Meeting Notes 12-22-20
Meeting Notes from the December 22 session of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners.
Meeting Packet: https://www.miottawa.org/appImages/Calendar/1608324829639-packet.PDF
Meeting Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsZSSYJ3bP8&feature=youtu.be
Ottawa County Health Department update: Lisa Stefanovski updated the Board on Covid-19 here in Ottawa County. The good news is that cases are decreasing, hospitatlizations are down, death rate is also down. The positivity rate is 10.8%, which compares favorably to past rates 15-16% just less than a few weeks ago. Thanksgiving holiday also went well, and cases did not increase markedly. The Health Department urges all County residents to take extra caution this Christmas break.
Ottawa County Health Department also received their first allotment of the Covid-19, in our cases, 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. GVSU has volunteered to allow us to use the Holland Meijer campus. This past Friday morning, the Health Department was able to administer over 300 vaccinations. Holland Hospital and Northwest Ottawa Health are receiving their own Pfizer doses. Spectrum Zeeland will be receiving the Moderna vaccine with the week.
"We have all looked forward to this day, and our community has traveled a long and difficult road since last March," said OCDPH Health Officer Lisa Stefanovsky. "But today marks the day that we can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help stop the pandemic."
More information on vcacconation efforts in Ottawa County and beyond can be found at VaccinateWM.com
Ottawa County Housing Commission update: The Holland Sentinel had an article today on our advocacy efforts on behalf of eviction diversion efforts here Ottawa.
I am pleased to say that the federal legislation passed yesterday extends existing funding for eviction prevention/diversion efforts for an additional year, and appropriates $25B more as well providing an extension on the eviction moratorium. This will mean a alot for the high number of Ottawa residents struggling with paying their rent in this extraordinary time.
Also, I wanted to highlight a recent report that was carried out by Judge Knoll and the 58th District on Eviction Prevention/Diversion efforts that they have undertaken by the court together with Good Samaritan Ministries these past 9 months to keep 220 families from being evicted, with 226 other households in the process.You can find that on the Housing Commission’s website here.
The report also highlights, and I think rightly so, the need for a permanent funding source for prevention and diversion efforts out in the future, beyond this immediate legislation, which I believe will be front and center for the Commission in 2021 and beyond
Dissolution of the Ottawa County Remonumentation Committee: The Board approved the Resolution to dissolve the Ottawa County Remonumentation Committee.
Summary:
The Ottawa County Remonumentation Committee was created in 1992 to oversee the development of Ottawa County's first Remonumentation Plan. Under Act 345 of 1990 (State Survey and Remonumentation Act) counties are not required to appoint a remonumentation committee. Currently the Ottawa County Remonumentation Committee convenes once per year to vote on the County's annual remonumentation grant application before sending it to the State at the end of the calendar year.
Although the Remonumentation Committee is not mandated, Act 345 requires counties to appoint a peer review group composed of surveyors to review and provide advice on countywide remonumentation efforts. This body currently serves in this capacity, eliminating the need for the additional Remonumentation Committee. Since amendments to the County Remonumentation Plan require approval from the Board of Commissioners, the Remonumentation Committee is no longer needed to perform County Remonumentation advisory duties.
Budget Adjustments:
Veterans Affair Grant - The grant will fund transportation services, computer equipment, and communication regarding veterans assistance.
Idema Explorers Trail - 60th Avenue Trail Easement: The Board approved the trail easement from Thomas and Dora Runyon at 11822 60th Avenue at cost of $2258.
Summary:
Ottawa County Parks has been working along various portions of the Idema Explorers Trail route to acquire easements that would facilitate construction, reduce overall costs, or improve the user experience along the trail. This particular easement allows construction in a location where there is not enough usable road right-of-way to construct the trail and to cross a drainage course in the optimal location to connect to adjacent sidewalk.
Conservation Easement Option Agreement: The Board approved the Conservation Easement Option Agreement with Michael B. Bronkema and Lona K. Bronkema in the amount of $477,950 for+/- 121 acres located in Olive Township, Michigan.
Summary:
On December 2, 2020, the Agricultural Preservation Board approved the Conservation Easement Option Agreement with Michael B. Bronkema and Lona K. Bronkema to purchase the development rights to+/- 121 acres for a total appraised value of $477,950.00
Applications for a $234,196 grant from the USDA Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and a grant for $39,488 from the Michigan Agricultural Preservation Fund Board Local Farmland Preservation Program (MDARD) will be submitted. If awarded, the grants will cover 57% (273,680) of the total purchase cost of the development rights to the parcel. The remaining cost will be funded through a landowner donation of 26% (124,267) and 17% ($80,000) will be provided by the non endowed Farmland Preservation Fund managed by the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland. If the grants are not awarded, the option will not be exercised.
Lakeshore Drive Paved Shoulder Project: The Board approved the contract with the Ottawa County Road Commission for the final segment of the Lakeshore Drive Paved Shoulder Project.
Summary:
Part of a three-year project to complete 5.34 miles of paved shoulders for non-motorized use along Lakeshore Drive, this final segment will create four-foot shoulders along 1.8 miles of Lakeshore Drive between Lakewood Boulevard and 168th Avenue in Park Township. Funds have already been committed and work is planned for the Summer of 2021. The hope is that the finish date is closer to the beginning of Summer as opposed to the end of Summer.
Project engineering and administration are completed by the Ottawa County Road Commission free of charge. Once the project is complete, the Ottawa County Road Commission will also be responsible for paved shoulder maintenance.
As Tim Meyer, owner of Rock ‘n’ Road Cycle bicycle stores in Holland and Grand Haven said, “The 4 foot-wide paved shoulders provide a safe option for cyclists moving too fast for a multi-purpose path. Lakeshore Drive will be safer for all users – and motorists will have an easier time because of the extra room for cyclists to use the road. Cooperation between units of government in Ottawa County has been commendable.”
