What’s Happening
- The City of Grand Rapids held a community meet and greet followed by a public forum with the four finalists for the GRPD Chief position.
- I attended both sessions which were surprisingly lightly attended and respectful (not always the case in GR public safety and/or city forums). Thank you to the several business leaders who took the time to show up for this forum or participate in interview panels earlier in the day.
- It is expected that City Manager Washington will announce his decision fairly soon.
- I attended both sessions which were surprisingly lightly attended and respectful (not always the case in GR public safety and/or city forums). Thank you to the several business leaders who took the time to show up for this forum or participate in interview panels earlier in the day.
- Grand Rapid’s Public Safety Committee heard a report from the Office of Oversight and Accountability (OPA) on benchmarking analysis and review of GRPD’s K9 Program.
- The OPA’s findings show that the GRPD’s current practices are aligned with nationwide best practices, but the written policy should be updated to reflect the Department’s current practices.
- Interim Chief Trigg said that he supported nine of ten policy recommendations discussed by OPA. The exception was requiring supervisor approval for deployment of a K9, stating that the environment their officers operate in is fluid and unpredictable.
- It was also shared by the OPA Director Brandon Davis that the relationship between OPA/GRPD has improved during Chief Trigg’s tenure in the role.
- The OPA’s findings show that the GRPD’s current practices are aligned with nationwide best practices, but the written policy should be updated to reflect the Department’s current practices.
- The Downtown Pathways Project leadership team held an event to celebrate some of the continued progress towards ending chronic and unsheltered homelessness. In addition to providing an update on Q2 goals, the event brought together business, philanthropy, and the teams of providers to discuss the shared vision of creating pathways to economic vibrancy, housing stability and individual wellness.
- Latest data shows 165 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness on the by-name-list, with 111 of those having an active referral to a permanent housing resource.
- Of the 228 individuals moved into permanent housing since 100 in 100 kicked off in fall 2024, 8 have returned to homelessness – far exceeding the national average for recidivism of this population.
- The news covered several Pathways initiatives this week including the fair market rent appeal, an update on Fox 17 from Catherine’s Health & Degage CEOs, and discussion of milestones at the event.
- There is a lot of work ahead, but the cross-sector team is focused and rowing in the same direction.
- Latest data shows 165 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness on the by-name-list, with 111 of those having an active referral to a permanent housing resource.
- The GRPS Board of Education will be holding a public hearing on their proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget on Monday, followed by a special meeting where they will vote on adopting the budget.
- The proposed budget has $268.8M in revenue and $281M in expenditures. This will bring the fund balance down to $10.8M. The fund balance was $30.9M in 2024-2025 school year, and the amended 2025-2026 budget has a $23.9M ending balance.
This Week in Local Government is your insider update on what’s happening behind the scenes in the City of Grand Rapids. Explore the full archive: Local Government, or subscribe to receive it in your inbox every Friday by emailing josh@grandrapids.org