Volume 1, Issue 17 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023
Walkerville Area Fire Department presents new truck
The Walkerville Area Fire Department welcomed the newest apparatus to its fleet Monday, Sept. 18 with Unit 442, seen above. Members of the department that were present that evening include, above left, Leonard Amador, Bobby Van Agtmael, Chief Al Purdy, Lance VanSickle, Nathan Hintz and Steven Houston. The Fire Board was also on hand, including, at left, Craig Herremans, Sue Budde, Wayne Tanner and Mike Bond. Unit 442 was built by Spencer Manufacturing at a cost of $475,000. It features four-wheel-drive and carries 750 gallons of water. • Paul Erickson/Echo
All are asked to complete Oceana County Parks & Recreation survey
PERMIT NO 62
PRE-SORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE
RESIDENTIAL POSTAL CUSTOMER PAID ECRWSS BIG RAPIDS, MI 49307
The Oceana County Parks & Recreation Commission is updating its 5-year recreation plan and has posted an online survey to gather feedback from the community. Information collected through the survey will be used to help develop goals, objectives, and priorities that will guide park management and programming. Once the recreation plan is completed and approved by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Oceana County will become eligible to apply to the state for certain grants for recreation improvements for five years. Please visit srvy.pro/2WC3UEN or scan the QR code at right to complete the survey.
Hart City Council hears updates By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor HART - Despite not having met since Tuesday, Aug. 8, the Hart City Council had a relatively light agenda, Tuesday, Sept. 12. City Manager Rob Splane’s report from August 8 provided updates to the council with regards to the city’s housing. “The city has helped to facilitate construction of six new dwellings at the Creeks Condominium subdivision with an additional four currently underway. The developer has committed to build an additional 14 units pending required zoning changes.”
He also reported the Hart TIFA (Tax Incremental Financing Authority) has committed to redeveloping the former Ceres Solutions property on East Main Street. “The city will use a $50,000 grant from the county’s Brownfield Authority to have a Resident Level Environmental Assessment done at the property. This action will make the site more desirable to future developers,” he said. He added that a new investor has committed to renovating four second-story rental units downtown as part of a $400,000 investment. The apartments would cater to middle- and upper-middle-income residents. Splane also reported attending the National Brownfield
Conference in Detroit, where he was able to make several connections and receive training on opportunities available to support redevelopment projects in Hart. It is only the second time in over 25 years that a conference has taken place in Michigan. On August 17-19, he attended the MMRMA (Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority) annual meeting. “The MMRMA functions similar to a mutual insurance company owned by its members. Each year the City of Hart is a member, we qualify for a larger refund from the state pool account. This year, the city was awarded a refund of $8,500, or about 10 percent of our total annual premium costs,” he said. In August, the city also re-
ceived $11,000 from the MMRMA as a reimbursement for 5070 percent of qualifying training and security expenses over the past year. On the horizon will be the adoption of the latest Park and Rec Master Plan, the final design approval for the Veteran’s Memorial Park improvement project, the adoption of code enforcement policies, procedures and implementation, along with bidding for the BioPure biosolids hauling contract. The Hart Power Board will be present at the council’s next regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, Sept. 26. UFS will present its systems study, and options for how to pay for improvements will be discussed.