A Primary Election is the process of nomination and elimination of candidates that filed a valid petition to be voted and elected to public office in the General Election, November 8, 2005.
When no more than twice the number of persons to be elected have filed a valid petition with the City Clerk, a Primary Election is not necessary or required by City Charter, Chapter III, Section 3.4 (Primary Elections).
The following individuals filed valid Nominating Petitions for seeking election to the office of City Commission, and their names will appear on the City General Election ballot November 8, 2005:

The deadline to register to vote in the City General Election is October 11, 2005. If you are already registered to vote, you do not need to register again. If your address has changed since the last election, you need to register again. This can be done at the City Clerk’s Office or the Michigan Secretary of State Office.
If you have any questions, please contact the City Clerk at 669-0200, Extension 412.

Traffic Watch Program

The Hudsonville Police Department started a new traffic safety initiative to advise motorists of their speed on the streets in the community. Members of the reserve unit volunteer their time and work in pairs to go out and clock the speed of motorists. The reserve officers document the plate, description of the vehicle and driver and turn that information into the department.
Letters are then sent out to all motorists clocked in excess of the posted speed limit advising them of their speed, what the speed limit is, and asking for their help in slowing down while driving in the city.
This program will continue throughout the summer and into the fall. Reserve officers will be placed throughout the city at various times and locations.

Water Quality Report

Every Year the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality requires water systems to provide a consumer confidence report to its customers. The 2004 report is now available. You can obtain a copy at any of the following locations, Hudsonville City Hall (3275 Central Boulevard), Gary Byker Memorial Library (3338 Van Buren Street), Public Works Department (5713 Balsam Drive) or on line here.

The Hudsonville Chamber of Commerce, City of Hudsonville, TDS Metrocom, and Zeeland Community Hospital are sponsoring a 5k Run. This run is a Hudsonville Community Fair Event. The race will be computerized timed by Classic Race Management using chips, with final results available within minutes of the finish.

The ZCH Challenge comes to Hudsonville!

Becoming more active is easier than it seems! Just ten minutes, three times a day can help you achieve the recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity. Zeeland Community Hospital is pleased to bring the ZCH Challenge –“Take Ten” message to Hudsonville as part of the Hudsonville 5K Run fun on August 20 at the Hudsonville Fair Grounds. Make this the year you become more active! Sign up to take the ZCH Challenge, enter to win prizes, and get great educational information to help you and your entire family become more active.

Be Stormwater Savvy

One of the most significant, yet unrecognized groups of water contaminants is storm water pollutants. When it rains, storm water runs over yards, streets, roads, highways, parking lots, parks, and playgrounds, carrying with it everything in its path, including debris and pollutants. Eventually, the water will travel to a stream, either over land or via a storm drain. Storm drains are frequently located alongside streets and parking lots. Unlike sanitary sewers that divert water to a treatment plant directly from your home, storm drains lead directly to surrounding lakes and rivers without any type of treatment. All the debris and pollutants that were picked up by storm water runoff, end up in your lakes and streams!

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II Program

The Clean Water Act of 1972 set up the NPDES. The NPDES program required communities around the country with urbanized areas to begin tackling the issue of storm water pollution. In recent years, several communities in Kent and Ottawa Counties were required to develop an illicit discharge elimination program (IDEP). The IDEP was required to include an investigation of the waters of the state to identify, and eventually eliminate, illicit discharges and connections to the storm sewer.

What is an Illicit Discharge or Connection?

An illicit discharge is any discharge to the storm sewer system that is not composed entirely of rain water or groundwater. Examples include dumping of motor vehicle fluids, household hazardous wastes, grass clippings, leaf litter, industrial waste, restaurant wastes, or any other non-storm water waste into a storm water system. An illicit connection is the discharge of pollutants or non-storm water materials into a storm sewer system via a pipe or other direct connection. Sources of illicit connections may include sanitary sewer taps, wash water for laundromats or carwashes, and other similar sources.

How Do I Spot an Illicit Discharge or Connection?

Debris in Roadway

As a reminder, please do not put debris in the roadway (i.e. leaves, branches, snow, etc.). This is a hazard for motorists and violates City Ordinance 16-33, which states: “It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly, without the consent of the public authority, having supervision of any public property or the owner of private property, dump, deposit, place, throw or leave or cause or permit the dumping, depositing, placing, throwing, or leaving of litter on public or private property or water other than property designated and set aside for such purposes or on City streets as directed by the City during designated cleanup periods.”
There are times of cleanup; such as after a storm that causes branches to fall, that would allow for roadside placement of debris. This debris should be placed in the right-of-way, which is located between the sidewalk and the road, and not directly on the street. City Storm Clean-up Policy may be viewed at www.hudsonville.org/dpw.
The City has a leaf drop off program in the fall that allows for residents of the City to bring their leaves in bags to a designated drop off site. Please do not rake leaves into the roadway. The street sweeper does not have the capability to vacuum leaves and this can cause equipment problems, which could lead to the delay of routine street cleaning.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Department of Public Works at (616) 669-0200.

Fall Story Time
“In Your Neighborhood”

Sign-up for Fall Story Time (In Your Neighborhood – Policemen, Firemen, Doctors, Teachers, etc.) will begin Monday, September 12th. The session runs for six weeks beginning Monday, September 26th. Story times for “independent” 3 1/2 - 6 year olds are offered either Monday or Friday mornings from 11:15 - 12:00 noon, or Tuesday afternoons from 1:00 - 1:45 p.m. The last ten minutes of story time will include a craft and parents are encouraged to come in and help their children. There is a ten dollar fee per child for non-residents (payable at the time of sign-up). Library cardholders who live within the city limits of Hudsonville may sign-up for free.
A Wee Wiggler Program for toddlers 18 months to 3 years old accompanied by an adult lap is offered either Wednesday or Friday mornings* from 10:15 to 11:00 a.m. Sign-up begins Monday, September 12th and Wee Wigglers begins the week of Monday, September 26th. The first twenty minutes includes stories, songs and fingerplays. Next the parents help their children make a small craft. Then it is snack time for the children and a time for parents to get acquainted.
If you have any questions please call Ellie Mazor, the Children’s Librarian, at 669-1255, ext. 4.

* A Monday morning session will be added if needed.

Library News

Summer Enforcement Reminders

Recreational vehicles (i.e. boats, travel trailers, etc.) cannot be stored in the front yard for more than 3 days and must be stored either in the side yard, rear yard or off site for the remainder of the time.
Please check with the Planning and Zoning Department 669-0200 x414 or PCI at 667-8803 before beginning any home construction projects. Your project may require a permit (fences, home additions, pools, sheds, etc.) and beginning construction before receiving a permit could slow progress on your project.
If you display sale signs to advertise a garage sale, etc. please promptly remove all signs after the event.
Rubbish piles can become a nuisance and even cause hardship to you and your neighborhood, please refrain from allowing these piles to collect in your yard.
Complying with these items will help keep Hudsonville clean.

CONSUMER ALERT – Internet Telephone Service and 9-1-1

Michigan residents and businesses that have purchased or are considering purchasing Internet based telephone services should be aware that not all such services provide access to the 9-1-1 network, or may provide a very limited level of 9-1-1 service that may not meet the consumer's expectations.
More than four hundred vendors are now selling Internet based telephone services, also known as Voice over Internet (VoI) or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). These vendors include some cable television providers, telephone companies, established Internet Service Providers, and a host of new companies established specifically to provide these services.
Traditional wireline telephone systems route 9-1-1 calls to the designated Public Safety Answering Point (dispatch center) for the caller's location, and provide the emergency center with the caller's name, call back number, and location, even when the caller cannot speak. This may not be the case with all Internet based telephone services.
Consumers should ask the Internet telephone service provider whether the offer includes 9-1-1 service and, if so, if the calls are routed to the traditional 9-1-1 network. Some providers will state that 9-1-1 access is provided, but make it the responsibility of the customer to go on line and enter their name and address so the caller can be located in an emergency. Some providers will route the calls to call centers out of state, rather than to the caller's local dispatch center. Other providers will route the 9-1-1 calls to the local dispatch center, but not through the 9-1-1 network, so that the call-taker is not aware that the incoming call is of an emergency nature, and may not be able to prioritize it correctly.
If the sales person, brochure, or web site offering the Internet based telephone service does not mention 9-1-1, it is very likely that 9-1-1 service is NOT being provided at all.
If you are considering any telephone service that does not include traditional 9-1-1 service, make certain you are aware of whether 9-1-1 can be dialed from the system, exactly how the calls are handled, and develop a family or employee plan. Any person calling for emergency service from your telephone, including visitors, children, the elderly, and babysitters will have to know your address and be able to communicate it to emergency personnel.
The Emergency Telephone Service Committee was established in accordance with P. A. 79 of 1999. Its 21 member organizations work together to promote the successful development, implementation, and operation of 9-1-1 systems across the state of Michigan. For more information on Michigan’s 9-1-1 system, visit: www.michigan.gov/msp-etsc.