GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Kent County Board of Commissioners will hold an organizational meeting Tuesday morning in which commissioners will be sworn in, leadership positions determined and committees assigned.
Stan Stek is running again for chairman and Emily Post Brieve is running for vice-chairwoman once again. They are not facing any opposition. Democrat Stephen Wooden is running for Minority Vice Chair.
Brieve said the Board of Commissioners will be welcoming eight new members to the board. Six commissioners have left. Because of redistricting, the board increased its number of seats from 19 to 21.
"It'll be a year of kind of educating and getting the new members up to speed on all the county processes and how we do things. That will be a big thing. The most members we've added to the board in my eight years," Brieve said.
She added, "I'm excited to have the great level of interest and some new ideas comes to the board. There are a variety of projects that we're still working on."
A broadband subcommittee will continue to work on a report and survey communities to determine where broadband coverage is lacking in the county.
Brieve chairs the Kent County Board of Public Works. She said work continues on a Sustainable Business Park in Byron Township and part of northern Allegan County. A proposed $400 million waste-to-energy facility is targeted as the anchor of that park in a few years adjacent to the South Kent Landfill. A plethora of stakeholders are involved, including Gaines and Byron townships, the City of Wyoming, the county and utility companies.
### {Photo courtesy from Kent County. Commissioner Emily Brieve}