City of Hudsonville - Newsletter

Please allow me to introduce myself to the constituents of the 2nd ward.
I am Theresa Kooistra, a forty year resident of our ward and recently appointed to complete the unfinished term of Kristin Ritsema.
I have a long history of civic activity going back to the initial organization of the Friends of the Hudsonville Library, Co-Chairperson of the Arts & Crafts for the Hudsonville Centennial and promotion committee for the 125th Anniversary Celebration of the City.
Four years ago, I retired from teaching Kindergarten at Hudsonville Christian School. As many of you know, a career in education demands organizational skills, creativity, self-motivation and above all good communication skills. All of these skills will be beneficial to me as I serve as one of your commissioners.
My first two months as commissioner have been interesting and very informative. There is a wealth of information to begin to assimilate. I have been appointed to the Library Board and the Department of Public Works Committee. Already I find myself checking the conditions of the streets.
While I thoroughly enjoy retirement, I still feel the desire to use my experience to give something back to our community. My goals as a commissioner will be to keep Hudsonville a safe, affordable, and pleasant place to live.

Mathieu Gast Act – Request for Nonconsideration of the True Cash Value of Normal Repair, Replacement and Maintenance Expenditures.
These Property Tax Act allows for the owner of residential property to file a claim requesting the assessor not consider the increase in true cash value that comes from normal repairs, replacement and maintenance in determining the true cash value of a property until the property is sold. The law lists 15 specific repairs, replacements or items of maintenance, which are to be considered normal maintenance if they are not part of a structural addition or completion. This request must be filed with the assessor no later than December 31 of the year of the expenditure. The form is available at the Assessing Department or on the Web site at www.hudsonville.org.
The assessing department is making preliminary assessment changes in anticipation of the 2005 Assessment Roll. Any taxpayer that has questioned the 2004 assessment for their property and would like to have the assessing department perform a complete physical review of their property should make arrangements with our office as soon as possible as winter weather curtails our outdoor activity. Please note that it is the opinion of the Michigan Tax Tribunal that each taxpayer has an obligation to know what is on the tax record card and to know what is correct for their property.
Please contact the Assessor if you have any questions or concerns regarding assessment at (616) 669-0200 extension 413 or .

2004 Fall Leaf
Drop-Off

Fall has arrived and the leaves are falling! The Department of Public Works will be open on the following dates for city residents to drop off leaves:

Friday, November 5 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday, December 3 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Leaves and grass clippings must be bagged in either paper or plastic bags and no brush is allowed. (No open loads)
Residential Only—NO commercial disposal
City residents only—ID will be checked

Lost & Found

The City of Hudsonville Public Works Department has recovered several items that have been left in the parks this summer. If you have lost or forgotten something at one of the Hudsonville parks you may call City Hall @ 669-7196 and provide a description. If lost and found items are not claimed by December 31, 2004 they will be donated to Love, INC.

Storm Water

Help prevent stormwater pollution this winter!
Winter brings with it lots of fun activities, like sledding, ice skating and skiing. But winter also means mounds of snow to shovel and layers of ice to remove from our sidewalks and driveways. We often make the job easier by applying deicers like salt. Besides sodium chloride, many deicers also contain chemicals like cyanide. When ice melts, the salts and chemicals dissolve and flow into street drains that lead directly to the river, endangering aquatic life.
There are two approaches to reducing stormwater pollution from household salt use:

1.Try an alternative!

Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) was developed as a deicing alternative because it has fewer adverse environmental impacts than salt and doesn’t cause corrosion. Although CMA is more expensive than rock salt, it is recommended for environmentally sensitive areas.

2. Reduce your salt use.

By limiting the amount of salt we use on sidewalks and driveways, we can reduce the amount of polluted stormwater washing into our waterways.
The most important step in deicing is to physically remove as much ice as possible before applying salt. Use a shovel to break up the ice before you add another layer of salt to your sidewalk. Adding more salt without removing what has melted can result in over application, meaning more salt and chemicals end up in the river.
You can also reduce salt use by limiting access to your home entrance. For every doorway that is not used, there will be less salt running into the catch basin in your street.

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 facility (5713 Balsam Drive) or on line at www.hudsonville/dpw.org.

Thank You

The City would like to extend a thank you to resident Julian Aukeman for use of his photo for the annual water quality report. Mr. Aukeman took this photo during the early morning hours while the New Holland Street Water Tower was in the process of being repainted.

Thank you!

Mailbox Policy

The City will pay to repair or replace a mailbox physically struck by a city vehicle. Street truck plow blades do not extend beyond the width of the street truck; to strike a mail box it would be necessary for the vehicle to accidentally jump the curb. This is a rare occurrence.
The City will not pay for mailbox damage due to snow propelled against the mailbox from snowplowing activities:

Use of the public right-of-way for drive approaches, mailboxes, etc. is permitted; however, this use creates some risk, which property owners should recognize and accept.
Snowplowing of streets and sidewalks is an essential public service.

Most mailbox damage is (but not always) caused when:

The mailbox is not sufficiently constructed so as to withstand the impact of snow being thrown against it.
There is an accumulated volume of snow to contend with. Curb lawn snow is already close to the height of the mailbox. The street plow must have sufficient speed to throw the snow over the snow bank, where it strikes the mailbox. This occurs more often when streets have been salted and the snow is wet and heavy.

Some helpful hints:

Winter Reminders

Residents are reminded of snow removal requirements in Hudsonville:

DO keep fire hydrants clear of snow and ice.
DO keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice (the City plows sidewalks as a public service but the property owner is still responsible. In case of extreme snow fall, the streets are priority.)
DO NOT shovel or blow snow into the streets or sidewalk.
DO NOT pile snow to a height so as to obstruct driveway vision.

If you use a private snow removal contractor, be sure the contractor is insured and is licensed with the City. The annual fee is $25 per vehicle. The licenses are available from the City Clerk’s office. Commercial (for hire) plow vehicles must have an oscillating or flashing yellow or amber light. Neither private property owners, nor private contractors may push driveway snow on property which he does not own, without permission. This includes the curb lawn area which is needed to store snow plowed from the street or the adjacent drive approach area only.
There is no parking on streets between the hours of 2 a.m.—6 a.m. from November 1st through April 1st.

Keeping Our Kids Safe

Did you know that over 2,000 children are reported missing every day in the United States? In order to keep our children safe, we need accurate and current information in the first few hours for a safe recovery.
When it comes to the safety of our children, time is of the essence. While most kids reported missing are found within minutes or hours and have happy endings, there is always the possibility that a worst outcome can happen. The Hudsonville Police Department is preparing for this situation. We are looking into means to obtain the necessary funding to purchase technology that will give law enforcement the necessary information fast to help ensure a safe and happy outcome.
The Hudsonville Police Department is seeking to purchase the CompuKid Identification System. This system includes a kit containing a Child Identification Sheet and Child Identification Card. The information required includes current photographs, digital fingerprints and descriptive information about the child that is stored on a computer diskette. The system gives parents the ability to supply the necessary information that is needed. The diskette may be updated by the parent at any time.
Should a child become lost, or worse, kidnapped, the parent or guardian can provide an accurate description immediately with the child identification kit. The diskette is given to the police department where they can access the information and quickly distribute it to everyone involved in locating the child.
The police department is committed to obtain funding, through donations, fundraisers, and any other means needed so that we can purchase this equipment. Our goal is to supply every school child with a kit, any child that comes into the police department for a tour, and any community event that we are at. But in order to reach this goal, we need the communities help. We already have received help to purchase this system, but we need more help. If you are interested in helping us reach this goal, either by donations or ideas of fundraisers, please call or email the Hudsonville Police Department. With your help, we can make this mission a reality.

Library Used Book Sale
Donations Needed!

This lively group meets the third Thursday of every month, September – May, at 7:30 p.m. at the library. This is our eighth year of discussing great books, and enjoying wonderful company and refreshments. Come join us for the following selections:

November 18	The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
December 16	Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
January 20	The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffennegger
February 17	Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
March 17	Reading Lolita in Tehran: a Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
April 21	The Egyptologist by Arthur Philips
May 19	The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldsm

Winter Story time at the Gary Byker Memorial Library will be COOK-A-BOOK: Stories About Food. Sign-up will begin Monday, January 10th and story time will begin Monday, January 24th and run for six weeks. Story times for “independent” 3 1/2 to 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. There is a ten dollar fee per child for non-residents. Library cardholders who live within the city limits of Hudsonville may sign-up for free. The last ten minutes of story time will include a craft and parents are encouraged to come in and help.
Our Wee Wiggler Program for the winter will be My Favorite Stories. (registration and fees as above). This program is for toddlers 18 months to 3 1/2 years olds accompanied by an adult lap. The program is offered Wednesday or Friday morning from 10:15 to 11: 00 a.m. and runs for six weeks. The first twenty minutes includes stories, songs and fingerplays. Next the parents help their child make a small craft. Then it is snack time for the children and a time for parents to get acquainted.

Ken & Marie Tracey	7723 Hidden Lake Drive, Hudsonville
Loren & Carol Brandt	3339 Hillcrest, Hudsonville
Bob & Kathy Wait	3034 Summer Crest Ct., Hudsonville
Cal & Sally Beckering	1869 Van Buren St., Hudsonville
Harvey & Florence Kooistra	4209 Pineway Drive SW, Jenison
David & Donna Whitney	2902 Ivanrest, Grandville

32° Club
Adult Winter Reading

Sign up at the library for this reading incentive program. Read 32 books between now and April 2, 2005 and win a free mug! Sponsored by Ebels Construction.

Career Workshop

The library recently received a grant to help people with writing resume’s and online job searching. We will be holding workshops on these two topics in the next few months and have handouts available on either topic. Please call the library if you would be interested in such a workshop and we will schedule them accordingly. Please call Melissa at 669-1255 x 5 if you are interested.

American Girl Party – A Molly Luau

In February (on a Saturday to be announced - 10:30 to noon) the Byker Library will be having a luau with Molly, the American Girl. We will learn the hula, play some games, make a craft, have a snack and maybe win some prizes. Miss Ellie will be dressed in her finest grass skirt. If you like, you can dress Hawaiian, too. This party is recommended for children between the 2nd and 6th grades. Get away from the cold and get into the sun. Look for flyers in January at the library. Aloha!

Adult Hardcovers	50 cents		Adult Paperbacks	25 cents
Juvenile Hardcovers	25 cents		Magazines	10 cents