Community Updates: Friday, August 18

Grand Rapids Public Museum to host Grand River Adventure event in September

On Wednesday, the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced that it will be hosting an event called 'Grand River Adventure' in September.

According to the GRPM's website, 'Grand River Adventure' seeks to educate people about the "past, present, and future of the Grand River," as well as the conservation and preservation efforts that have been undertaken to protect it. Attendees will be able to visit exhibit tables hosted by local organizations whose work focuses on the Grand River and/or water in general. There, they will learn about the work these organizations do and how members of the community can be involved in conservation efforts. There will also be a prize drawing at this event. Attendees who complete their exhibit table "passport" will be entered into the drawing.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is looking forward to hosting this event and creating an entertaining, yet informative way for the community to learn about one of GR's most "invaluable local resource[s]." Dr. Stephanie Ogren, the GRPM's Vice President of Science and Education, made the following statement in Wednesday's press release:  

"We're excited to introduce the 'Grand River Adventure,' an event that celebrates the Grand River's significance and encourages active involvement in its preservation. Through education, engagement, and collaboration, we hope to make a meaningful impact on the well-being of this vital local resource."

Grand River Adventure is scheduled to take place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16.

There is no extra cost (besides that of admission) to attend this event. For more information, visit the GRPM's website.

Kent County Treasurer's Office sends out information about property tax foreclosure and tax delinquency

On Monday, the Kent County Treasurer's Office sent out a bulletin containing information about property tax foreclosure and tax delinquency. 

In the bulletin, it states that a local unit of government (such as the City of Grand Rapids, City of Wyoming, Ada Township, etc.) will send an initial property tax bill to a parcel owner. If the bill has not been paid by the due date, the owner becomes delinquent and the property tax bill will be turned over to the Kent County Treasurer's Office. This comes with some penalties, including a higher overall cost due to "fees and interest."

The Kent County Treasurer stated that "parcel owners that are delinquent should always pay the oldest tax bill first to prevent foreclosure" for the following reason:   

"State statute requires that property with delinquent Michigan property taxes be foreclosed after three years of delinquency. For example, if a taxpayer fails to pay 2022 real property taxes (either or both summer & winter taxes), the county treasurer will foreclose the property on April 1, 2025."

However, the bulletin also states that the Kent County Treasurer's Office is willing and able to work with delinquent property owners to offer assistance and access to resources. These include:

• Financial Hardship Deferral Applications
  • There is no guarantee that the application will be approved.
• Payment plans
  • As long as the parcel owner makes consistent payments.
• Partial payments
  • The Kent County Treasurer's website states that "all statutory fees and interest will still be applied to the unpaid balance."
• Connections to resources
  • Such as the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Area Agency on Aging, Legal Aid of Western Michigan, and more.

For more information, visit the Kent County Treasurer's website or view the bulletin here.

There is also a 30-minute video about preventing tax foreclosures available here:

City of Grand Rapids asks for resident volunteers to join CERT team, training sessions full in one day 

On Thursday, the City of Grand Rapids sent out a press release to announce that it was searching for volunteers from within the community to join the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). 

It was stated that volunteers would receive training on things such as "emergency preparedness, fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster medical operations, disaster psychology, and more" from the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD), and the Grand Rapids Fire Department (GRFD). In the event that an emergency occurs and the CERT team is activated, these volunteers would be able to assist first responders with things such as evacuations, food preparation, and more. According to emergency management administrator Allison Farole:

"This volunteer opportunity can truly make an impact on your community. We encourage you to become a valued member of GR's first city-focused disaster volunteer program and learn skills that can help you and your neighborhood if disaster strikes."

As of Friday morning, all 30 seats in the three Level 1 training sessions have been filled. However, the City has stated that they "are planning to have another round of sessions in Spring 2024" and that interested residents can be added to a waitlist. For more information, visit the City's website.

Also in the News:

• ArtPrize 2023 is scheduled to begin on Thursday, Sept. 14. It will run through Sunday, Oct. 1. 

• The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) has announced that the Ice Age: Michigan's Frozen Secrets and Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact exhibits will be open through Sunday, Sept. 3. 

Sharing Your Stories

The Rapidian encourages local residents to share their own stories related to civic, economic, and public health developments in the Grand Rapids area on The Rapidian’s platform. To get started as a community reporter, visit TheRapidian.org/write.