Commission Work Session - 15 Dec 2025 - No Meeting Held

COMMISSION WORK SESSION AGENDA COMMISSION CHAMBERS 4243 REMEMBRANCE RD. NW. MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2025 12:00 AM Discussion Items Staff Reports 1. Police Department 2. Fire Department 3. IT Department 4. Community Development Department 5. Assessing 6. Clerk 7. Department of Public Works 8. Engineering 9. Human Resources 10. WIFC/ Recreation Department 11. Income Tax 12. Treasury/Finance 13. Kent District Library - Walker Branch Mayors, Commissioners, Managers Comments Public Comment Adjournment Page 1 of 29  CITY OF WALKER POLICE DEPARTMENT INTER-DEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM DATE: December 1, 2025 TO: Mayor Carey, Commissioners, and City Manager Schmalzel FROM: Chief of Police Keith Mankel SUBJECT: MONTHLY POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORT – NOVEMBER 2025 This month, I had the opportunity to join former Fire Chief Dave Pelton as a presenter at the Kent County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meeting hosted by Amway Corporation. Together with a representative from H.B. Fuller, we conducted a debriefing on a previous hazmat incident. The discussion generated valuable insights and shared lessons learned that will help other agencies prepare for and respond to similar situations in the future. The department also completed its on-site assessment for our re-accreditation as a police agency. I am pleased to report that the assessment went exceptionally well. The assessors were very complimentary of our professionalism, the quality of our work, and the strength of our policies, procedures, and community engagement. Our final approval hearing is scheduled for February 2026. We remain one of just 94 accredited agencies out of 587 in the State of Michigan, an achievement that reflects the dedication and excellence of our entire team. We continue to work closely with Kent County on the implementation of the Real Time Intelligence Center (RTIC). Kent County recently presented an overview of the RTIC to the City Commission, outlining how the center will assist law enforcement by providing enhanced real- time information and support. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office will operate the center, with all local agencies having full access. Finally, the department remains focused on enhancing our technology and data capabilities. We are currently upgrading our use-of-force tracking and documentation system through a new Axon platform. This enhanced system will provide improved demographics and analytics, helping us continually evaluate our practices to ensure the safety of both our officers and the community we serve. Page 2 of 29 Patrol There were several car meet ups throughout the city and Kent County in November. Patrol officers maintained a large police presence while these groups were in the city. No streets or intersections were taken over. A traffic stop was conducted on one of the vehicles involved in the north district. During the investigation, two handguns were recovered from the vehicle. Patrol responded to a home in the south district on reports that a 3-month-old infant was unresponsive. Unfortunately, life saving measures could not be performed and the infant was deceased. The cause of death is still under investigation. Patrol responded to an unknown 911 call at an apartment complex in the north district. Officers made contact with a suspicious person in the area. The person was found to be in possession of a handgun illegally. The subject was taken into custody without further incident. Patrol responded to a shooting in the south district near the Grand River. Subjects that were walking their dog reported that a vehicle drove by them and fired several rounds from the vehicle. Several shell casings were recovered at the scene. The incident is still under investigation. Patrol drone pilots conducted one drone deployment in November. The drone was recently put back into service. Road Patrol investigated 1178 offenses this month compared to 1249 last month. Patrol officers completed 87 crash reports during November. Patrol officers conducted 312 traffic stops. Officers issued 185 citations with 228 total violations this month. Patrol officers made 136 arrests in the month of November and responded to 27 medical calls. Investigations Detectives investigated a retail fraud that occurred in the north district. Three female suspects stole $900 worth of merchandise from the store and fled in a vehicle. Detectives used FLOCK to locate photos of the suspect vehicle, which led to the identification of one of the suspects. Investigators learned that the three individuals lived in Kalamazoo and were involved in several other thefts in west Michigan. After a lengthy investigation, the identity of all three suspects was confirmed, and charges were authorized. Detectives investigated a retail fraud in the south district. A suspect attempted to steal over $500 worth of merchandise from the store. When confronted by an employee, he ditched the merchandise and fled. Investigators viewed the surveillance footage and developed a suspect. A photo lineup confirmed the identity of the suspect, and charges were authorized. Detectives investigated fraud in the north district. An elderly resident received a phone call from a scammer. He convinced the resident to send over $14,000 to an online bank account. Detectives launched an extensive investigation that involved multiple search warrants. A suspect who lived in Florida was identified. The suspect was interviewed over the phone and admitted to being involved in the scam. Felony charges were authorized and investigators were able to seize a portion of the stolen money from the scammer's account to be returned to the victim. Page 3 of 29 Detectives investigated a retail fraud in the south district. Two males stole $1,700 worth of tools from the store and then fled. Investigators viewed the surveillance footage and identified the suspects, with some assistance from their social media accounts and probation officers. Detectives were able to interview one of the suspects, who confessed to the theft. Investigators were able to recover the stolen property and secure felony charges on both suspects. Detectives responded to a residence in the south district for a deceased infant. Detectives interviewed the residents at the home and processed the crime scene. An autopsy was performed, and the investigation remains open. VICE KANET followed up on a tip of a female possessing methamphetamine inside a Walker hotel. Detectives conducted surveillance and had consensual contact with this subject. Drug paraphernalia was found, but no narcotics. KANET executed a search warrant in the city of Grand Rapids, following an investigation into the delivery of crack cocaine. Detectives seized three illegal firearms, ammunition, over 30 grams of crack cocaine, and $600 in cash from the house. The suspect was jailed and charged. KANET executed a search warrant in the city of Grand Rapids, following an investigation into the delivery of cocaine. Detectives seized 4 grams of cocaine, 4 grams of MDMA, 1 gram of psilocybin mushrooms, and $11,000 in cash. The suspect was lodged in jail and charged with multiple felonies. KANET executed a search warrant in Cutlerville, following an investigation into the delivery of cocaine. Detectives seized 9 grams of cocaine, 200 grams of methamphetamines, 3 grams of heroin, 130 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 900 grams of marijuana, multiple prescription drugs, an AR-15 rifle, and $800 in cash. Charges are pending against the suspect. KANET executed a search warrant in the city of Grand Rapids, following an investigation into the delivery of crack cocaine. Detectives seized 114 grams of crack cocaine, 390 grams of cocaine powder, 90 grams of fentanyl, 16 suboxone strips, and $2500 in cash. Two stolen firearms were also located and seized. The suspect was lodged on several felony charges. Flock Officer Searches: 350 Hot List Hits: 359 Suspects Identified:4 Vehicles Identified: 2 Arrests: 3 Page 4 of 29 Community Outreach and Engagement During the month of November, Officers Harkema and Glass remained highly active in community outreach and departmental support efforts. Both officers assisted the KCTC Criminal Justice Program and the GRCC Police Academy with multiple days of scenario training. Officer Glass additionally supported KCTC by participating in mock interviews. Officer Harkema continued to build community partnerships by touring South Ridge Behavioral Hospital to establish new CIT contacts and providing Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) training for staff at WMAES. He also facilitated a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) diffusing and debriefing for peer support following an infant death call. Continuing their outreach efforts, Officer Harkema and Officer Glass organized the delivery of Thanksgiving meals for Kenowa Hills families in need. Officers Harkema and Glass conducted directed patrols near Covenant Christian High School for complaints of speeding vehicles before and after school. They also completed a citizen-requested property check on Wilson and assisted the Detective Bureau by attempting to locate both a potential suspect vehicle involved in a drive- by shooting and a recently stolen vehicle in the Alpine area. Their combined efforts reflect strong engagement, proactive problem-solving, and continued commitment to serving the community. Training Mandatory in-house training for November focused on subject control, including handcuffing techniques and both defensive and offensive tactics. Training scenarios ranged from standing encounters to ground-fighting situations, demonstrating the variety of circumstances officers may face in the field. All officers completed their LEIN certification renewals as well as LEIN Security Awareness training. Additionally, selected personnel received specialized training that included National TIM Responder Training, Advanced FOIA instruction, and FEMA ICS modules. Page 5 of 29 Walker PD -- (616) 453-5441 12/09/2025 05:09 PM Offense Count Report Page: 1 Report Criteria: Start Offense End Offense Officer 000254 ACC-PP ALL NOVEMBER 2025 11/01/2025-11/30/2025 Offense Description NOVEMBER 2025 000256 IMPROPER REGISTRATION/PLT 5 000315 DRIVING W/O OBTAINING LIC 7 000316 VIOLATION OF RESTRIC LIC 2 000317 DRIVING WHILE LIC NOT VAL 2 000622 FAIL TO REPORT ACCIDENT 2 000904 DWLS/DWLR 19 1203 ROBBERY-BUS, STRONG ARM 2 1300-1 NON-AGGRAVATED ASSAULT 5 1300-1A DOMESTIC ASSLT-NON AGG 8 1300-2 AGGRAVATED ASSAULT 2 1300-2A DOMESTIC ASSLT-AGGR/FELON 1 1300-3 INTIMIDATION/STALKING 5 2200-1 BURGLARY-FORCED ENTRY 3 2200-2 BURGLARY-ENTRY W/O FORCE 2 2300-3 LARCENY-THEFT FROM BLDG 3 2300-5 LARCENY-THEFT FROM VEHICL 5 2300-7 LARCENY-OTHER 5 2300-8 LARCENY-FROM MAIL 3 2400-1 MOTOR VEH THEFT (UDAA) 2 2400-2 MOTOR VEH AS STOLEN PROP 2 2600-1 FRAUD-FALSE PRETENSE 3 2600-2 FRAUD-CREDIT CARD USED 1 2600-3 FRAUD-IMPERSONATION 2 2600-6 FRAUD-BAD CHECKS 5 2800 STOLEN PROPERTY 1 2900 DAMAGE TO PROPERTY 5 3000-2 RETAIL FRAUD-THEFT 31 3500-1 VIOLATION OF CONT SUBSTAN 5 3600-4 SEX OFFENSE W/O FORCE OTHER 1 3700-0 OBSCENITY 2 3800-1 FAMILY ABUSE/NEGL NONVIOL 6 4100-2 LIQUOR VIOLATIONS-OTHER 2 4100-3 MINOR IN POSSESSION 1 4800 OBSTRUCTING POLICE 3 5000 OBSTRUCT JUSTICE/WARRANT 38 5200-1 CONCEALED WEAPONS 2 5200-3 WEAPONS OFFENSE-OTHER 1 5300-1 DISORDERLY CONDUCT 18 5300-3 NOISE DISTURBANCE 3 5400-1A ACCIDENT HIT & RUN TRAFFIC 10 5400-1B ACCIDENT HIT & RUN PRIV PROP 4 5400-2 TRAFFIC-OUIL OR OUID 10 5400-3 TRAFFIC-TRAFFIC VIOLS 31 5500-1A ANIMALS-OTHER 3 5700-1 TRESPASSING 22 6200-1 LITTERING 1 Page 6 of 29 Walker PD -- (616) 453-5441 12/09/2025 05:09 PM Offense Count Report Page: 2 Report Criteria: Start Offense End Offense Officer 000254 ACC-PP ALL NOVEMBER 2025 11/01/2025-11/30/2025 Offense Description NOVEMBER 2025 9000 D DRONE DEPLOYMENT 1 9000-1 BARKING DOG COMPLAINTS 1 9000-3 ANNOYING PHONE CALLS 3 9200-4 MENTAL HEALTH 14 9200-4B MENTAL HEALTH SUICIDE (INCL THREATS) 5 9300-4 PARKING/ABANDONED VEHICLE 18 9300-7 TRAFFIC SAFETY ISSUE 9 93001 TRAFFIC ACCIDENT 94 9400-2 FALSE ALARM ACTIVATION 39 9400-4 FALSE ALARM CANCELED PRIOR TO ARRIVAL 6 9400-9 FALSE ALARM NOT BILLED PER REVIEW 3 9600-1 BUILDING CHECK-DOORS OPEN 1 9700-6 ACCIDENT-ALL OTHER 1 9800-2 MOTOR VEHICLE, INSPECTION 3 9800-6 CIVIL/FAMILY DISPUTES 38 9800-7 SUSPICIOUS SITUATIONS 23 9800-8 LOST & FOUND PROPERTY 4 9800-8A LOST & FOUND BIKES 1 9900-10 WELFARE CHECK 59 9900-2 NATURAL DEATH 1 9900-2B SUSPICIOUS DEATH 1 9900-5 MEDICAL ASSIST 27 9900-8 ASSIST OTHER AGENCY 109 9900-9 GEN NON CRIMINAL ASSIST 44 9901-1 DIR PATROL-TRAFFIC 1 9902-10 NEIGHBORHOOD DISPUTE RESO 1 9902-13 THREAT ASSESSMENT 1 99505 TRAFFIC STOP 312 99507 BOL 21 99508 MOTORIST ASSIST 27 9999-9 VOIDED INCIDENT NUMBER 10 ACC-DEER ACCIDENT-DEER 1 ACC-PED ACCIDENT-PEDESTRIAN 1 ACC-PP ACCIDENT-PRIV PROP (NOT HIT & RUN) 4 Totals: 1180 Page 7 of 29 Report By Violation From 11/1/2025 12:00:00 AM to 11/30/2025 11:59:00 PM Violation Code Description Count 82-26 CARELESS DRIVING 1 50-22 RETAIL FRAUD 1 82-26 LICENSE-INSTRUCTION PERMIT VIOLATION 2 82-26 REG/PLATE VIOL-IMPROPER PLATES 4 82-26 LICENSE-DROVE WHILE UNLICENSED-FAILED TO OBTAIN 8 82-26 PARKING-HANDICAPPED W/O PERMIT 2 50-27 TRESPASS 2 82-26 SEATBELT VIOLATION-FAIL TO WEAR-DRIVER 1 82-26 REFUSED PRELIMINARY BREATH TEST 2 82-26 DROVE LEFT OF CENTER-ACCIDENT 1 82-26 DISOBEY STOP SIGN 2 82-26 LICENSE-DROVE WHILE NOT VALID OR IMPROPER 1 82-26 SPEEDING, 1-10 OVER 8 50-39 FALSE INFORMATION 1 82-26 LICENSE-DROVE WHILE EXPIRED 1 82-26 FAIL TO STOP WITHIN AN ASSURED CLEAR DISTANCE-ACCIDENT 18 82-26 DISOBEY TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE-ACCIDENT 2 82-26 MINOR-TRANSPORT/POSSESS LIQUOR IN MOTOR VEHICLE-DRIVER 1 82-26 VIOLATION OF BASIC SPEED LAW-TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS- 1 ACCIDENT 82-26 OPEN INTOX IN VEHICLE-DRIVER 2 82-26 LICENSE-DROVE WHILE SUSPENDED/REVOKED/DENIED 17 82-26 FAIL TO STOP AND ID AFTER PROPERTY DAMAGE ACCIDENT 2 82-26 DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT-DEFECTIVE LIGHTING 1 82-26 NO INSURANCE/NO PROOF OF INSURANCE 37 82-26 OPERATING WHILE INTOXICATED 1ST OFFENSE 10 82-26 NO VALID PLATE 2 82-26 DISOBEY TRAFFIC SIGNAL-RAN RED LIGHT-ACCIDENT 2 752.272 Inhalation of Chemical Agent 2 82-26 DISOBEY TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE 1 * Results do not include warnings or voided tickets. 12/9/2025 5:07:27 PM Page 1 of 2 Page 8 of 29 Violation Code Description Count 50-22 RETAIL FRAUD - THIRD DEGREE 3 82-26 DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT-LIGHTS 2 750.356D RETAIL FRAUD - 2ND DEGREE 5 50-6 OBSTRUCTING POLICE 1 82-26 REG/PLATE VIOL-EXPIRED PLATE 42 82-26 FAIL TO YIELD-ACCIDENT 8 82-26 DISOBEY TRAFFIC SIGNAL - ACCIDENT 1 82-26 DISOBEY TRAFFIC SIGNAL-RAN RED LIGHT 2 * Results do not include warnings or voided tickets. 12/9/2025 5:07:27 PM Page 2 of 2 Page 9 of 29 Calls for Service 221 – Total for November Incident Type # Fire 12 Station 1 – 12 Overpressure/Explosion 0 Station 2 – 92 Rescue & EMS 139 Station 3 - 117 Hazardous Condition 9 Automatic/Mutual Aid Service Call 16 Good Intent 28 5 – Given Alarm Calls 17 8 – Received Severe Weather & Natural Disaster 0 Special Incident Type 0 Smoke/CO Alarms and Car Seats Installed 28 installed in 5 residences and 12 Car Seats Installed Operations Training -Selection Process for new 3 firefighters -1207 hours of training in November ongoing -Members completed Aerial Operator -Citywide Fire Hydrant Inspections Training -All Fire Pumps passed annual testing -Completed Highway Safety Training -Attended meeting with local Clergy -EMS Skills Training Agencywide. Walker leaders Fire Department can now perform skills Significant Incidents such as iGel Airway insertion, assess blood -2 alarm fire in a large warehouse over $2 glucose and administer Epinephrine to a million in property saved. citizen with a severe allergic reaction. -Severely injured driver safely rescue from traffic collision. -Lithium battery fire in a large warehouse. -House fire where quick actions by firefighters resulted in the home being saved. FIRE PREVENTION NOVEMBER Inspections Completed ACTIVITY Fire Safety Inspection(s) 1 Hydrant Repair 1 Complaint 2 Plan Review 2 Total Fire Prevention Activity: 6 71% 0 871* *Total number commercial properties in the City of Walker from business registry. Not including home based businesses. Page 10 of 29  CITY OF WALKER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners, and City Managers FROM: Jason Rottman, Director DATE: December 10, 2025 RE: December 2025 Monthly Staff Report Service Highlights 134 Service Tickets opened in the last 30 days for the City of Walker • Working with the PD on replacing the software used for their Drones. Project Highlights • Library –Joining meetings and helping as needed as the project progresses. Working with OAK on timelines for installation of IT items • PD Axon auto-tagging –Kent County is assisting with increasing the accuracy of the auto-tagging, we are scheduling a meeting to implement the changes. • Fire software review – Working with Chief Shoultz and the fire department to review all their software needs, how they relate to ISO reporting and making a plan on how to best move forward with software in the fire department. • Email server move – We need to move to Microsoft’s Government Cloud to assist in meeting compliance for the PD and court, and help with accreditation with PD. There will be a weekend of disruption in January or February, there will be communication sent out before the change happens. • eWarrents – Working with a vendor, i3 Verticals, to demo a new system that will allow for digital signing of warrants. This would replace the current fax based solution. • Income Tax automation – Working with i3 Verticals on another project with the Income tax department to further automate their data entry tasks. We are considering using an AI based solution to assist with this. Security Highlights • Adam is working on implementing new security software to further secure us and to meet Court and PD Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) compliance. Page 11 of 29  MEMORANDUM TO: Walker City Commission FROM: Community Development Department DATE: 12/3/2025 RE: November 2025 CDD Monthly Report BUILDING SERVICES Building Permits Number of Permits Fees Collected Permit Valuation Non Residential 7 $ 2,692.00 $ 230,584.00 Residential 7 $ 2,515.00 $ 309,443.00 Total 14 $ 5,207.00 $ 540,027.00 Plan Review Fees Building 9 $ 544.00 Electrical 2 $ 100.00 Mechanical 1 $ 39.00 Plumbing 0 $ - Total 12 $ 683.00 Trade Permits Electrical 25 $ 6,220.00 Mechanical 45 $ 7,350.00 Plumbing 12 $ 1,994.00 Total $ 15,564.00 PLANNING AND ZONING SERVICES Planning Commission Total Fees Collected Escrow Fees Collected 3 $ 4,000.00 $ 2,500.00 Zoning Board of Appeals 0 $ - $ - Zoning Verification Letters 4 $ 200.00 $ - Zoning Permits 10 $ 350.00 $ - Building Code Board of Appeals 0 $ - $ - Mineral Mining Review Board 0 $ - $ - CODE ENFORCEMENT Total Resolved/Allowed Unresolved/Pending Abatement/Referral 21 21 0 0 Page 12 of 29 Page 13 of 29  CITY OF WALKER ASSESSING DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners and City Managers FROM: Kelly Smith, Assessor DATE: December 10, 2025 RE: December Report from Assessing December is when we wrap up all those tasks that have been going on throughout the year: 5-year reappraisal; building permits and fieldwork; processing documents. While the documents processing will continue year-round to keep the owner’s names up to date, the other two need to come to an end for the year, then in April the next year’s 5-year reappraisal and fieldwork will begin for 2027. Tax Day is December 31st of every year, so we need to value new construction as of that day – depending on how far along in the build is at that time. Plus, this is our busy time of the year, so focus needs to turn to other tasks. Yesterday we had our December Board of Review – Rachel organized it, ran the meeting and got all the paperwork done. Since the state changed the rules in processing Principal Residence Exemptions and Disabled Veterans Exemptions, our July and December Boards of Review typically have very little to process. The meeting went smoothly. We have our final ratios from Kent County Equalization for the 2026 values. The ratio is the percentage that we need to raise (or lower in bad times) each class of property. The market is starting to show signs of slowing down, but we are still raising all the values for 2026: - Commercial – ratio is 48.54, which is a +3.01% increase - Industrial – ratio is 43.37, which is a +15.29% increase - Residential – ratios is 46.22, which is a +8.18% increase - CPI (Consumers Price Index) or IRM (Inflation Rate Multiplier) is +2.7% While I think most of these increases are decent, not too large – when I first saw the Industrial ratio, I was floored at the +15.29%. So, I ran a couple of reports and reviewed all the industrial sales, and we need to raise the industrial class +15.29% - we are way low on most of our industrial parcels. I am hoping that this doesn’t bring a lot of appeals to March Board of Review or the Tribunal. Page 14 of 29  I will be going on vacation for the month of January, so I am busy trying to get everything done well ahead of time this year. By the end of December, I plan to have most of the real property assessments ready to go, so that when I return on February 1st, I will only need a week or so to do a few final things (splits, last-minute appraisals, run a few reports, etc.) before ordering the 2026 Assessment Change Notices timely. I am sitting good so far – I have a list of items to get done before the 30th. I don’t think there have been many changes on the progress of any of our Tribunal appeals in the last month, but I will make sure you are caught up: 2024 Appeals - Target Corp – there is a prehearing conference next week, then the hearing date will be set – this one is going before the judge, as we cannot get it settled. - Small Claims – house on Hufford – had the hearing a few weeks ago, waiting for the decision. 2025 Appeals - Marriot Springhill Suites – no activity yet. - Y & O Walker/Green Orchard Mall – settlement negotiations are going very slowly. - Macatawa Bank – this is an uncapping issue, and we (Walker and other local units with a Macatawa Bank) are waiting for them to provide the paperwork to prove that we should not have uncapped their taxable values. - Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) appeal for a house on Lake Michigan Dr – we denied his PRE, as he and his wife are claiming two, which is not allowed – no activity on this one yet. - 2476 Waldorf LLC – an industrial building on Waldorf Ct – this one should get settled soon – they bought it for about 200,000 less than what we have them at. Rachel and Taylor went out last week to do the annual personal property canvas – this is when they drive up and down the streets with businesses and make notes of who is there – new businesses – remove ones that have left Walker, etc. After all those changes are made in our system, we can order the personal property statements from KCI. I ordered those yesterday and they should be mailed out no later than the 19th. So, Taylor and Rachel will be busy over the next two months processing those as they come into our office. Until next time (there will be no report in January, as I will not be here) Kelly Smith, Assessor Page 15 of 29  CITY OF WALKER CLERK’S DEPARTMENT TO: Mayor, Commissioners and City Managers FROM: City Clerk’s Office DATE: December 12, 2025 RE: November Clerk’s Department Report PASSPORTS Quantity Cost Per Total Applications Processed 34 x $ 35.00 = $1,190.00 Passport Pictures 41 x $ 10.00 = $410.00 Total Passport Revenues for the month $1,600.00 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT The City Clerk’s office received twelve (12) requests for copies of public records for the month. ELECTIONS The City of Walker’s Precinct 5 was selected by the State of Michigan for a post-election audit following the November 4, 2025, election. The audit was conducted on Monday, December 1st at City Hall by the Kent County Clerk’s office and included a review of both Election Day and Absent Voter Counting Board processes. BID OPENINGS There were no bid openings held in the City Clerk’s office for the month. LICENSING New Businesses Licensed for the Month: • Boxer Self Storage • Studio 1037 • Fade Haus, Llc • The Soaring Raven • Found Level Inc • Tri-State Calf Products Inc • Introspective Bodywork • Tubelite Inc • Mi Wellness Center • Vapor Junction Smoke Shop • Ocean Of Peace • Washers Car Wash • Pump House Standale • Young Supply Company No new home occupations were licensed for the month. The clerk’s office continues to process the 2026 business license renewals as they come in. As of December 9th, 355 licenses remain pending due to unreturned or incomplete applications, unpaid fees, or delinquency charges that must be resolved before a license can be issued. Page 16 of 29 MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners, and City Managers From: Gary Postema, Director of the Department of Public Works DATE: December 10th, 2025 RE: DPW Monthly Report – November 2025 BUILDING MAINTENANCE • Upfitting the new Building Maintenance Van • Repaired 2 switches at the jail • Repaired a leak in the boiler room at City Hall from a failed pressure control valve. • Gathering quotes for painting in the DPW Truck and Mechanics garages. • Sprinkler system repair approved for City Hall. Waiting on scheduling • Installing disabling switch on the station 3 elevator. • Replaced batteries for the DPW gate. • Started performing roof inspections monthly in all buildings • Tested generators at all buildings. • Installed new electrical outlets on the salt barn for equipment heaters • Obtained 3 bids for pressure washer installation in the DPW truck garage • Installed GFCI in the City Hall courtyard • Blackout blinds have been installed in firemen’s sleeping areas • Installed automatic drains on all air compressors • We had a transformer failure on pump 4 in the boiler room at City Hall. This has been repaired • FirePro’s performed 5-year maintenance on the sprinkling systems. • Worked with OAK to get power restored to parking lot lights around the campus • Lakewood Electric started installation of maglocks and card readers at station 3 • GRIPS will be installing gas regulator at station 3 for the new generator. • Set up and tear down in the Chambers for meetings. • Ordered blinds for the exercise room at Station 2 Page 17 of 29 SIGN SHOP • PD lettering - 2 cruisers • CDL training with new employees • Bike path sign making • Finished sign inventory for 2025 • Design and Fabrication • Snow plowing GARAGE Police • Swapped out summer tires for winter tires on most of the cruisers. • We had a water pump replaced under warranty on one of the patrol cars. This was done by Kool Chevrolet. • We continue to perform Preventative Maintenance and services. Fire • Car 16 (Ram 1500) was in the shop multiple times for a random vibration that was making it difficult to drive. The wheels and tires were replaced, and the truck is back in service. • We replaced the cylinder head on Engine 2. This truck had a significant coolant leak. The head was taken to AIS construction equipment for inspection. The cylinder was cracked in multiple places. We installed a new head in house. DPW • Truck 412 (2025 F250) was upfitted in house with lights, plows, tools, etc. and is in service. • Minor repairs on snowplow equipment as winter sets in. Purchasing • We have taken delivery of a new Kubota UTV X cab with a snowplow and salt spreader. The machine is in service. • Our new John Deere tractor and all equipment have been ordered. Delivery is expected in the spring. • We are building and drafting specifications for a new equipment trailer. ROADS • Tree Trimming City wide in preparation for winter operations. • Street surface treatments as time and weather allows. Rubber Crack fill and mastic aggregate leveling on major and local streets. Page 18 of 29  • Winter maintenance prep. • Snow and Ice removal and training • Garage cleaning and organizing to prepare storage space for winter. PARKS • Mulching and blowing leaves • Finished winterizing irrigation, bathrooms, and equipment • Helped with set up and tear down elections • Cut down ornamental grasses and plantings • Took down swings and nets • Tree trimming • Snow and Ice removal and training RIGHT OF WAY • Permits/Plan reviews o Right of way permits = 28 o Year to date right of way permits = 311 • MISS DIG o Normal Tickets = 502 o Emergency Tickets = 13 o Year to date Tickets = 7,653 • Design Tickets/As built requests o 5 o Year to date = 92 • Field Inspections o (9) Driveway/sidewalk inspections o (3) Storm Sewer/Culvert inspections  Editing and field verifying Storm Sewer GIS Data o Underground Utility o Restoration o Traffic and Work Zone Monitoring • AT&T o Fiber optic service installs city wide • Comcast o Permit/Design Reviews o Pole Top maintenance/Aerial line work City Wide • 123.Net o Permitted projects on 3 Mile Rd. East of Alpine Page 19 of 29  o Northridge Dr. between Peach ridge and Walker Ave. • MCI/Verizon o No activity • Metronet o Permitted Project near and East of the Richmond/Remembrance corridor  Permit review for Imperial Forest and Lincoln Lawns Plats • Consumers Energy o Pole replacements city wide o Aerial line maintenance city wide o Forestry work in Ward 1. • DTE o Service installations, renewals, and upgrades city wide o Installing pipeline anodes City wide o Working on updating ~44,000’ of new gas main through most of Ward 1  Ongoing • Independent Electricity Transmission Company (ITC)/Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) o No activity • Water/Sewer o (2) Water main breaks o (1) Sanitary Sewer break • Kent County Drain Commission o Ditching along Mill Creek Ave and North Park St • City Road Project meetings and updates with the Engineering Department • Assisted Parks Department as needed. • Assisted Road crew as needed. • Assisted Sign shop as needed. OFFICE • Processed Right of Way permits • Prepared invoices for payment authorization • Engineering Misc. Tasks o Permit processing • Fruitridge bridge construction coordination with MDOT and Engineering • Event coordination with the Walker Rec Department and Communications staff. • Walker/KDL Library meetings and coordination. • Working on Performance Evaluations. • Site Plan review committee. • Onboarded 2 new DPW Maintenance laborers Page 20 of 29 • We held our annual Winter Snow meeting and training. • Select staff attended Traffic Incident Response Training presented by the Michigan Traffic Incident Management Effort • Attended the Mobility and Infrastructure committee meeting • Attended a meet and greet with the City of Grand Rapids Water and Sewer Department staff Page 21 of 29  CITY OF WALKER ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Darrel Schmalzel, City Manager FROM: Scott Conners, P.E., City Engineer / Public Services Director DATE: December 9, 2025 RE: December Staff Report - Engineering In the paragraphs below we will provide updates on 3 topics that will require a significant amount of energy throughout the month of December. Walker Library: The Owens Ames and Kimball team is focused on enclosing the facility and keeping the heat in the building. Most of the exterior openings have been temporarily enclosed with fabric until the windows are available. The roof should also be completed this month. Heat is being generated in the basement and hopefully it will be fully contained in the structure shortly. On Monday, December 8th, we were able to walk the City Commission through the interior of the new library. It was a very cold tour, but we were excited about the enthusiasm of the Commissioners during this visit. It was great to be able to share the unique features of the facility and to show how it has been integrated into the city’s campus. On December 19th we will be walking members of KDL through the Page 22 of 29 facility and on the 27th we will host the staff of the Walker Library. Public Safety Space Needs Study: The Public Safety Committee had their second meeting to talk through the Public Safety Space Needs Study on December 8th. The focus of the study is now associated with funding for facility expansion. We will be wrapping up the work with a finished report that will serve to document our efforts. The committee has asked us to accelerate our plans for a full city hall space needs study. As they continue to deliberate on the short and long term plans for police and fire expansion, they are very interested in how best to address the space shortage around city hall. We expect this process to be significantly longer. It will involve detailed interviews with department heads and a full evaluation of our current space both here, and in the new library facility. We hope to start this work in January. Privately Funded Residential Projects: We have an unprecedented number of residential projects currently lobbying for permits or preparing for Planning Commission consideration. The list includes: • Vista 45 – Lake Michigan Drive & Lasalle • Highpoint (formerly Lewis Farms) – Leonard & Wilson • The Drive (formerly Modderman) – Lake Michigan Drive & Maynard • Jason Ridge #2 – West of Sunset Hills • Waterford Reserve – North of Lincoln Lawns • Riverbend North – Riverbend west of Wilson • English Hills Apartments – Four Mile Road & Cordes • Orchard Hill – Northeast of Bristol and Three Mile • Cambridge Grove #4 – SW of Richmond and Wilson These projects could account for over 100 single family homes and nearly 1000 rental units. We continue to coordinate the public aspects of these projects. There are many other critical items taking place as we continue to work on existing and future public projects. We also remain busy administering many of the behind the scenes program tasks like soil erosion, stormwater permitting, Act 51 compliance, asset management, FEMA floodwall certification, etc. We will have a busy year in 2026! Please feel free to have Commissioners reach out to me directly at 616-791-6792 or sconners@walker.city if they have any questions on these high priority projects or any of the other tasks under our supervision. Cc: Gary Postema, DPW Director Travis Mabry, P.E., Asst. City Engineer Jason Washler, P.E. P&N Dan Fredricks, P.E., LRE Brian Hannon, P.E., M&B Page 23 of 29  CITY OF WALKER HUMAN RESOURCES TO: Mayor, Commissioners, and City Managers FROM: Shannon Bales, SHRM-CP, HR Director DATE: December 8, 2025 RE: Monthly Staff Report November 2025 Recruiting / Staffing: Current job openings include: Police Cadet (Part-Time) and Police Officer (Full-Time). Staffing changes this month: 1. Nicki Prentler, Social Media Specialist, resigned. Her last day was November 26th. 2. Kelly Smith has submitted her intent to retire for March 2026. 3. Brandyn Heugel was promoted to Deputy Police Chief. Congrats Brandyn! Interviews were held for the full-time firefighter position to create an eligibility list for future hires. Three candidates will be selected for immediate hire due to approval at a Personnel Committee meeting on December 10th. More details next month. Two police officer candidates were selected to move forward in the hiring process. More details to come next month. Preparations are also underway for some pending open positions. Watch emails for details on upcoming open positions. Current employment:  8 Elected Officials  131 FT Employees  39 PT Employees  85 Seasonal Employees  18 Paid-On-Call Employees Payroll & Benefits: We are preparing for 2026 payroll changes based on open enrollment selections and other changes. We are also preparing for end of year 2025 reporting. MissionSquare Retirement was onsite for one-on-one employee sessions and held group meetings on the new SECURE 2.0 Act changes that will go into effect for deferred compensation 457(b) plans on January 1, 2026. Employees will be able to make Roth contributions to their 457 plan in the upcoming year. Michigan Employee Retirement System (MERS) will be onsite in December to meet with employees and review retirement plans. Other: Years of Service preparations began this month for the employee recognition breakfast on December 17th. Details were sent by email regarding this event. We will be recognizing 310 combined years of service to the City of Walker! Many other personnel and related activities were addressed this month. Page 24 of 29  CITY OF WALKER WALKER ICE AND FITNESS CENTER MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners and City Managers FROM: Mary Kay Sherman DATE: December 9, 2025 RE: November 2025– City Staff Report Rec Dept: • Michelle and MaryKay met with Western Little League regarding field usage for next year. • Our department is busy working on Soccer to get ready for registrations starting January 12!! Crazy that we are thinking spring! • Let it glow contest has started, look for the entries and voting opportunities on our Facebook page, December 15. • Prep work on all spring activities and getting ready for park rentals to open in January. Fitness Dept: • Black Friday membership and personal training specials went very well. As of 12/1/25 we have 3647 registered active members for the gym! • Added Fitness Instructor, Brandy Frank to our fitness schedule on Wednesday at 5pm & Saturday rotation at 10am • Hired Cooper D as Fitness Floor Staff • Recent free fitness seminar on breathing had about 30 members attend. • Preparing for the Senior Christmas Potluck on Wed, 12/10 at 11am. Facility • Winter Fest was another great success this year! The teamwork of all the City Depts PD, FD DPW, WIFC, Library, City Staff and HAWK Teams always impresses me every year! Very grateful to the community who braved the cold weather and came to kick off the holiday season and tree lighting! • The Little Free Food Pantry continues to receive lots of donations as of late. It is being visited more and more by those in need. • Toys for Tots collection is scheduled to be picked up 12/15. Its another large donation from our HAWK families and members! Page 25 of 29  • There were over 80 staff and their families who came out for the Walker Employee Skate on Nov 29th. Loads of fun! • Meeting rooms are fully booked for December. Lots of Public Ice Skating sessions over Christmas break • WIFC will be hosting a Blood Drive on Tues, Dec 30 from 1-6pm in our meeting rooms. • NEON New Years Eve Skate is Wed, 12/31 from 5-7pm—Ring in the New Year with party favors, music and ice skating! • WIFC Holiday Hours: o 5am to 2pm -- Christmas Eve Day o CLOSED – Christmas Day o 5am to 7pm – New Year Eve Day o CLOSED – New Years Day Ice • Pro Shop: Bauer and CCM Booking orders for July delivery have been placed. Warrior order will be up next and due in mid January. We sold out of our initial run of 392 Mystery Mini sticks in less than two months. I brought in Olympic Mystery Minis as well this year and they will be sold out before Christmas! • Walker Winterfest was a great success! We had hundreds of skaters on the ice. Thanks to our WIFC staff for the amazing set up and tear down. Special thanks to the HAWK 16U girls for handing out skates and the 14U Bantam AA team for helping out with the tear down • HAWK: We are hosting a Mite Jamboree at the WIFC this upcoming weekend 12/13. Over 12 teams will be participating. This will bring in close to 500 people to our building over a 2 hour period Page 26 of 29  CITY OF WALKER INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners, City Managers, Finance Director FROM: Cherie Roberts, Administrator DATE: December 9, 2025 RE: November 2025 Monthly Staff Report Individual Income Tax Individual returns are complete for 2024. Completed returns have been successfully scanned into our Opex system for archival retrieval with OnBase. We will continue a sweep of compliance requests for returns not submitted for 2024. By doing this, we can also check that they are compliant for prior years if necessary. E-filing return audit is complete for 2024. Corporate/Partnership Income Tax Timely returns are completed. We are now looking forward to processing the returns that come in on extensions. Other We are in the discovery phase with i3 Vertical to redo the scanning, processing feature of our Opex machine to eliminate redundancy in processing. Our goal is to have this completed for the 2026 tax year. In the meantime, we are processing as we have done in the last two years which is a longer process. We thank everyone for their patience while we update our systems for more efficiency in processing and compliance. Page 27 of 29  CITY OF WALKER Finance/Treasurer Department Staff Report December 2025 The 2024 winter property tax bills were mailed on December 1, 2025 and we have received approximately 500 payments since that time. The 2025 winter tax roll contains 8,566 bills with a total tax billing equaling $5,380,140. Included in this total is the amount of $53,191, which the City of Walker will retain as administration fees. The Walker Board of Review held its December 2025 meeting today. The Assessing office has provided us with the approved changes. Our office will enter those adjustments into our property tax database and will process any resulting refunds or mail out additional tax due bills by the end of this month. The State of Michigan requires that each municipal unit file various reports with the State within 180 days from the end of the municipality’s fiscal year. These reports include the F-65 report, the Act 51 report, the Retirement Systems Annual report, the DDA report and the Qualifying Statement. In addition, the city must begin filing an annual Continuing Disclosure Report with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board as a requirement of the library bond. Each of these reports will be completed and submitted within the next two weeks. We have started preliminary work on the 2026/2027 budget process. We have also started to compile a list of proposed budget amendments for the 2025/2026 fiscal year. I will email you a copy of the November 2025 bank balance report when it is complete. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me or stop in the office. Thank you. Submitted on December 9, 2025 by: Dan DeVries Walker City Finance Director/Treasurer 616.791.6852 Email: ddevries@walker.city Page 28 of 29  Walker Temporary Library December Monthly Report Walker Temporary Library November Statistics 11,785 physical items circulated. This includes items checked out and renewed for more loan time. 6,593 digital items were checked out via the OverDrive platform. This does not include digital materials checked out via other digital platforms like Hoopla and Kanopy that do not break circulation down by branch. We held 10 programs attended by 165 patrons and 4 outreach events attended by 162 people. 6,237 cardholders who live in Walker used their card in the last 12 months. This includes individuals and families who share a library card. Programming and Outreach Branch Librarians and Walker Friends of the Library Volunteers were happy to once again run a craft table at Winterfest! The crafts this year were wood ornaments, and reindeer holiday cards decorated with kids own thumbprints. Kids could also write a letter to Santa. Winter is a great time to stay home and cuddle up on the couch with a good book. Sign up for Kent District Library's Let It Snow reading challenge. Adults and Library Craft Table at WInterfest teens (age 11+) who read or listen to six books between December 1 and February 27 earn a collectible Let It Snow mug. Still want more reading? Log four more titles — for a total of 10 books — by February 27 and be automatically entered into a drawing to win a gift card to a local indie bookstore. Learn more at kdl.org/snow. On November 6, the library was closed for our in- service. We planned for next year, learned about community resources, and much more! Walker Branch Staff at Library In-Service Upcoming Program Highlights Starting in January, some events will take place at the Walker Ice and Fitness Center. We’re grateful for the use of the spaces in the community while we excitedly wait for the new library! Ready for Reindeer!: Tuesday, December 16, 6:30pm–7:30pm in the Temporary Library parking lot. Meet the Sled Dogs: Saturday, December 20, 10:00am–11:00am in the Temporary Library parking lot. Magic Man Rusty: Tuesday, December 30, 2:00pm–3:00pm at Fire Station 2. Page 29 of 29