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East Express | May 20, 2021
A NOTE FROM MAYOR FAVALE Hello friends and neighbors, Spring has definitely sprung, the flowers are in full bloom and summer is right around the corner. This time of year is always filled with excitement and hope, and I feel those sentiments are especially pronounced this year as we begin to return to normalcy. Summer barbecues and safe gatherings with family and friends appear to finally be in reach! This past weekend, Commissioner Kris Pachla and I were able to attend the E-GReen Sustainability Initiative’s first Styrofoam Recycling Day event and it was a tremendous success. Nearly 62 cubic yards of styrofoam was collected from 111 households. Thank you to everyone involved with the initiative and our friends at Michigan Foam Products — your hard work truly makes a difference! I plan to continue office hours by appointment and will also resume in-person office hours next month. I will finalize and share my schedule as well as the date of the next EGR Talk during the first week of June. I look forward to meeting with you in person again, but please know your comfort is a top priority so I will continue to host virtual meetings when requested. As always, feel free to reach out to me anytime and we can set up a time to meet in a setting that you are comfortable with: kfavale@eastgr.org or 616.949.220 x 887. Stay safe and enjoy the beautiful weather. I look forward to speaking with you soon. All the best, Katie
CITY COMMISSION UPDATE At its May 17 meeting, the City Commission approved the expansion of the Crew Team Boathouse by adding a second story for training and meeting space. The Commission also approved the conceptual plans for the Manhattan Park Multi-Use Trails (see below for more details) and began discussing a potential Parks Improvement Debt Millage and the placement of telecommunication pedestals. Stay tuned to learn when these last two items will be revisited. Following are the major items to be considered by the City Commission at its next meeting. June 7 City Commission Meeting - Mobility/Bike Action Plan — approval requested
A complete agenda will be available at eastgr.org/agendas on June 2. Agendas can be sent directly to your inbox — manage all your City notifications at eastgr.org/signup.
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE & FINANCE 
MEMORIAL DAY CLOSURE Wishing you and yours a safe and relaxing holiday! A special thank you to those who have fought for our country and freedom — we greatly appreciate your bravery and sacrifice. In honor of Memorial Day, City offices will be closed on Monday, May 31. You can reach us via phone or email when we are back on Tuesday, June 1 at 8 a.m. REEDS LAKE TRAILBLAZER Registration is now open for the 11th Annual Reeds Lake Trail Blazer 5K Run/Walk presented by Spectrum Health on Sunday, July 4. We are looking forward to kicking off Independence Day with you! Rest assured that we are taking important precautions to keep all participants safe and healthy. We’ll be dividing participants into separate groups starting at different locations so everyone can comfortably distance. In-person registration and packet pick-up will also be limited to reduce touchpoints. We will keep you posted on event details as we continue to monitor federal, state and local COVID-19 guidelines. Our Facebook event and website will be the best places to check for updates. For more information and to register, visit reedslaketrailblazer.com. All proceeds from the event will benefit the East Grand Rapids Community Foundation. 
UPCOMING BLOOD DRIVE The next EGR Community Blood Drive is on May 25 from 2 – 7 p.m. in room 105 of the Community Center. Sign up at versiti.org. COVID-19 UPDATE & RESOURCES The CDC and MDHHS shared updated COVID-19 guidelines last week. In brief, Michiganders are now no longer required to wear a mask at outdoor gatherings, regardless of vaccination status. While indoors, fully vaccinated Michiganders will no longer need to wear a mask. However, those visiting the Community Center that are not vaccinated, or have not completed their vaccinations, must continue to wear a face covering to protect themselves and others. In accordance with current MIOSHA guidelines, City staff will continue to wear masks while working. Not vaccinated? There are several opportunities for you in West Michigan including both scheduled appointments and walk-ins. Visit vaccinatewestmi.com for details.
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSION Thank you to those who attended Public Safety’s second Quarterly Community Engagement Session! In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, officers Lindner and Smith and Chief Herald discussed the department’s crisis intervention training and its crucial involvement with various agencies throughout the county. Save the date for future 2021 meetings: Aug. 26, Dec. 9. View these events on Facebook.
PARKS & RECREATION MANHATTAN PARK MULTI-USE TRAILS UPDATE The City Commission reviewed and approved the proposed conceptual plans for the Manhattan Park Multi-Use Trails at its May 17 meeting. The City will continue to collaborate with the West Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance. Please note specific plans will be presented to the Commission for further approval in the near future. You can learn more and stay updated about this project by continuing to subscribe to the East Express, following us on Facebook and visiting eastgr.org/manhattanpark, which provides background information, several resources and FAQs. 
REEDS LAKE RUN Register for the Reeds Lake Run! This community favorite event will take place on Saturday, June 26 and all are welcome to participate. For more information, registration and volunteer sign-ups, visit reedslakerun.com. View this event on Facebook. PUBLIC WORKS GYPSY MOTH TREATMENT At its April 19 meeting, the City Commission approved options for the treatment of gypsy moths. The City is providing tree band barriers to residents within impacted areas to reduce the gypsy moth population in our community per our consultant's recommendation. Public Works has packaged care kits available for affected residents to pick up at City Hall (750 Lakeside Dr.) If you are unable to pick up your kit due to the pandemic, please call Public Works at 616.940.4817, which will work with you to coordinate an alternative solution. You can learn more about gypsy moths including FAQs and past and current management by checking out our Forestry webpage. NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK Thank you to all those who have celebrated National Public Works Week with us! Today our crews, joined by MDOT, lead a very successful rolling parade through the City. In addition to driving by each of the elementary schools, the route was wound through every neighborhood, ensuring everyone had the chance to participate. We had so much fun celebrating with you — take a look at the videos below. While the week may be coming to a close, it’s always important to understand the role Public Works plays in creating a great place to live, work and play. By working together, the impact that citizens and public works professionals can have on their communities is magnified and results in the ability to accomplish goals once thought unattainable. CONSTRUCTION IN EGR Visit our regularly updated Construction webpage to stay updated and learn more about upcoming projects. As a reminder, residents impacted by construction projects will receive mailed notices with project details. Public Works also posts notices at project locations. MOBILITY/BIKE ACTION PLAN UPDATE An updated plan will be presented to the Commission at its June 7 meeting for further review and consideration. Mobility/Bike Action Plan documents, including plan updates and draft plan, are available at eastgr.org/2020mobilityplan. The first road segment to see improvements is the 2021 Hall Street Project, which will begin in June. The Mobility/Bike Action plan draft identified Hall Street as an actionable priority with suggested treatment options. City staff and consultants engaged with residents and the community to align planned changes. For more information on the Hall Street project, please visit eastgr.org/hallstreet. BOATS, TRAILERS AND RVS With the holiday weekend just around the corner, please note that outdoor storage of boats, trailers and RVs is allowed for up to 72 hours on streets and driveways. Otherwise, they must be stored indoors, or in a rear yard only, and then they must be reasonably shielded from view. Not all properties can accommodate such storage, so residents may need to seek offsite storage options. TALL GRASS REMINDER As a reminder, the Property Maintenance Code adopted by the City allows for a maximum height limit of grass at five inches.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2021 Wishing our graduating Pioneers the best of luck as they celebrate their high school careers and many achievements as well as prepare for their next chapters. Congrats! 
LGROW SPRING FORUM Join LGROW for its 18th annual Spring Forum! A variety of awesome virtual and in-person outdoor events will take place June 10-20. Free and discounted events like kayaking trips, river clean-ups and educational webinars ensure that there is something for everyone! Learn, help and explore the Grand River and its watersheds. Learn more and register for individual events at lgrow.org/spring-forum.
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