Friends in the news

Employment in the Parks and Recreation Department is going from 68 in 2002 to 26 after Jan. 1 — a 62 percent drop.  This will have an impact on the quality of park maintenance and recreation programming.  Aside from the Planning Department, no other department has seen the staff and budget reductions that Parks and Recreation have in the past 8 years.  Please plan on attending one of these meetings to learn more about the impact a reduced budget will have on services you have come to expect, and voice your concerns over the disinvestment in Parks and Recreation and the departments responsible for helping usher in the Green Grand Rapids Master Plan. 

City Manager Gregory Sundstrom plans to discuss city budget cuts with the public at these community meetings. Each is scheduled for 90 minutes:

1st Ward
• Nov. 19, 6 p.m.: Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School, 703 Shamrock St. SW
• Nov. 23, 6 p.m.: Union High School, 1800 Tremont Blvd. NW

2nd Ward
• Nov 16, 6 p.m.: City Middle/High School, 1400 Fuller Ave. NE
• Nov. 30, 6 p.m.: Creston High School, 1720 Plainfield Ave. NE

3rd Ward
• Nov. 18, 6 p.m.: Gerald R. Ford Middle School, 851 Madison Ave. NW
• Dec. 2, 6 p.m.: Alger Middle School, 921 Alger St. SE

Business community
• Dec. 1, 3:30 p.m.: Grand Rapids Public Library Yankee Clipper Branch, 2025 Leonard St. NE
Faith community
• Dec. 3, 7:30 a.m.: Westminster Presbyterian Church, 47 Jefferson Ave. SE