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East Express | Nov. 18, 2021
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE THANKSGIVING
HOLIDAY CLOSURES City offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 25 and Friday, Nov. 26 in observance of Thanksgiving. Normal office hours will resume Monday, Nov. 29. We wish everyone a safe and relaxing weekend. A special note of appreciation to all those who will be working on the holiday to keep us safe and healthy. 
MAKE SAFETY #1 THIS HOLIDAY SEASON The holidays: a season of joy, love, family – and injuries. Unfortunately, 15,000 people end up in the emergency room just from putting up decorations. From cooking to decorating, shopping and volunteering, we’re in one of the busiest times of the year. All this hustle and bustle often puts safety to the back of mind. The City of East Grand Rapids Public Safety Department is sharing a few tips to keep safety top of mind during this holiday season. Read more.
HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY Celebrate the start of the holiday season at the annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 26 in Gaslight Village. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with carriage rides, s’mores and crafts. Mayor Favale, Rachael Ruiz from WOOD TV8 and Santa will officially light the tree in Regatta Plaza around 6:15 p.m. More details can be found at gogaslight.com. View this event on Facebook. 
GO GASLIGHT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Support our community and business district this season by purchasing gifts locally. From clothing, sweet treats, jewelry, services and more, Gaslight Village has something for all the loved ones on your list.
GOBBLE WOBBLE & ROAD CLOSURES The Gobble Wobble is a go this year which means portions of several streets will be closed on Thanksgiving morning. The 4.3-mile fun run will take place from 7:45-10 a.m. and is benefiting Kids' Food Basket. To view the course map and for more information, visit the race website.
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CITY COMMISSION UPDATE At its Nov. 15 meeting, the Commission continued its discussion on the renaming of Franklin Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Street so that it is consistent with the City of Grand Rapids’ recent change, and requested City staff begin the process. Stay tuned for more information. The Commission also appointed individuals to the Library Commission and new Zoning Board of Appeals, received a quarterly update on Public Safety from Chief Herald, approved the purchase of top-of-the-line lead water line replacement equipment and approved a zoning variance. Our new commissioners, Marc Schulz, Chris Wessely and Laura Schwartz will be sworn in Monday, Dec. 6 during the City Commission meeting. You can always find agenda materials at eastgr.org/agendas and watch meetings live via our YouTube channel. CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE & FINANCE NOVEMBER WATER BILLS If you haven't seen your water bill yet, don't be concerned. Our partners are dealing with severe staffing shortages so we were unable to send out water bills within our usual timeframe. You can expect to see your bill soon. If you'd like to view your water bill amount now, select the Property Information button at eastgr.org and type in your address. Contact the City at 616.949.2110 with any questions. 
UPCOMING BLOOD DRIVE Looking for ways to help the community this holiday season? Consider donating blood. The next EGR Community Blood Drive is on Nov. 30 from 2-7 p.m. Sign up to save lives on the Versiti website.
PUBLIC SAFETY TOYS FOR TOTS The Public Safety Department and our KDL branch are once again Toys for Tots drop-off sites! Bring new, unwrapped gifts to the Public Safety lobby through Dec. 14 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday or at the main entrance to the library during its business hours.
WEAR REFLECTIVE CLOTHING Between the time change and shorter days, it's important to implement additional safety precautions while jogging, walking or biking. Make sure to wear reflective clothing and/or a blinking light so drivers and other motorists can see you.
QUARTERLY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSION UPDATE Due to low participation at its quarterly meetings, Public Safety is reevaluating how to engage with the community on important issues. If you have any thoughts, please call the department at 616.949.7010.
PARKS & RECREATION PARKS IMPROVEMENT MILLAGE UPDATE In case you missed it, the Parks Improvement Millage was passed by EGR voters at 59.3%. The millage will provide funding for the replacement of the five playgrounds located within the City as well as several improvements identified in the City’s Master Plan and the Community Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Residents will pay an annual 0.56 mills (taxable home value multiplied by 0.00056) allowing the City to borrow up to $7 million over 20 years beginning July 1, 2022, at the earliest. Stay tuned for next steps and engagement opportunities.
PUBLIC WORKS
CONSTRUCTION IN EGR Earlier this week, Lake Drive was briefly closed between Breton and Hall streets to investigate a water main leak. The exploration revealed a leak in a Grand Rapids main that carries water from the Grand Rapids pumping stations to Ada and Cascade. No EGR customers are connected to this system and will not have water connection issues; however, repairing the water main will affect traffic on Lake Drive while the leak is repaired. Beginning Friday, Nov. 19 at 7 a.m., Lake Drive will again be closed between Breton and Hall streets while crews and contractors from the City of Grand Rapids bring in equipment, pumps, new water main materials and safety barricades to begin the repair. A detour using Hall and Breton streets to bypass the work area will be posted. The first step of this process is place dewatering equipment through the street surface to draw out as much water as possible to stabilize the soil. Crews will then analyze the situation on Monday, Nov. 22 and determine the work schedule. Depending on the soil conditions, other underground utilities and the complexity of the repair, the repair work may take up to two weeks. Access to the middle school will be open on BretonStreet/Lakeside Drive only — do not use the Lake Drive entry at the east end of the school. Please make sure students walking and biking to school are aware of the work going on and stay clear of the area in barricades. Residents living on the impacted street have been notified. For updates on the progress, visit our Construction webpage. 
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CONSTRUCTION IN EGR Visit our Construction webpage for the latest updates 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.
FALL LEAF PICK UP Fall leaf pickup will end the week of Dec. 6. Leaves may be placed in the street without obstructing the roadway or storm sewer catch basins. Yard waste rules and regulations can be found on our Refuse Collection webpage. 
CHRISTMAS EVE LUMINARIES If your neighborhood is planning to participate in this year's luminary display on Christmas Eve, contact Public Works - Operations at 616.940.4870 to request barrels of sand for delivery. Luminary bags and candles are provided by representatives of each block or blocks that participate in this tradition together.
CONSUMERS ENERGY TREE TRIMMING In order to improve the reliability of electric service to residents, Consumers Energy and its contractors continue to conduct tree trimming and removal in private utility easements around EGR. Consumers will work in the Calvin/Woodcliff Circuit until Thanksgiving. Postcards have been mailed out to impacted residents by Consumers. Take a look at the provided map and brochure. To learn more about the tree trimming process, FAQs and contact information for Consumers Energy, please visit the Consumers Energy Trees and Power Lines webpage. If you have any questions regarding this work, please call our local work planner at 616.530.4306.
WINTER MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS As winter approaches, you can review the City’s plowing regulations, plowing routes and how to avoid the “second shovel” on our Street/Sidewalk Winter Plowing webpage. PRIVATE SNOWPLOW CONTRACTORS Please visit eastgr.org/snowplow to learn about EGR’s snowplow contractor rules and regulations.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
GIVING TUESDAY & THE EGRCF As we look ahead to Giving Tuesday on Nov. 30, we ask you to consider giving to the East Grand Rapids Community Foundation, which serves as a catalyst to improve and enhance the life of the residents in our community. To support, visit egrcf.com. Stay up-to-date with all things East Grand Rapids by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
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