Changes to Grand Rapids city services amid stay-at-home order

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington announced Monday service changes and updates following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order.

Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered Michigan residents to stay home for at least three weeks to slow the spread of coronavirus. The order took effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

City workers will be able to provide services by email, phone or 311 Customers Service. The following buildings are closed to walk-in services until April 14:

City Hall
Grand Rapids Development Center
All Grand Rapids Fire Department stations
Grand Rapids Police Department Headquarters
Mobile GR-Parking Services Department
Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments
Water Resource Recovery Facility
Water Administration Building

Residents who need police services are asked to do the following:

File a report online or by phone.
Tell 911 operators if anyone in their home is sick or under quarantine.
Meet officers outside their home and stay 6 feet apart.

The new filing deadline for 2019 City of Grand Rapids income tax returns is July 31. More information can be found online.

MOBILE GR-PARKING SERVICES DEPARTMENT CHANGES

Those changes include:

A new temporary free parking zone program for downtown and neighborhood drop-off and takeout services. More information can be found online.
Suspending meter parking enforcement until further notice and focusing on safety violations with specific attention to medical facilities, GRPD and areas with food pickup services.
Suspending enforcement in residential parking permit zones.
Halting enforcement of the seasonal odd/even and same-side parking restrictions, which were scheduled to end April 1.

DASH service changes effective Tuesday, March 24 include:

DASH West is 15-minute frequency.
DASH North is 20-minute frequency.
It will operate from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

WHAT GRAND RAPIDS IS DOING TO SLOW THE SPREAD

Other moves the city has made include:

City commission meetings are postponed until April 14.
The planning commission’s March 26 and April 9 meetings are postponed.
Water services will not be shut off through April 30 and accounts in shutoff status will be restored.
The city’s yard waste drop-off site won’t reopen until April 14.
All special event permit services are suspended.
Public engagement is postponed.
Rental certification inspections of all types are suspended.
No new applications for Community Development Block Grants contracts.
Residential inspections are suspended expect in the case of an emergency health, safety or welfare concern.

Many city services are still up and running: