June 9-13: Ottawa to interview admin candidates, Zeeland to host hearing on Mead Johnson

09-06-2025

In 2025, The Sentinel is providing a weekly round-up of the biggest topics in upcoming municipal meetings, giving our readers a chance to engage with their local officials on the projects, appointments and decisions that hit closest to home.
These round-ups are written on Fridays, and will not include an agenda if one hasn't been posted by 1 p.m. Municipalities are not required by the Michigan Open Meetings Act to provide an agenda in advance of a meeting, but they are required to provide notice. Please visit your local municipality website for the most updated information.
Here are the biggest topics for meetings Monday-Friday, June 9-13:
Planning and Policy Committee: 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, at the Ottawa County Fillmore Street Complex
An agenda was not immediately available
Finance and Administration: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, at the Ottawa County Fillmore Street Complex
An agenda was not immediately available
Board of Commissioners Special Meeting: 9 a.m. Thursday, June 12, at the Ottawa County Fillmore Street Complex
A meeting to interview candidates for Ottawa County Administrator
Board of Commissioners: 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 12, at the Allegan County Services Building
An agenda was not immediately available
Holland Board of Public Works: 4 p.m. Monday, June 9, at the Holland Board of Public Works Service Center
The agenda includes:
Consideration of a motion to approve a Resolution of Appreciation for Mutual Aid provided to HBPW by the Zeeland Board of Public Works, Hillsdale Board of Public Works, Niles Utilities Department, and Lowell Light and Power
Consideration of a motion to approve a contract value increase with CTC Technology and Energy for $118,000 for Change Order #1, plus an additional contingency of $135,000, for a new total contract value of $764,951.
Consideration of a motion to approve an increase in the EX2 Engineering and Construction Contract contingency of $300,000, for a new approved contract price of $17,864,961.20.
Consideration of a motion to approve a contract with Utility Contracting Co. for Fiscal Year 2026.
Read the agenda: tinyurl.com/yca553rr
Planning Commission: 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at Holland City Hall
The agenda includes:
Review of Unified Development Ordinance Section 39-2.16 Industrial Zone District and Section 39-3.13 Building Envelope Overview Table
Consideration of a rezoning request and site plan review from Resthaven for 740 College Ave. and 49 E. 32nd St. and 11 E. 32nd St. The plan includes constructing a building addition, a parking lot, a driveway entrance and to combine all three properties into a single PUD.
Consideration of a special land use request and site plan review for 1033 Lincoln Ave. The plan includes a Speedway fuel station, a seven-slot auto canopy and a full access driveway.
Read the agenda: tinyurl.com/m692vm3j
City Council Study Session: 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, at Holland City Hall
The agenda includes:
An update on Windmill Island Gardens from General Manager Matt Helmus
Read the agenda: tinyurl.com/mvwnrywp
Board of Public Works Board of Commissioners: 3:30 p.m. Monday, June 10, at the Water Warehouse Meeting Room
An agenda was not immediately available
Cemetery and Parks Commission: 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, at Zeeland City Hall
An agenda was not immediately available
Planning Commission: 6 p.m. Thursday, June 11, at Howard Miller Community Center
An agenda was not immediately available
An expected public hearing for a rezoning request at 605 and 633 E. Main Ave. — submitted by applicant Mead Johnson as part of a draft expansion plan
City Council: 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 9, at Saugatuck City Hall
The agenda includes:
Consideration of a motion to change the city's fee schedule
Consideration of a motion to enter closed session to conduct an annual personnel evaluation of the city manager
Read the agenda: tinyurl.com/47fenz3j
Planning Commission : 6 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at Douglas City Hall
An agenda was not immediately available
Planning Commission: 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at Fennville City Hall
An agenda was not immediately available
Board of Trustees: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, at the Port Sheldon Township Offices
The agenda includes:
Consideration of a motion to approve a resolution for firefighter Olivia Ohlman
Consideration of a motion to assume and assign a contract for Pierce Pumper/Tanker
Consideration of a motion to approve the MERS Surplus Division
Consideration of a motion regarding extra storm clean-up compensation
Read the agenda: tinyurl.com/4ze6d9v5
Board of Trustees: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at Park Township Offices
An agenda was not immediately available
Planning Commission: 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at Zeeland Township Hall
The agenda includes:
Consideration of a site plan review from T Bosgraaf Homes for a 9-unit condominium development at 7400, 4394 and 7386 Byron Road
Read the agenda: tinyurl.com/yck2k8mk
Township Board: 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, at Laketown Township Hall
The agenda includes:
Hearing a report from the Laketown Parks and Recreation Commission
Updates regarding the municipality's manager search
A discussion regarding options for Wolters House
A discussion on short-term rentals
Read the agenda: tinyurl.com/e6k3fjrw
Township Board: 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at Ganges Township Hall
A public hearing regarding the proposed budget and property tax millage rate
Township Board: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at Overisel Township Hall
An agenda was not immediately available
Board of Trustees: 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, at Saugatuck Township Hall
An agenda was not immediately available
— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @cassideykava.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: June 9-13: Big meetings coming in Ottawa County, Zeeland, Holland

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Aug. 4-8: Holland to consider golf simulators, Ottawa County to host special meeting

Yahoo

04-08-2025

Yahoo

Aug. 4-8: Holland to consider golf simulators, Ottawa County to host special meeting

Porter County moves to define ‘barndominium' housing category

Chicago Tribune

03-08-2025

Chicago Tribune

Porter County moves to define ‘barndominium' housing category

In a move not unfriendly to barndominiums, but designed to help them better coexist with more traditional forms of housing, the Porter County Plan Commission voted unanimously Wednesday evening to forward a favorable recommendation to the Board of Commissioners that it pass a resolution better defining the housing category and how it may be situated on a property. 'As a principal, we don't object to these,' said Porter County Director of Development & Storm Water Management Mike Jabo. 'They can be quite attractive, but they can also be quite large.' He gave a presentation that included artist renderings of a variety of barndominiums, both small and large, and started off by dashing the fallacy that they are pole barns. 'That's false too,' Jabo said. 'It can be metal. It can be stone. It can be wood. 'We're trying to compare these things with the footprint they consume,' he added. 'The UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) is very silent on these kind of structures.' Porter County Building Commissioner Mike Haller said the popularity of barndominiums rises and falls with the state of the economy. He said he tends to field calls from young people looking to build housing for less, but in the end the finished product rarely costs less than traditional housing. 'They're very nice. They're very safe,' he told the commission. Jabo and Haller said Porter County has only approved around seven barndominiums so far. Under the proposed ordinance chapters 2, 5, and 12 of the UDO would be amended to give guidelines on barndominiums in the General Agriculture (A1), Prime Agriculture (A2), and Rural Residential (RR) districts in unincorporated Porter County. After considerable discussion, during which the eight plan commission members present were each given the opportunity to raise questions, concerns, and comments, it was agreed to recommend the proposed ordinance in its draft form. Porter County Attorney Scott McClure stressed that the label of barndominium was technically unimportant as the percentage of the structure given over to storage was the true classifying characteristic. The proposed ordinance reads, 'The attached non-residential utility space of the structure that is greater than fifty percent (50%) of the total structure footprint is considered to be a Barndominium.' It also explains that the residential portion of the barndominim is typically characterized by large, open space with high ceilings. Minimum setbacks in the A1, A2, and RR districts will be 100 feet at the front, sides, and rear, while barndominiums adjacent to residential districts R1, R2, R3, R4, or RL will have setback requirements of 200 feet on adjacent sides of the structure. 'The farther away you are from something, the shorter it looks,' Jabo explained. Minimum lot size is as set forth in districts A1 and A2 and a minimum of five acres in RR districts. Minimum lot width as proposed is 250 feet and maximum height as proposed is 35 feet with the typical exceptions for agriculture districts. The non-residential utility space portion of the structure may not exceed 75% of the total footprint and garage or indoor vehicle parking is not included in the residential portion of the calculation. Plan Commission members were concerned with a few issues: aesthetics, how modifications to barndominiums or even existing traditional residential structures might surpass the 50% limit, and residents attempting to run businesses out of barndominiums. 'The aesthetics was a question,' said Board of Commissioners Vice President Ed Morales, R-South, who sits on the Plan Commission, 'but with the 100 ft. setback I think it's a good first step.' 'I like the 50/50,' added Plan Commission President Rick Burns of the living to storage ratio. 'I don't think we should go over 50%.' Member Pamela Mishler-Fish was concerned that as barndomiums changed hands they might become appealing to those looking to run businesses where they live. 'It could be a totally different situation than what it started out as,' she said. Fellow commission member Craig Kenworthy was skeptical on that front. 'How do you tell somebody, 'You can't run a business'? That gets really muddy to me.' Haller said nine times out of 10, people running businesses do so from a separate structure. 'I probably know of one that's attached to the house,' he said. Commission member Luther Williams asked if a homeowner could house horses in a barndominium and McClure confirmed that was an acceptable use. The proposed ordinance and the commission's recommendation for approval now moves on to the Board of Commissioners for consideration.

Earthquake-ready Burnside Bridge moves forward despite federal grant uncertainty

Yahoo

01-08-2025

Yahoo

Earthquake-ready Burnside Bridge moves forward despite federal grant uncertainty

PORTLAND, Ore. () – The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an application for a federal grant to help pay for the earthquake-ready Burnside Bridge project. The $447 million comes from the federal bridge investment project. If approved, the money would go towards the bridge's construction. Megan Neill, the project manager, said even if the grant would help a lot, it is not essential. 'It certainly would go a long way in funding the construction phase of the project,' she said. 'But there's a lot of uncertainty with the grants at the federal level right now. So despite all that, the– the county is moving forward with this project. We're working towards a 60% design milestone package next summer. And we're– we're constantly assessing our funding strategy along the way.' That milestone would mean the design is essentially developed, and the county has worked through any major constructability issues or challenges. Current estimates put the grant at half the total project cost. But whether the county will get the money or not is still unclear. 'We'll continually assess the relationship with the county and at the federal level, constantly,' Neill said. 'But projects like these weather major changes like that at administration level or at the local level. And so despite all that, this project moves forward.' She said the county is constantly looking at its funding strategies. Even if they cannot count on federal dollars, the project is essential. 'It's so critical that our region has a seismically resilient bridge in the downtown core that our community can rely on to respond and recover after a major Cascadia subduction zone earthquake,' Neill said. 'I mean, right now, none of the bridges downtown would be usable after the earthquake.' We are still years away from a finished product. Neill said right now, construction is slated to start in 2028 and we could see a completed bridge in 2032 or 2033. She said having all the money up front would have sped up construction. 'But that's just not typical for large mega projects. It usually takes many agencies coming together and the public support for– to pull off a major project like this. So this– again, this is normal and something a lot of infrastructure projects across the country have to deal with.' With the board's approval, the grant application has to be submitted by Friday. Neill said they should hear whether or not they will get the money before the end of the year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.