Department of Public Works
1500 Scribner NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Phone: (616) 336-3694
Fax: (616) 336-3338
Mission Statement
The Kent County Board and Department of Public Works acquires, improves, enlarges, operates, and maintains water supply systems, sewage disposal systems, and refuse systems to promote and protect the health and welfare of its residents and the environment.
Household Waste Guide
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Overview
The Department of Public Works is an enterprise fund department established by the Board of Commissioners to provide solid waste management services and water and sewer system construction, inspection, and maintenance under contract with some local units of government. The department is divided into four divisions: Utility Services, Finance and Accounting, Waste-to-Energy and Solid Waste. In addition to general administration and budgetary oversight, the department also helps local municipalities to secure funding for water and sewer projects.
To accomplish the above services Department of Public Works is divided into two divisions. They are:
Strategic Goals
- Develop and implement a long-term energy generation and use strategy for landfill gas
- Develop and implement a strategy for increased solid waste recovery, processing, and recycling services and systems
- Operate without the use of Kent County General Fund support
- Participate in the economic development and planning efforts of the region
- Sustain the appropriate useful life of infrastructure.
Operational Goals
- Ensure availability of long-term disposal and transfer capacity for Kent County residents
- Accept and process increased curbside recycling tonage at the Material Recovery Facility
- Accept all solid waste delivered and process solid waste for energy recovery or transfer in a cost effective and environmentally responsible manner
- Provide reliable cost-effective sanitary and storm sewer operations and maintenance services for contracted communities and County agencies
- Provide services to permit and inspect new sanitary sewer installations in accordances with MDEQ Act 98 permit requirements
2009 Adopted Uses: $54,801,496
2009 Adopted Revenues: $54,801,496
Selected Performance Measures
|
Uses |
2006 Actual |
2007 Actual |
2008 Actual |
2009 Expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work plans completed | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Electricity sold (Mwh) | 95,509 | 98,738 | 102,168 | 96,120 |
| Tons of solid waste landfilled | 171,883 | 183,897 | 190,545 | 190,000 |
| Tons of recyclable materials processed | 13,688 | 14,230 | 14,492 | 15,000 |
| Number of households’ hazardous waste disposed | 1,582 | 2,430 | 2,053 | 2,100 |
| Tons of waste turned to electricity & steam | 180,726 | 178,579 | 187,135 | 178,000 |
| Lineal feet of public sanitary sewer construction inspected | 18,424 | 45,300 | 46,998 | 25,000 |
| Net cost/ton processed (Material Recovery Facility) | $65.82 | $64.58 | $75.56 | $70.00 |
| Cost per pound collected (Household Hazardous Waste) | $2.04 | $1.23 | $1.32 | $1.45 |
| Cost per ton for processing - SKL | $16.85 | $17.66 | $19.35 | $20.00 |
| Cost per ton for processing - NKTS | $22.71 | $22.89 | $23.84 | $24.00 |
Department History of Uses
| Uses |
2006 Actual |
2007 Actual |
2008 Adopted |
2009 Adopted |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Personnel |
$ |
3,984,846 |
$ |
4,375,250 |
$ |
4,563,550 |
$ |
4,839,782 |
Commodities |
136,624 |
132,536 |
186,950 |
180,049 |
||||
Contractual |
37,653146 |
39,209,011 |
39,516,891 |
39,890,474 |
||||
Operating Capital |
723,713 |
868,880 |
827,500 |
856,834 |
||||
Other Expense |
4,121,403 |
3,806,687 |
10,605,630 |
9,034,357 |
||||
Total Uses |
$46,619,732 |
$48,392,364 |
$55,700,521 |
$54,801,496 |
||||
Personnel FTE |
77.5 |
71.5 |
71.5 |
70.5 |
||||
Significant Budget Issues
The Waste-to Energy operations completed an extended and restated service agreement with Covanta Energy for the operaton of the facility. The Resource Recovery Program participated in numerous educational events during the year. Also, the department instituted a program that lends recycling bins to organizations for special events. The Utility Services Division has entered into a five-year contract with the North Kent Sewer Authority and its individual members.
A decrease of one FTE is due to changes in part-time hours.
History of Uses (in millions)
