was created as a result of the county’s population growth to help ensure residents have adequate and timely access to their civil and criminal justice system. Voters will choose the new justice in the November 2024 election.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office has hired 34 new officers for highway patrol and corrections to meet growing needs, thanks to investments in the county’s 2024-2025 budget.
The new Public Defender’s Office launched this month to help represent indigent adults facing criminal charges in the county.
The county’s new domestic violence court launched in June, aiming to combat the increase in domestic violence cases in the community while breaking the cycle of repeat offenders.
The countywide school safety radio network, implemented this year, will, according to Stek, significantly improve the ability of police to respond more quickly and effectively when a crisis develops within a school.

Looking to the future, Stek and Vanderberg highlighted a few new projects, including the Grand River Greenway, a major multi-county project designed to connect pedestrian paths along the Grand River from Grand Rapids to Grand Haven.

The Kent County Board of Commissioners has allocated $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to its portion of the project, which will include a 23-mile stretch of trails running through the townships of Ada, Cascade , Plainfield, Cannon and Lowell.

Ultimately, this 23-mile stretch will be the “fulcrum” that connects nearly 100 miles of trail systems, Vanderberg said. There will also be water trails and fitness space opportunities throughout the system, he said.

County leaders also discussed a new plan for future waste management after the county’s $380 million plan to create a sustainable business park failed earlier this year.

RELATED: Kent County abandons $380 million landfill diversion plan, project partner sues for unpaid work

Vanderberg said the new “2.0 plan” would include building a new transfer station in Kent County where residents could dispose of their waste and would “set the stage for a new partnership with a company that would operate an anaerobic digester.” . The overall goal is to avoid building another landfill, he said.

A vote is expected this fall, with a rollout within the next two years, Vanderberg said.