Comstock Park Rotary Briefed on Kent County Road Commission



David Groenleer

Members of the Comstock Park Rotary Club were briefed today by David Groenleer, vice chair of the Kent County Road Commission  about its functions, and concerns about state wide efforts to abolish Road Commissions.  The five person Board of Road Commissioners is appointed by the Kent County Board of Commissioners and provides the organizational direction and policy guidance for the Road Commission.  David is well known for his  past involvement in Township and County Government.  His passion for kayaking also became obvious during his presentation.

Also at the meeting, Aaron Dood, tenant relations manager at York Creek Apartments was sworn in as the Rotary's Club newest member.

Kent County Road Commissioner David Groenleer

New member Aaron Dood receiving Rotary Pin from member Dana Quick

Reporting Potholes in Alpine Township

The above illustrations provided by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) explain how potholes are created.   As temperatures are returning to above freezing, we can anticipate potholes in many of our roads. The severity of the potholes vary with the winter weather.  

You can report potholes found on Alpine Township roads directly to the Kent County Road Commission at 616-242-6950 or to Alpine Township Supervisor Alex Arends at 616-784-1262, or e-mail him at a.arends@alpinetwp.org.  For potholes on interstates and state highways, you can fill out a form on MDOT's website or call 888-296-4546

 Last year, the Road Commission did an effective job in repairing potholes, particularly those that caused serious danger. Please keep in mind that Alpine Township is not the only community served by the Road Commission.   Many of the potholes receive only a temporary fix because the cost of  hot asphalt is prohibitive until later in the year.

If you wish to blow off some steam, you also have the option to report the pothole on line to an organization called DriveMI.  Potholes can be reported right from this site but it is unsure if this site is monitored by the road commission.  But at least you can feel better.  WZZM reported earlier that since Valentines Day, over 650 potholes have been reported to this site, with 40 from Kent County alone. 

The Michigan Transportation Team (MTT) recently announced an online petition drive for citizens who are tired of driving on pothole-riddled streets. Although the petition is non-binding and will not change the law, the names of petition signers will be presented to state policymakers to demonstrate the level of support in Michigan for investing in our state’s infrastructure.

Congratulations are in Order

Congratulations are in order for Jerry Byrne, director of Maintenance for the Kent County Road Department. Jerry's name is familiar to us as we have heard his road reports on both radio and TV. Jerry was recognized for dedicating his time and service to the advancement of the Michigan County Road systems by the County Road association of Michigan. This Association (CRAM) represents 83 county road agencies. Jerry is an Alpine Township resident and serves our community as a member of the Alpine Township Planning Commission

Also receiving an award recently was the Grand Rapids based engineering firm of Prein and Newhof for the PARCC Side Clean Water Plant.

The plant, located between Coit Avenue and the Grand River in Plainfield Township, was recently honored for its engineering by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan. The council honored Prein and Newhof, the Grand Rapids-based civil engineering firm that designed and oversaw construction of plant, with the Eminent Conceptor award. The award, part of the 2010 Engineering & Surveying Excellence Program, is given for the state’s best engineering and surveying accomplishments.

The plant also received the 2009 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Mark Prein, (left) with Prein and Newhof, and Larry Campbell, Manager of the PARCC Side Clean Water Plant, proudly displaying their award.

The North Kent Sewer Authority operates the $48 million plant, which opened in 2008. The plant processes about 4 million gallons of waste-water each day from Alpine, Plainfield, Cannon, and Courtland townships. The state-of-the-art facility uses bioreactors, membrane filters, and ultraviolet disinfection to produce water cleaner than many of the waste-water treatment plants in the area.

Kent County Road Commission at Work

Employees of the Kent County Road Commission worked hard to repair a section of Baumhoff Rd just North of 6 Mile Rd. Deep cracks in the road resulted not only in road repair but also the replacement of several cement culverts which were in bad shape.