Kent County, Michigan

After a hugely successful event last year, we are excited to announce that we will be hosting 2 FREE Kent County Community Fests this year!

Our Kent County South Community Fest will be happening on Wednesday, July 29th, from 4 to 7 PM at Brewer Park in Byron Center AND our Kent County North Community Fest will be happening on Thursday, August 13th, from 4 to 7 PM at our North Campus in Cedar Springs.

These free, family-friendly events promise fun for all ages - so bring your friends and family to join the celebration!

Highlights include:
🍔 Food trucks & free ice cream
🎨 Kids’ activities: face painting, glitter tattoos, balloon animals
🚒 Big trucks on display: fire engines, road equipment
🤝 Meet 20+ County departments & access resources
🐕 Sheriff’s K-9 demos & Mounted Unit meet-and-greets

Learn more at kentcountymi.gov/communityfest

Big things are happening in Kent County’s Human Resources team, and the momentum is exciting! We’re reshaping our team across key HR specialties and looking for people who want to make a meaningful difference right alongside us.

We’re excited to be hiring for three impactful HR roles:

• HR Advisor - Recruitment (full‑cycle recruiting pros, this is your moment!)
• HR Advisor or Senior HR Advisor - Employee & Labor Relations
• HR Manager - Compensation, Benefits & HR Operations

If you’re passionate about people, energized by problem‑solving, and ready to help strengthen the workforce that serves our community every day, we’d love to meet you. Come join an HR team that’s growing, evolving, and shaping the future of public service!

Explore these roles, as well as the rest of our open positions, here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/kentcountymi

Kent County, Michigan Official Kent County, Michigan page.

Missed yesterday's Kent County Board of Commissioners meeting? No problem! Watch our Recap Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFXit4mQISo

Some highlights from the meeting:
🔹Men's Health Month Proclamation by Chair Ben Greene
🔹Administrator's Office Annual Report by Al Vanderberg, Administrator/Controller
🔹Resolution Passed to Approve the Courthouse Lease Amendment
🔹Resolution Passed to Approve the Social Media Policy
🔹Resolution Passed to Approve the Performance Management Policy

For more details, you can view the full agenda here: https://bit.ly/2z3siVO

Image of Chair Ben Greene, Minority Vice Chair Commissioner Steve Faber and Bo Torres from Corewell Health West.

Join us for our Board of Commissioners Meeting at 8:30 a.m. Open to the public, the meeting is on the 3rd Floor of our Admin Building - 300 Monroe Ave. Don't miss out on the important discussions!

Watch online:

Kent County Livestream Channel Kent County meetings are livestreamed here.

This Saturday! ♻️ Come explore our Recycling & Education Center during special open hours and join a guided tour at 9am, 10am, or 11am. It will be a fun time for the whole family! Free admission.

‼️Exciting news! The Recycling & Education Center will be open this upcoming Saturday, May 30, for Open Hours and guided tours! If you've ever wanted to learn more about recycling, see the machines up close, or get a chance to talk with one of our educators about the process, this is a great opportunity for you!

Experience these Open Hours in one of two ways:
- Join a drop-in guided tour that starts at 9am, 10am, or 11am
- Come anytime between 9am-12pm for a self-guided tour of the facility

Everyone is invited to make an upcycled craft and play games as well!

For more information, please call (616) 632-7920 or email us at [email protected]

All Kent County offices and Health Department clinics will be closed on Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day.

The Kent County Correctional Facility will maintain regular hours. However, the Kent County Sheriffs Office lobby and records unit will be closed.

All Department of Public Works offices, services, and facilities will be closed on Monday, May 25. Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, May 26. Additionally, on Saturday, May 30, extended hours have been scheduled for commercial haulers. The Recycling Center will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Waste-To-Energy will be open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As part of our “A to Z: Discovering Kent County” series, we are happy to highlight Roger B. Chaffee for the letter R!

Born in Grand Rapids in 1935, Chaffee grew up on Grand Rapids’ southeast side with a passion for engineering and flight. He attended Dickinson School and later Grand Rapids Central High School. He wasn’t flashy, but he was steady - competitive in cross country, strong academically, and known for a dry, understated sense of humor that often surfaced at just the right moment. As a kid, he built model airplanes, took apart mechanical objects, and even worked multiple jobs to pay for flying lessons at a local airfield.

After graduating from Purdue University with a degree in aeronautical engineering, Chaffee married Martha Horn, and the couple later had two children, Sheryl and Stephen. He joined the United States Navy as a pilot and reconnaissance officer before being selected by NASA in 1963 as one of the agency’s youngest astronauts. Despite the demands of his career, he was described as grounded and family-centered.

Known for his calm demeanor and technical precision, Chaffee served as a capsule communicator during the Gemini program before being assigned to Apollo 1, the first crewed Apollo mission. Tragically, on January 27, 1967, a fire ignited during a launchpad test and killed Chaffee, along with astronauts Gus Grissom and Ed White. The fire, caused by an electrical spark in the pure-oxygen environment, spread rapidly through the command module, and the crew was unable to escape because of the hatch design. The disaster led to major safety reforms that helped pave the way for future missions, including the Apollo 11 Moon Landing.

Today, Chaffee’s legacy lives on across Kent County through schools, memorials, and the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium - honoring the quiet, determined kid from Grand Rapids who helped push humanity toward the Moon.

Yesterday, County Commissioners, community leaders, and Kent County staff attended our annual Agribusiness Tour - an immersive experience highlighting the people and operations that power Kent County’s agricultural economy.

Participants visited a range of agricultural sites, stepping off the bus for guided tours and meaningful conversations with local farmers, processors, and producers who are shaping the future of farming in our region.

This year's stops included:
Heidi's Farmstand and Bakery
Green Wagon Farm
Wormies Vermicompost
Swisslane Farms
Ridgeview Farm

Looking for a career with community impact? We’re hiring! Join our team and help make a difference every day.

Apply at 🔗 kentcountymi.gov/jobs