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:
- 311 Customer Service (Recommended as first place to contact)
- 61st District Court (Service changes can be found online)
- Building inspections
- Cemeteries
- Construction inspections
- Code enforcement
- Dispatch
- Fire
- Mobile GR-Parking Services
- Park maintenance and forestry
- Police
- Public Works
- Refuse and recycling
- Sewer
- Streets
- Street lighting
- Water
Online: City activities and events updates
