Z EELAND R ECORD THE
Vol. 129-No.46
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Zeeland, Michigan
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Serving Western Michigan for more than 128 Years
Holland Man Arrested in Armed Robbery and Felonious Assault
Felch Street Cemetery Building Project Estimated at $1.5 million
The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an Armed Robbery and Felonious Assault that occurred in the 6900 block of 104th Ave. in Olive Township. On Tuesday, Sept. 5, at approximately 12:30 a.m. deputies were dispatched to contact two victims that had been assaulted, with one victim being beaten and robbed at gunpoint. “Investigation showed that a group of 4-5 suspects confronted the 28- and 32-year-old male victims, whom they were loosely acquainted with. One of the suspects produced a handgun and struck the victims, while robbing one subject of his cash, jewelry and electronics. The victim received injuries and was transported to the hospital. The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening,” said Sheriff spokesperson Jake Sparks. Sheriff’s deputies were able to identify and locate the 24-year-old suspect, who was taken into custody on Tuesday, Sept. 5, and lodged at the Ottawa County Jail. On Wednesday, Sept. 6, the suspect was charged with Armed Robbery, two counts of Felonious Assault and Habitual Offender-3rd Offense Notice. The subject is identified as Nikko James Hernandez, of Holland. Hernandez was arraigned via video in the 58th District Court by Magistrate Vernon Helder. Bond was set at $500,000 cash and Hernandez remains in the Ottawa County Jail. Also on Wednesday, Sept. 6, Sheriff’s Detectives, assisted by the Sheriff’s Office Critical Response Team conducted follow up investigation at the residence on 104th Avenue, as well as an apartment in the 12100 block of Falcon Lane in Holland Township. “Four additional subjects were taken into custody on outstanding warrants, not related to this investigation,” said Sparks. The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office or Silent Observer at 1-877-88-SILENT (745368) or mosotips.com.
What started as a simple desire to build a storage building to store a few tools and supplies for the Felch Street Cemetery has grown into a nearly $1.5 million project to comply with Holland Township building ordinances. City officials were originally hoping to construct a temporary building to store materials and equipment along with a port-aJon for employee restroom needs. However, township ordinances prohibit a temporary building and limit port-a-Jon to construction sites. In January, the City Council awarded a contract to MC Smith and Associates to begin the work of designing a storage building at the Felch Street Cemetery. The proposed building would include restroom facilities, break/meeting room, indoor material storage, equipment storage, and a space for equipment maintenance. “The proposed building would have 624 square feet dedicated to office, breakroom and restrooms. The storage area would be approximately 2,400 square feet,” said Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Kevin Plockmeyer. From a utility perspective, the city would need to pay Holland Township trunkage fees to connect water and sewer that is billed by the foot. Preliminary estimates with the city having 610 feet of frontage along Felch is $63,995.64 for sewer connections and $45,540.68 for water. “From a cost perspective, the estimated cost to construct the building is $1,347,198, which does not include the fees to connect to Holland Charter Township’s water and sewer systems which will add an additional $112,000 to the overall project bringing the total estimated project costs to about $1.5 million,” he said. Council members were presented with the project last week Tuesday during their work session for feedback on the building including its size, configuration, color schematics. The council’s main concern was to keep costs down if possible. “We will take the feedback to the Cemetery and Parks Commission for further study and begin the process of determining how to fund the project. There is no timetable for the project currently,” he said.
Sheriff Arrest Two after Motorcycle Chase On Friday September 8th, 2023, at 5:18 PM, Deputies from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a stolen motorcycle on US31 near Riley Street. The motorcycle fled from Deputies with the pursuit heading north to Allendale and then south into Blendon Township. The motorcycle eventually fled down a private drive and the suspect crashed in a field in the back yard of a private residence. Both the driver and passenger then fled on foot. “The passenger was taken into custody a short distance from the crash and the driver was located after a K9 track. Both driver and passenger received minor injuries from the crash. Both were lodged at the Ottawa County Jail on several charges after being medically cleared,” said Sheriff Dept. spokesperson Sgt. Jon Smoes. The names of both suspects are not being released due to not being arraigned on the charges. This incident remains under investigation by the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office.
Council Awards Bid to Update Rear Landscaping in Downtown District With the landscaping being replaced along Main Avenue in downtown Zeeland as part of the Snowmelt project, local leaders felt that the landscaping along the rear entrances of the downtown building also needed to be upgraded. “This project will provide an update to the rear landscaping, to remove overgrown landscaping, create a consistent theme in the rear of the buildings, enhance the irrigation infrastructure, and match the improvements that are being made along Main Avenue,” explained Asst. City Manager/Finance (Continued on page 8)
• September 14, 2023
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Cost$1.00/copy $30/year
Construction workers with Siteworks Solution began removing the sidewalk on the south side of Main between Church and Centennial streets as they moved into the second phase of the downtown snow melt project. The street is open to east bound traffic only during the construction period which is expected to run through October depending on weather.
City Moves Forward With Fire Pumper Truck Purchase The City of Zeeland’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget included $750,000 for the purchase of a new pumper truck for the Fire/Rescue Department to replace a twenty-year old vehicle. However, when the specifications for the new pumper truck were finalized the price tag for the vehicle had increased to $1,014,283. “As the council is aware, we have been planning for the purchase of not only this apparatus but also three more apparatus purchases over the next several years,” explained Asst. City Manager/Finance Director Kevin Plockmeyer. The option preferred by staff for funding the purchase was using the Motor Pool fund. However, City Council Policy Directive 92.25 states that the reserve amount of the Motor Pool fund is to be a cash balance of 33% to 38% of the current estimated replacement cost for the vehicles and equipment operated by the fund. The fund balance is necessary to repair or replace any damaged vehicles. “Based on current estimates, if we were to purchase the fire truck in Fiscal Year 2024 our reserves would fall to 27% of the current estimated replacement cost and could dip as low as 20% over the next several years as we continue to replace our other fire apparatus,” he said. City staff was leery on delaying the purchase of the pumper truck as the department is facing end of life for all fire
apparatus and delaying the purchase may only compound the funding issue in the future. Staff also looked at ways to cut costs including removing some of the pumper trucks’ features and equipment. “It is possible to eliminate some of the options that were chosen for this apparatus, but this would only trim costs by about $50,000. Staff would not recommend this alternative. We see investment in this apparatus to be for 20-30 years and feel it is best to match this investment with the apparatus that we feel best meets our needs,” he said. Council members agreed with staff to use the available Motor Pool Funds with the understanding that it would dip the fund below the percentage established by the policy directive. “This is our preferred option because it allows us to use the General Gund fund balance for other purposes such as park improvements, road improvements, or other capital improvements and utilizes the funding that we have set aside for motor pool purchases. We also realize that we have time between today and when the final payment is due to build this reserve balance through upcoming budget cycles if deemed necessary,” he said. The estimated time to build the pumper fire truck for the Fire/Rescue Department is estimated to be between 450 -600 days.