A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

Friends and neighbors,

As 2022 winds down, I hope you’re enjoying this festive season in EGR. It was wonderful to see so many of you at the annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and Gaslight Village’s Sip & Shop. Thank you to the Gaslight Village Business Association and City staff for making these beloved traditions possible! 

Save the date for the next EGR Coffee Talk – it’s set for 10-11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16 at Bagel Kitchen in Gaslight Village. I would love to meet with you, answer your questions and talk about all things East.  

The City will host a blood drive 2-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10 in Room 105 at the Community Center, 750 Lakeside Drive SE. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are preferred. Schedule your appointment by calling 866.MI.BLOOD. Join us – every pint can save three lives!

Additionally, please save your recyclable waste during the holidays. The E-GReen Sustainability Initiative invites community members to its electronic waste and foam packaging recycling event 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7 at the EGR Public Works building, 2310 Reeds Lake Blvd. SE. Read the full list of accepted items here.

Wishing you a joyful and safe holiday season, and may your new year be filled with health and happiness. 

Happy holidays! 
Katie 

PARKS & RECREATION

POOL HOURS
The high school and Wealthy pools will be closed on the following days:

• Saturday, Dec. 24
• Sunday, Dec. 25
• Saturday, Dec. 31
• Sunday, Jan. 1

DEC. 27 MEETING CANCELLED
 The Dec. 27 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting has been canceled. 

The next meeting will occur Jan. 23.

FINANCE & CITY ADMINISTRATION

HOLIDAY HOURS

City offices will be closed on the following days:

• Friday, Dec. 23
• Monday, Dec. 26
• Monday, Jan. 2

FIRST WARD CITY COMMISSIONER OPENING
The City is still accepting applications for the open First Ward city commissioner position through Jan. 6. This seat is being vacated following City Commissioner Kris Pachla’s recent election to the Kent County Board of Commissioners. First Ward residents who are interested can apply online or in person at the Community Center, 750 Lakeside Drive SE, during normal business hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

View the map of city wards here.

If you have any questions, contact City Clerk Lori Parmenter at lparmenter@eastgr.org or 616.949.2110.

PUBLIC SAFETY

REMINDER TO LOCK UP
A reminder to lock your home and vehicle during the holidays. The City encourages residents to participate in the #9PMRoutine – a national initiative that helps community members remember to take simple measures at 9 p.m. each night to keep their possessions safe. This includes bringing in items such as snow blowers, toys and other personal items, locking your house, garage and vehicles and turning on outside lights to deter theft.

Learn more about the #9PMRoutine here.

PUBLIC WORKS
 
 2022 CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

With 2022 coming to an end, Public Works has published its annual construction recap.  

Read the full report here. 

LUMINARY REMINDERS
 Residents who participate in the neighborhood luminary tradition are responsible for organizing luminary events and purchasing the candles and lanterns, which are traditionally lit on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Bags must be placed in the public right-of-way (the area between the sidewalk and the street).

After Christmas, residents are asked to pick up bags, remove candle remnants, dump sand back into the barrels and throw away the bags. The week of Dec. 27, Public Works will pick up the sand barrels at the addresses they were placed. 

If you have any questions, please contact your neighborhood luminary coordinator or Public Works at 616.940.4870.

HOLIDAY TREE & WREATH PICKUP
Public Works will collect natural trees and wreaths for chipping Jan. 3-13 following regular yard waste collection routes. Please remove lights, ribbons and ornaments from the greenery and place in the right-of-way on the day before your regular pickup day. Public Works can only accept natural, plant-based materials for chipping. More at eastgr.org/debris.

WINTER MAINTENANCE
 For details on the City's street and sidewalk salting and plowing operations, priority road routes and how you can help make snowplowing easier for the crews, visit http://eastgr.org/snowplow.

PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY TREE MAINTENANCE
 With winter here, Public Works crews will trim trees in the public right-of-way, cleaning up branches and limbs as they go. Winter is the best time to trim trees to protect them from disease and infestation. 

Learn more about tree trimming best practices from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

CLEAR SNOW AND ICE FROM FIRE HYDRANTS
If you have a fire hydrant near your home, please consider helping Public Safety by keeping snow piles away from the hydrants or shoveling out around the hydrant after heavy snow events. Public Safety officers do make the rounds and shovel when necessary, but their immediate duties may keep them from clearing the snow from all hydrants in a timely manner. Thank you for your help!

PREVENT PIPES FROM FREEZING 
During the winter, pipes and water meters can freeze. The City is responsible for water service from the curb stop in the right-of-way to the water main in the street. Property owners are responsible for water service from the curb stop to and throughout their property.

The City offers the following tips to help protect water service pipes:

• Wrap and insulate all water pipes in unheated areas of your home, paying particular    attention to pipes near exterior walls.
• Keep the location of your water meter above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Make sure any garden hoses on the exterior of your home are disconnected and the outdoor faucet is winterized.
• Know the location of your water shutoff valve in case of a leak.

What to do if your pipes freeze:

• If your pipes freeze and you have water running in your home, turn off the water at your water shutoff – usually located near the water meter – and contact a licensed plumber.
• If interior pipes freeze, do not apply any direct heat to your pipes and instead use a space heater or a blow dryer to heat the area around the piping.
• If your water service stops and the entire interior plumbing and water meter are insulated or located in an area heated above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, please contact Public Works at 616.940.4870. Public Works staff will assess the situation and, if the water service is frozen from the curb stop to the main, they will thaw the service line and restore water service.

2022 REEDS LAKE WATER QUALITY REPORT
View the 2022 Reeds Lake Water Quality Report and GVMC-LGROW regional water quality repository here.

AVOID FLUSHING WIPES
Did you know wipes marketed as “flushable,” including adult wipes, cleaning wipes and baby wipes, are actually hazardous to our wastewater system? 

Only toilet paper should be flushed down toilets because it is the only paper designed to break down as it travels through the wastewater treatment process. Other types of paper and wipes are not designed to break down and can cause blockages in home sewer lines that can lead to costly plumber repairs.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS 

KENT DISTRICT LIBRARY: EAST GRAND RAPIDS BRANCH

The EGR branch will be closed on the following days:

• Saturday, Dec. 24
• Sunday, Dec. 25
• Monday, Dec. 26
• Sunday, Jan. 1
• Monday, Jan. 2
   

GASLIGHT VILLAGE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Support local businesses this holiday season by shopping and dining in Gaslight Village. These businesses support EGR schools and sports teams as well as coordinate beloved community events year-round. Visit gogaslight.com for more information.

LOWER GRAND RIVER ORGANIZATIONS OF WATERSHEDS

LGROW provides community members tips for a more environmentally friendly winter in its most recent newsletter. 

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