GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Ada Township residents attended a public meeting Thursday at the Kent County Administrator's office to express concerns over a drain project that could route runoff water from the Knapp's Corner area into the Grand River.
Previously, Ada Township had filed a lawsuit against the Kent County Drain Commissioner, alleging a lack of transparency regarding the project. As part of a settlement, the county agreed to host a public meeting to discuss the issue, which drew many community members.
During the meeting, residents voiced their dissatisfaction with the drain commissioner’s communication about the project.
“I look at this as just a huge screw-up in terms of transparency,” one resident said during public comments.
Another said, “Transparency is utmost to me, and that's very disturbing to me because I think transparency and government is vital for accountability, trust, and health in our democracy.”
On behalf of Ada Township, scientist Mark Kieser presented potential environmental impacts, including concerns about chloride levels in stormwater.
Residents expressed worries about the runoff's effect on their properties and the broader environment, with some requesting cleanup efforts before the water reaches the river.
“I live right where the epicenter of this thing is, and I just want to be sure we really understand what's going to happen,” a resident commented.
Drain Commissioner Ken Yonker assured attendees that the risk to the Grand River is minimal, citing years of water testing data.
"We have three years of water testing on that pond, so we know exactly when we see high sodium chloride," Yonker said.
Following public comments and discussion, the drain board agreed to include Ada Township in all future meetings regarding the project.
"They will be able to be in the public comment area and offer their opinion and be part of the dialog. And I think that'll be good for everybody," said Yonker. "Collaborative, and it's always better when you have good minds working together."
"I think it went exactly what we had hoped for. We put the time, energy, money and 'oomph' in it to hope for a process where local communities, whether they be cities, villages or townships, have a more direct involvement in drain commission activities that impact us very directly," said Ada Township Supervisor Tom Korth.
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