Commission Work Session - 18 Aug 2025 - No Meeting Held

COMMISSION WORK SESSION AGENDA 4243 REMEMBRANCE RD. NW. MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 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 36 Page 2 of 36 Page 3 of 36 Page 4 of 36 Page 5 of 36 Page 6 of 36 Page 7 of 36 Page 8 of 36 Page 9 of 36 Page 10 of 36 Calls for Service 115 – Total for July Incident Type # Fire 9 Station 1 – 14 Overpressure/Explosion 0 Station 2 – 41 Rescue & EMS 36 Station 3 - 60 Hazardous Condition 7 Automatic Aid Service Call 13 Good Intent 17 10 – Given Alarm Calls 33 10 – Received Severe Weather & Natural Disaster 0 Special Incident Type 0 Smoke Alarms Installed 43 installed in 9 residences Paid-on-Call Staff Training 1. In July, our POC members continued to 1. For the month of July, in addition to the show their level of engagement and regularly two scheduled training sessions per willingness to support this department. In month, on duty crews instituted “themed” addition to responding to calls for service, daily trainings - Medical Mondays, Target many members participated in community Hazard Tuesdays, Water Wednesdays, events, extra training opportunities, and Technical Thursdays, Fire Fridays, Safety worked the newly established evening shift Saturdays, and Scenario Sundays. Career out of Station 3. staff are expected to agree on a topic and time. Paid-on-call members are encouraged Full-Time Staff to attend if they are available. 1. Crews participated in a number of 2. Members completed an impressive 100.5 community events like Chalk to the Park, hours of training. daycare visits, a foam party, and picnics. 3. Brendan Bennett and Christian Hennells 2. Various individuals have also stepped up attended the Child Passenger Safety Seat to take the lead on new projects such as Technician Course. Both are now certified to uniforms and air monitors. assess and install child safety seats. FIRE PREVENTION JULY Inspections Completed ACTIVITY Fire Safety Inspection(s) 37 Acceptance 3 False Alarm Follow Up 2 Plan Review 7 Hydrant Repair 1 IROL Submission Enforcement Fire Investigation 4 1 580 0 871* Total Fire Prevention Activity: 55 Page 11 of 36  *Total number commercial properties in the City of Walker from business registry. Not including home based businesses. Page 12 of 36  CITY OF WALKER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners, and City Managers FROM: Jason Rottman, Director DATE: August 13, 2025 RE: August 2025 Monthly Staff Report Ticket Highlights 111 Service Tickets opened in the last 30 days for the City of Walker • No significant issues of note on the service desk this month. Project Highlights • Library – We were able to get ATT to move their fiber for the new driveway construction. Joining meetings and helping as needed as the project progresses. • Fiber/Fruitridge – Continuing to work with Engineering, DPW, Kenowa Hills, MDOT and Turnkey (fiber contractor) on issues related to our fiber on Fruitridge. The fiber over the EB ramp was moved, no immediate items left but there will be work in the future to move from temporary lines to new permanent lines. • Redundant fiber – This line is currently being installed. When that is complete, we will test then switch the city campus to this new connection. • PD Axon auto-tagging – Assisting the PD with the rollout of auto-tagging of Axon videos based upon data from their records management system. We worked with Core technology and Axon on next steps and received a quote from Core to complete this project. Other Highlights • The newest member of our team, Chris Leaf, starts on Monday August 18th. • Working with HR on an AI policy. Page 13 of 36  MEMORANDUM TO: Walker City Commission FROM: Frank Wash, Assistant City Manager / CDD Director DATE: 8/4/25 RE: July 2025 CDD Monthly Report BUILDING SERVICES Building Permits Number of Permits Fees Collected Permit Valuation Non Residential 6 $ 27,593.00 $ 3,591,600.00 Residential 37 $ 15,614.00 $ 1,661,692.00 Total 43 $ 43,207.00 $ 5,253,292.00 Plan Review Fees Building 16 $ 6,661.00 Electrical 4 $ 126.00 Mechanical 7 $ 449.00 Plumbing 2 $ 60.40 Total 29 $ 7,296.40 Trade Permits Electrical 28 $ 4,936.00 Mechanical 76 $ 12,422.00 Plumbing 32 $ 4,392.40 Total 136 $ 21,750.40 PLANNING AND ZONING SERVICES Planning Commission Total Fees Collected Escrow Fees Collected 1 $ 1,000.00 $ 2,000.00 Zoning Board of Appeals 0 $ - $ - Zoning Verification Letters 5 $ 250.00 Zoning Permits 6 $ 400.00 Building Code Board of Appeals 0 $ - $ - Mineral Mining Review Board 0 $ - $ - CODE ENFORCEMENT Total Resolved/Allowed Unresolved/Pending Abatement/Referral 38 31 0 7 Page 14 of 36 Page 15 of 36  CITY OF WALKER ASSESSING DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners and City Managers FROM: Kelly Smith, Assessor DATE: August 13, 2025 RE: August Report from Assessing Rachel and Taylor continue to work on those same tasks that take up most of their time: - New building permits and associated fieldwork. - Processing documents (deeds, property transfer affidavits and principal residence exemptions) and scanning them into our system. - Residential 5-year reappraisal. I have been working on our residential ECF (Economic Condition Factor) studies. The state put out an updated cost manual, which came through last week in an update from BS &A. That has changed and lot of things in our system, and because we (Kent County Assessing offices) are getting audited by the State next year, I need to make sure that our ECF studies are in great shape. I will take a month or so to get these tightened up. I have been doing some work on our Michigan Tax Tribunal appeals as well. Here are some quick updates on those: 1. Green Ridge Mall (2023) – this is the one that we took all the way through a trial last fall, and we were waiting for the judge’s decision. Then, once the judge’s decision came through in July, we had to wait 21 days to see if they were going to appeal the decision to the Court of Appeals. They did not appeal is further, so this appeal is completed. In the end, the judge lowered those values by approximately 1% - very little, so I am taking this one as a win. 2. Target Corp (2024) – we had a professional appraisal done for this one, as they were hesitant to settle. I have that appraisal and it needs to be submitted to the Tribunal next week, which means that the Target folks must turn in their appraisal as well. I am still hoping that once we have a chance to review their appraisal, that we will be able to get this settled. I really do not want to go through the cost and time of a trial again so soon – hoping to avoid that again. Page 16 of 36  3. Walker FF LLC/Fairfield Inn & Suites (2024) – their tax rep make a settlement offer and I counter-offered a value that was higher and followed what is happening in the market. Hoping to have this one settled soon. 4. Jessica Pakiela (2024) – this is a small claims appeal for her new home. The hearing has not been scheduled yet – I would think that they would do that soon. 5. ARC Hospitality/Marriot Springhill Suites (2025) – new appeal – no activity yet. 6. Y & O Walker LLC (2025) – this is for a vacant lot by Green Orchard mall – new for 2025 – no activity yet. 7. Macatawa Bank (2025) – last year Macatawa Bank merged with Wintrust – all the articles pointed to this event being an uncapping – so all of us in Kent County that had a Macatawa Bank uncapped the taxable value for 2025. They appealed this to all our March Boards of Review and were denied. They tried it again at our July Boards of Review and then finally took it to the Tribunal. We shall see what happens. We might still get a few more Tribunal appeals for 2025, only time will tell. Moving forward, I will keep you all up to date on these appeals. Until next month… Kelly Smith, Assessor Page 17 of 36  CITY OF WALKER CLERK’S DEPARTMENT TO: Mayor, Commissioners and City Managers FROM: City Clerk’s Office DATE: August 12, 2025 RE: July Clerk’s Department Report ELECTIONS The City of Walker will conduct a special election on November 4, 2025. All precincts will feature a Regional Enhancement Millage proposal from the Kent ISD School District. Additionally, voters in Precincts 5 and 6, who reside within the Grandville Public School District, will see two additional proposals on their ballots: the Grandville Public School District’s Operating Millage Renewal Proposal and Sinking Fund Millage Proposal. Fun Fact: This marks the first time in nearly six years that the City of Walker will hold only one election in a calendar year. The graph below included in this report illustrates the following: Yearly Trends: • The number of elections varies each year, with certain months experiencing peaks. Monthly Distribution: • February/March: Typically has fewer elections, as they are held when a special primary is called, such as during presidential election years or to fill recently vacated elected positions. • May: Generally, May sees a higher frequency of elections, as school districts prefer to place their proposals on ballots separate from those with potentially higher voter turnout. • August: Usually has fewer elections, primarily serving as a period for primary elections leading up to the November general election. • November: A November election has always been called. City elections for Mayor, Commissioner, and City Clerk in the past were always held during odd-numbered years. However, on February 12, 2018, the City Commission adopted Resolution 18-462, which changed the election dates for those positions to even-numbered years, as authorized by Public Act 523 of 2012. Election Trend: 2008 to Present 4 Number of Elections Held 3 2 1 0 Year Feb/March May Aug. Nov. These trends reflect electoral cycles, voter turnout patterns, and strategic timing by political parties. Page 18 of 36  PASSPORTS Quantity Cost Per Total Applications Processed 43 x $ 35.00 = $1,505.00 Passport Pictures 45 x $ 10.00 = $450.00 Total Passport Revenues for the month $1,955.00 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT The City Clerk’s office received nine (9) requests for copies of public records for the month. BID OPENINGS There were no bid openings held in the City Clerk’s office for the month. LICENSING New Businesses Licensed: New Home Occupations Licensed: • Medallion Nails LLC • The Sundae Rest • Urban Air Grand Rapids • F.H.I. Custom Prints • Pages & Peonies • The Editing Chick LLC • Bricks & Minifigs • Prickly Peariso • Federal Express Corporation • Zupe Communities LLC New Solicitors Licensed: • The Shield Co • Infinity Sales LLC Page 19 of 36 MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners, and City Managers From: Gary Postema, Director of the Department of Public Works DATE: August 13th, 2025 RE: DPW Monthly Report – July 2025 BUILDING MAINTENANCE • Court crew cleaned windows and pulled weeds at Station 3 • Rekeyed locks at station 2 • Working with Hoogerhyde to install a keyed bypass for the commercial doors on the lower level of station 2. This was approved and will be paid for by IT • Installed reinforcing brackets on top panels of garage doors at Station 3 • Found and repaired 5 roof/building leaks at Station 3 • Installed vent at PSB to reduce condensation build up in hallway duct. Currently monitoring this. • Completed building inspections at Stations 1&2 • Exhaust ventilation in Mechanic garage - On going SIGN SHOP • Made 40 signs. Installed/replaced 40 • Working on a plan for parking lot paving and machine rental • Continued replacement ADOPT A ROAD for existing sponsors • FD Ladder label project design and prototype made • Continued replacement of aged out signs 12+ years old – 85 signs currently remain • CDL training with the crew • Continued annual sign inspections Page 20 of 36 GARAGE Police • Steady repair work and services • The Vice car was in our shop for a fan failure that took out the radiator we replaced a motor mount and the thermostat while it was in and completed a full service. • The Memorial car build is in full swing at Forge safety. • We are working on purchasing replacement vehicles for the 2 Durangos • We have been put on an order list for the 2026 Tahoes. We requested 3 black Tahoes. Fire • Engine 5 cabinet door was rebuilt by Sparta sheet metal, and the body work was completed by Metal Works in Coopersville. It is back in service. • We have been knocking out write ups for lighting replacement. • Engine 2 received a new seat cushion and cover due to wear and tear. • Engine 3 is currently at Advantage fleet getting the pump repaired. The pump packing seal blew out and leaked. They found the pump was ran dry and damaged the impeller and impeller housing. They should have the Waterous pump parts by the end of the week and get it back together next week. We are having the emissions system cleaned while it is down for the pump repair to limit later down time. • Tender 1 is 98% complete and is pending a pump test and a few odds and ends. • We are working on purchasing 2 pursuit-rated pickup trucks for the fire department. One will be an addition, and the other will be replacing Tahoe C-2. DPW • We had both skid steers in the shop for post mowing season maintenance • We Demoed a mechanical Bucher Street Sweeper in July. We learned that this was not the right one for our operations. • We demoed a MowerMax roadside mowing machine that was very impressive but not sure if it fits our budget and size. • We have purchased a new 2025 F-450 mid-size Dump truck • We purchased a brand new left over 2023 F-250 with a western snowplow already installed and are awaiting delivery. • We are working on the spec and purchase of a new 265 Cat Skid steer Page 21 of 36  • We have also been shopping for other equipment/vehicles per the budgeted CIP. • Working with the building maintenance department on writing a spec for a building maintenance van. ROADS • The Vactor is out cleaning storm sewer catch basins. • Milling, Patching, and preparing roads for the next round of paving overlays. • Trimming trees and vegetation within the right of way • Road shoulder maintenance • Picking up roadside trash and animals city wide. • Preparing the rubber crack fill machine for fall projects PARKS • Weekly mowing, weed whipping, and edging • Biweekly mowing of cemeteries • Pond treatments to control duckweed • Summer Concert Series • Lots of park/pavilion rentals • Pruning/trimming of trees and bushes at City Buildings • Irrigation Maintenance • Ballfield maintenance for game prep and base replacement • Weed spraying of City/Park landscaping, parking lots, and ballfields • Playground maintenance: Adjusting swings, replaced handrails at English Hills • Chalk in the park to celebrate Parks and Rec month RIGHT OF WAY • Permits/Plan reviews o Right of way permits = 16 o Year to date right of way permits = 206 • MISS DIG o Normal Tickets = 749 o Emergency Tickets = 15 o Year to date Tickets = 4707 • Design Tickets/As built requests o 5 o Year to date = 72 • Field Inspections o (10) Driveway/sidewalk inspections Page 22 of 36  o (2) Storm Sewer/Culvert inspections • Editing and field verifying Storm Sewer GIS Data • Underground Utility o Restoration o Traffic and Work Zone Monitoring • AT&T o Permitted project around West Grand Blvd. o Fiber optic service installs city wide • Comcast o Permit/Design Reviews o Pole Top maintenance/Aerial line work City Wide o Relocated utilities in front of City Hall for the library project. • 123.Net o Multiple permitted projects city wide • MCI/Verizon o Relocated utilities in front of City Hall for the library project. • Metronet o Permit review o Restoration completed around Kinney/Leonard o Permitted underground and aerial projects around Richmond St., East and West of Wilson Ave. • Consumers Energy o Pole replacements city wide o Aerial line maintenance city wide o Streetlights were installed on South Savannah, Lincoln Lawns, and Waterford Village Dr. • 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 Permitted project replacing towers and right of way crossings. o Locations: 3 Mile Rd – North Wilson – Fruitridge Ave – Northridge Dr.- Walker Ave. ▪ Restoration on Northridge is completed o Forestry work City Wide within power line easements. • Water/Sewer o N/A • Kent County Drain Commission o No activity Page 23 of 36  • 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 • City works Asset Management system integration and training with dept. staff • Prepared invoices for payment authorization • Engineering/DPW website updates in progress o Community Engagement Page • Adopt-A-Road mid-season letter to participants o New equipment/materials in use • Fruitridge bridge construction coordination with MDOT and Engineering • Event coordination with the Walker Rec Department. • Walker/KDL Library meetings and coordination. • Working on Performance Evaluations. • Summer Concert series prep • Site Plan review committee. • Working with a local Eagle Scout for his Eagle Scout Project • Welcomed and onboarded John Cox, our new Facilities Operations Supervisor • Construction Standards for Public Right of Way review with the Engineering Department. • City Hall and DPW breakroom remodel • Held interviews for 2 Public Works Maintenance (Laborer) position vacancies. Page 24 of 36  CITY OF WALKER ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Darrel Schmalzel, City Manager FROM: Scott Conners, P.E., City Engineer DATE: August 13, 2025 RE: August Staff Report - Engineering We recently look at our traditional engineering projects and created a list of 2024 accomplishments, 2025 activity, and future efforts. We will use that list to provide a departmental update in the paragraphs below: Accomplishments: Kinney Avenue Improvements Kinney Avenue between Lake Michigan Drive and Leonard Street got a makeover in 2024. This rural 2 lane section of roadway is not so rural anymore. This section of Kinney is almost entirely developed. It serves a very important role in our transportation system as one of the primary north/south connectors. During the summer we widened the roadway to provide a center turn lane to assist with the dozens of residential driveways and side streets. The center turn lane is helping drivers making left turns and allow thru-traffic to continue by as the left turners wait for safe gaps in traffic. The enhancement also included removing the ditches in favor of storm sewer. The new roadway cross section now fits the standard 3 lane section we have envisioned from M-45 north to Three Mile Road. Bristol Railroad Bridge The 117 year old single lane underpass near the intersection of Bristol Avenue and Pannell Street got a full makeover last summer. The improvement included a new bridge with both northbound and southbound movements. That’s right….2- way traffic! The new design also includes a sidewalk on the east side of the road. The bridge consists of two arch structures that are intended to help preserve some of the historic nature of this location and maintain the aesthetic look of a gateway to the Alpine Estates neighborhood to the north. The bridge’s 10’ height has been increased to 14.5’ in accordance with state design guidelines. This provides better access to the small industrial area just north of the bridge. The sidewalk system will be expanded north in 2026 helping to enhance pedestrian connectivity between the Fred Meijer Pioneer Trail and West Catholic High School. Page 25 of 36  Fun Facts: • It was manufactured in 18 different pieces in Bay City, Michigan. It was shipped 150 miles to Walker on 18 "oversize load" semis. • The larger arch sections weigh 50,000 pounds each, and the total weight is over 600,000 pounds. • The monstrous crane that was used to place the arches had a rated capacity to lift 500,000 pounds!! It rents out from Erickson's for $10,000 per day. It was on the site for three days. • The arch bridge is designed to carry a train locomotive weighing 568,000 pounds. • The arches are supported by a steel reinforced concrete foundations that rest on top of 76 steel piles that go down over 50 feet into the ground. Each individual pile can support well over 200,000 pounds. • The road was lowered 2.5' and the train tracks were raised nearly 4 feet to gain the increased clearance from 10 feet to 14.5 feet. • 74,000 pounds or steel reinforcing (37 tons) • 1,664,000 pounds of concrete (832 tons) Center Drive Roundabout If you have been a long time customer of the Green Ridge Shopping Center you have probably experienced the irregular traffic pattern along Center Drive. This is the entrance adjacent to Taco Bell, Panera Bread and Target. It also serves as the primary access for an apartment complex, 4 hotels, and dozens of restaurants and stores. This short section of roadway was redesigned several times to try and enhance safety and efficiency. The access to adjacent businesses has made this challenging. In 2024 we installed a roundabout on Center Drive at Weatherford Drive, just east of Target. This improvement was first proposed in 2006 in collaboration with the owners of the Green Ridge Shopping Center. The new roundabout has eliminated an aging traffic signal and provides a safe alternative for all the left turning vehicles. The roundabout has also greatly enhanced efficiency at the intersection during busy hours. The new center island includes a ledgestone structure with trees and lighting along with colored concrete around the circle and in the divider islands. Our team of design professionals worked closely to ensure that this single lane roundabout would be easy to understand as well as fitting within the character of the adjacent shopping and residential districts. While we can’t do anything about the number of vehicles along Alpine Avenue (M-37), this improvement has helped to upgrade safety and efficiency to a diverse part of the city, east of the busy state highway. Walker Avenue North In the fall of last year we took on the difficult task of improving Walker Avenue between Northridge Drive and Four Mile Road. As part of our preparation for this years Fruit Ridge Interchange upgrade, we collaborated with the Kent County Road Commission in reconfiguring and signalizing the intersection of Four Mile Road and Walker Avenue. We also widened the roadway, with the addition of Page 26 of 36  some private developer funding, to facilitate improved frontage for the 3 commercial lots that were within the original Walkerview Industrial Park. This corridor work needed to be completed by November 15th to be ready take the load of detoured traffic this year while the Fruit Ridge bridge over 1-96 is out of service. The final layer of pavement went down on November 14th, just as the asphalt plants were preparing to close for the season. DDA Streetlights The Standale Downtown Development Authority (DDA) took on an ambitious plan to upgrade all the street lighting in the Standale Business District. This plan included removing 30 year old lights along Lake Michigan Drive (M-45) and replacing them with a more modern lighting system that is focused on lighting the sidewalk. The new lights are set up to allow for flower baskets and banners to facilitate different themes throughout the year. They also have an electrical outlet to allow for special holiday lighting. New lighting has also been added along Wilson Avenue (M-11) in front of the Meijer and Westown Apartments. Watermain Looping Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) conducts regular reviews of our public utility systems. In our last formal review they recommended that we make several watermain connections to ensure that our system was adequately looped. Looping in a water system allows better flows for fire fighting and helps to reduce stagnant water that might sit in the pipe of a long dead end. In 2024 we bid out a project to connect a loop along Four Mile Road between Fruit Ridge Avenue and the existing elevated water tank. The watermain in this area was originally designed to serve parts of Alpine Township further to the north, but they split off and joined the Plainfield water system in the late 90’s. This first loop is now and place and it closes that gap and improves system reliability along Fruit Ridge Avenue. This was another critical 2024 item as it required a short lane closure along Four Mile Road, our primary Fruit Ridge detour for 2025. Our 2024 looping project also includes a gap along O’Brien Road. We will be extending watermain from Sunset Hills Avenue east to Maynard Avenue. During this project we will likely have a temporary traffic signal to allow a single lane to stay open. This work will take place in late September and October of 2025. M-11 & Leonard Turn Signals During 2024 we collaborated with MDOT to install a new traffic signal at the intersection of Leonard Street and Wilson (M-11). The improvement brought dedicated left turn movements to all four legs of this critical intersection. This location becomes very busy during the school year with many students from the West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science using the Rapid bus system and navigating the crosswalks to get safely to their campus. Increased parent traffic at WMAES and Kenowa’s Zinser Elementary amplify the need for this safe left hand turning movement. They were also installed with mast arms, Page 27 of 36  illuminated street names and countdown pedestrian timers, consistent with our Mast Arm Policy. Ongoing: Walker Library The 25,000 square foot expansion of the Walker library is approaching the halfway point of construction. The steel frame is in place and in September the glulam wood beams that support the roof will be installed. The entire structure will be enclosed this fall and interior work will proceed throughout the winter. We hope to cut the ribbon on the facility in October of 2026. The new library will have a long list of new amenities to support KDL’s operation of the branch along with providing resources for residents and business owners in Walker. They include: Two community conference rooms with space for training and events E-Sports gaming center Podcast room Digital Walker history wall Walker’s IT Department Outdoor deck with gas fireplace Outdoor plaza between the library space and the community center Fruit Ridge over I-96 Interchange and Regional Trail Connector After 5 years of aggressively pursuing funding at the local, state, and federal level, the Fruit Ridge interchange project is actually under construction. This $32 Million effort includes: Two 5 lane wide bridges over I-96 Three new mast arm traffic signals A continuous center turn lane north on Fruit Ridge Avenue Non-motorized trail connecting the Musketawa and Pioneer trails with City Central Park and the Fred Meijer Standale Trail A new box culvert under Fruit Ridge Avenue Sidewalk connections throughout the corridor New crossing arms for the Coopersville & Marne Railway crossing Watermain Looping – South Beginning in mid-September we will begin the second part of our water system looping along O’Brien Road. This will increase fire flow, system reliability, and redundancy for users along O’Brien Road, Sunset Hills Avenue, and Maynard Avenue. Maplerow Sidewalk The City Commission has dedicated funding to construct a sidewalk along the west side of Maplerow Avenue, south of Leonard Street. This street is stubbed to the south to the old Lincoln Lawns golf course. The Waterford Village project will be extending Maplerow south in the coming year to connect 2 new single family home plats. While the City does not traditionally spend public dollars on sidewalks for local roads, this situation will allow continuous non-motorized Page 28 of 36  access through these neighborhoods from Leonard Street to Lake Michigan Drive. North Park Street & West River Traffic Signal We have designed a new mast arm traffic signal for this location. The signal will upgrade the lights to LED, add countdown pedestrian timers, and include illuminated street signs. Alpine and Hillside Traffic Signal We have designed a new mast arm traffic signal for this location. The signal will upgrade the lights to LED, add countdown pedestrian timers, and include illuminated street signs. Future: Bristol Improvements Design has already begun for a fully improved Bristol Avenue from Three Mile Road south to the Pannell bridge. This effort includes concrete curb & gutter, storm sewer, sidewalk, and a center turn lane. We will also take the opportunity to extend public sanitary sewer and watermain along this corridor. The proximity to underserved areas will make it much easier to consider future public utility expansions into the neighborhood, as additional requests come in. Richmond Widening Gordenshire to Deerfield (Around M-11) The Engineering Department is seeking proposals for the design of the Richmond West project. The improvement will include center turn lanes on Richmond both east and west of Wilson Avenue (M-11). We have been lobbying for similar enhancements to M-11 along with a signal. The width of our local roadway is a limiting factor in the ability to signalize the intersection. Our work will set the intersection up for a future signal with pedestrian crossing controls. It will also separate the vehicular and non-motorized traffic within this tight space. Kinney & Three Mile Traffic Signal We continue to target one intersection per year for signal upgrades and modernization. The next intersection will be the Kinney Avenue and Three Mile Road traffic signal. This location still has the older style diagonal span wire. Industry standards now call for a box span or mast arm configuration. The signal’s left turn light will be upgraded to match the newer standards from the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MMUTCD). Countdown pedestrian crossings will also be added to assist trail users that are navigating between the Musketawa and Fred Meijer Standale trails. There are many other critical items taking place as we continue to work on existing and future projects. We also remain busy with administering many of the behind the scenes program tasks like soil erosion, stormwater audit from EGLE, Act 51 compliance, asset management, FEMA floodwall certification, etc. And we have a big group of residential projects beginning to work through public utility design and review. The increase in residential units appears to be very significant. We will have a busy year in 2026 with all the associated infrastructure. Page 29 of 36 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: Frank Wash, Asst. City Manager 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 30 of 36  CITY OF WALKER HUMAN RESOURCES MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners, and City Managers FROM: Shannon Bales, SHRM-CP, HR Director DATE: August 12, 2025 RE: Monthly Staff Report July 2025 Recruiting / Staffing: Current job openings include: DPW Maintenance (Full-time), Right of Way Technician (Full-Time, Internal Only), WIFC Front Desk Attendant (Variable Part-time), Police Cadet (Part-Time), Police Officer (Full-Time), and Paid-on-Call Firefighter (always open). Interviews were held for the IT Specialist position. Christopher Leaf will be joining the IT team in August. Welcome Chris! DPW Maintenance interviews were held in July. We are sorting through details and preparing offers of employment. One candidate has already accepted the job and will begin soon. More details are the remaining opening positions soon. Current employment:  8 Elected Officials  126 FT Employees  69 PT Employees  31 Seasonal Employees  17 Paid-On-Call Employees Benefits: Deferred compensation 457(b) plans were updated based on the SECURE 2.0 Act changes with the service providers. These updates take effect on January 1, 2026. We will have educational sessions for our employees to explain the changes and how that could impact their retirement investment options. Other: We have a couple more policy updates for the Personnel Committee in August. A new artificial intelligence (AI) policy and an updated travel policy are coming soon. We continue to work on succession planning for various departments. The last few months have focused on the DPW and Engineering. We will have details for the Personnel Committee regarding potential changes in August. Many other personnel and related activities were addressed this month. Page 31 of 36  CITY OF WALKER WALKER ICE AND FITNESS CENTER MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners and City Managers FROM: Mary Kay Sherman DATE: August 11, 2025 RE: July 2025– City Staff Report Rec Dept: • Busy with soccer, teams assembled, scheduling practices, scheduling soccer officials, game schedule, and ordering 415 shirts this season for teams. • Park rentals are still busy. • Michelle is working with Rec. departments from Ada and Wyoming, planning a tri city adult softball tournament on Aug. 23 in Ada. Our winning teams from Walker are excited to participate. • The two new Chalk the Park events in July were well attended. Fitness Dept: • Walking club started on June 11 and the last day will be August 13. Around 35 seniors (Silver Sneakers) participated this year.- • Hired a new Personal Trainer. Jacob Gillett he started in July. • Personal Trainer, Jeremiah last day was on July 18. He moved to Texas • New classes added to the fitness schedule starting Aug 20. Cardio & Strength at 6:05pm & Thighs, Butt & Guts at 7:05pm with Aimee Stevens. Saturday Zumba will return on September 6th • Ordered new equipment. Assault Bike (just received last week). Ordered 45lbs-2.5lbs urethane grip plates and straight and curl barbell preload bars 20lbs-110lbs. This will replace all the old metal plates. Should receive equipment in 6 weeks. Facility • The next scheduled blood drive is Wed, Aug 20th from 1-6pm in Meeting Room A • Working on front desk staff schedules as well as hiring for the upcoming hockey season in concessions and pro shop. • Work continues on our CIP plan. • We gave the front desk area a paint and refresh. • Our facility will be CLOSED on Labor Day, Mon, 9/1/25. Page 32 of 36  • Hope Collaborative continues to help with the Little Free Food Pantry in our Lobby. They will be making sure the shelves are stocked and help get the word out to those in need. We are always accepting non perishables and toiletries. Ice • HAWK has its house evaluations the week of August 11th. This is also the last chance for players to order any jerseys or HAWK gear through our pro shop • HAWK has its Kick Off Party on August 17th at the WIFC from 2-4 pm. This is a 2hr open skate for HAWK Families and an opportunity for families to meet coaches and mingle • Pro Shop is almost completely restocked! Great deals on last year models and some exciting new products in the shop. Mystery Mini sticks will be here in October, always quick to sell out • Our Current Session of LTS/LTPH ends Aug 20th. the 2025/25 season of Learn to Skate and Learn to play begins September 13th • Cross Ice Hockey registration is now open. Practices begin in early October Page 33 of 36  CITY OF WALKER INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor, Commissioners, City Managers, Finance Director FROM: Cherie Roberts, Administrator DATE: August 13, 2025 RE: July 2025 Monthly Staff Report Individual Income Tax Individual returns are separated into workflows: 1) E-filed return that come from paid preparers: As of August 13 (the last export date) we have processed approximately 11,500 e- filed returns. 2) Paper returns that must be entered by hand: As of August 13, we have entered approximately 13,000 paper returns for processing. We will continue to process refunds on returns that were missing information as all required documents are received. We have also started processing balance due returns and zero balance returns. Corporate/Partnership Income Tax We continue to process returns received with payments, carryforward requests and zero balance returns. Page 34 of 36  CITY OF WALKER Finance/Treasurer Department Staff Report August 2025 The collection of the 2025 summer property tax bills continues to proceed smoothly. The changes approved by the Walker Board of Review in July 2025 have all been entered into the property tax computer system and revised bills have been mailed to the appropriate property owners. We continue to receive payments at a steady pace. Our department continues to work on multiple items related to the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2025. Our auditors will be in the office the week of September 22, 2025. I will email you a copy of the July 2025 bank balance report once I have completed it. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me or stop in the office. Thank you. Submitted on August 13, 2025 by: Dan DeVries Walker City Finance Director/Treasurer 616.791.6852 Email: ddevries@walker.city Page 35 of 36  Walker Temporary Library August Monthly Report Walker Temporary Library July Statistics In July, 13,673 physical items circulated. This included items checked out and renewed for more loan time. In July, we held 20 programs attended by 1,181 patrons. This is an average of 59 patrons per program. 6,261 cardholders who live in Walker used their card in the last 12 months. This includes individuals and families who share a library card. Summer Wonder 2025 700 patrons completed the summer wonder program as of last week. While the Summer Wonder program has officially wrapped up, we are still handing out prizes to visitors through the end of this week. During Summer Wonder, we held programs at the park, at the fire station and in the library. During July, we even held a program in the strip mall parking lot, meet the minis. It was fun to see families lined up to pet mini horses right in front of the temporary library! Meet The Minis in front of the Temporary Library Intern Jacob Henk at Alligator Sanctuary Library Updates We’ve been keeping patrons updated about the progress of the new library on Facebook and on the library website. Patrons in the library can also see up to date pictures of the construction progress on the digital signage behind the service desk. The digital signage is easy to update, and patrons and staff both get excited seeing the progress. We are grateful to City of Walker Communications Manager Nicole DiDonato for sending us pictures almost every week, and Social Media and Content Specialist Nicki Prentler for taking beautiful pictures! Digital Display at Walker Temporary Library Page 36 of 36