National Public Works Week Free Family Event
In honor of National Public Works Week, running Sunday, May 15 through Saturday, May 21, Kent County Road Commission (KCRC) and the City of Kentwood join public agencies across Kent County in hosting outreach events that celebrate how their crews’ efforts positively impact everyday life for residents and motorists.
"Community support is essential to the work we conduct every day, and we truly appreciate the patience, collaboration and understanding of the residents and motorists we serve," said Kent County Road Commission's Managing Director, Steve Warren.
“These events are our way of saying ‘thank you’ to our communities,” said Kentwood Public Works Director John Gorney. “Our residents will have the opportunity to meet our employees and learn more about our crews’ daily efforts to keep the community’s infrastructure running smoothly.”
The City of Kentwood & Kent County Road Commission host their first annual Public Works Week Family Event on Wednesday, May 18 from 4-7 p.m., Kentwood Public Works, 5068 Breton Rd SE. (DOWNLOAD FLYER) Free hotdogs and snacks are provided along with giveaways for the children. Guests are encouraged to climb aboard equipment and learn more about each machine’s operation and function; watch a live demonstration about the maintenance and repair of water and sewer systems; listen to how and why different improvements are made on roads; and learn about the safe disposal of household waste.
The City of Wyoming continues its own tradition of hosting a Public Works Week Open House on Monday, May 16 from 5 – 8 p.m. at the Wyoming Public Works building, 2660 Burlingame Ave SW. This free event invites guests to see snowplows, police cars, and construction equipment and enjoy free hot dogs, chips and soda.
The City of East Grand Rapids teams with Kent District Library-East Grand Rapids Branch for a free “Touch a Truck” event beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18. There will be light refreshments available, and equipment and vehicles will be staged north of the library at the municipal complex, 750 Lakeside Drive, where Public Works staff will be on-hand to answer visitors’ questions. The library will also coordinate public works-related story time for children, who can also decorate hard hats distributed at the event.
As part of the annual Michigan Week BBQ, the City of Grandville hosts a Public Works display on Wednesday, May 18 from 5 – 7 p.m. at the north side of the Kent District Library - Grandville Branch, 4055 Maple St SW. The city will be giving away free plants as part of its Storm Water Awareness Program and will welcome representatives from the Grand Valley Metro Council (GVMC) Clean Air Program and the Friends of Buck Creek. Grandville has hosted this display since 2003.
“We feel these programs provide a good opportunity to answer questions from the community and to promote our work,” said Grandville Public Works Director Ron Carr.
James Hurt, the Director of Grand Rapids Public Services Department and Vice President of the Michigan Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA), concurred. Hurt added that “National Public Works Week is also about recognizing the excellent work of the men and women who deliver critical services to citizens 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
To that end, the City of Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss is scheduled to proclaim May 15 – May 21 “National Public Works Week” in the City of Grand Rapids and will host a special luncheon to honor the City’s Public Works employees. There will also be a public display of Grand Rapids Public Works equipment on Market Street that will remain throughout the week.
Since 1960, the American Public Works Association (APWA) has sponsored National Public Works Week. Across North America, more than 29,000 members in the U.S. and Canada use this week to energize and educate the public on the importance of public works to their daily lives: planning, building, managing and operating at the heart of their local communities to improve everyday quality of life.
