Stormwater Task Force
Driving Forces
Task Force Members
Key Contacts

Stormwater Task Force

During the summer of 1999, the Kent County Drain Commissioner received inquiries from a number of townships within Kent County asking if there was a model storm water ordinance in existence. In response, the Drain Commissioner appointed a Stormwater Task Force in September 1999 whose mission was to review storm water ordinances from different units of government in order to improve on Kent County's standard rules and regulations.

Once the Stormwater Tools project was underway in April 2000, the Kent County Stormwater Task Force drew in more interested parities. There are approximately forty members of the group including representatives from both public and private interests. The Stormwater Task Force provides specific guidelines and tools for storm water management.

Driving Forces

Several forces contribute to the need for a Stormwater Task Force and Storm Water Tools program in Kent County. These forces include the following:

- There are varying policies at the regional and local level to address storm water issues.Historically, storm water policies addressed quantity issues as opposed to quality issues. Most storm water issues are dealt with on a project by project basis and water quality issues are not addressed. There is a need to also include policies on stream bank erosion, chemical constituents, and recreational and aesthetic values.

- There is a desire to protect and restore the quality of life in the region.
Population estimates for Kent County indicate that the population is expected to increase from 580,000 in the year 2000 to 834,000 in 2020. A regional storm water program should be developed to plan carefully for this growth to minimize any adverse impacts.

- There is a need for a shared vision and consistent regulations in the region.
Currently, storm water management is carried out by several different agencies, each with their own objectives. In order for storm water management to be effective, there must be a shared vision by both upstream and downstream communities in how to manage storm water runoff.

Task Force Members

Kent County Drain Commissioner
Roger Laninga (Chair) Dick Connell Jeff Gritter Doug Sporte Alpine Township
Mark Fleet Sharon Steffens Frank Wash Caledonia Township
John Wallace Cannon Township
Bonnie Shupe Center for Environmental Study
Rick Sullivan City of Grand Rapids Environmental Protection
Service Department
Eric DeLong Randy Lemoine Corky Overmyer Chuck Schroeder John Schaut City of Walker
Scott Conners City of Wyoming
Jerry Snyder Courtland Township
Jerry Lyon Dykema Excavating
Mike Berg Earth Tech
Aaron Volkening Exxel Engineering
Todd Stuive Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber
Wendy Ogilvie Jim Smalligan Grand Valley Metropolitan Council
Andy Bowman Jerry Felix GVSU - Annis Water Resources Institute
Sarah Allerding Mia DeBruyne Rod Denning
John Koches
Nichol Stout Grand Rapids Area Home Builders Association
Tom Shearer Izaak Walton League
John Trimberger Kent County Conservation District
Lisa Vazquez Kent County Road Commission
Wayne Harrall Medema, Van Kooten and Associates
Dale Van Kooten Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Dave Drullinger Mark Fife Dave Fongers George Hosek Steve Houtteman Amy Peterson Ralph Reznick Luis Saldivia Janice Tompkins Plainfield Township
Wendell Briggs Dave Groenleer Bob Homan Prein & Newhof
Dennis Cole Jim Kirkwood Timberland RC&D
Cynthia Price West Michigan Environmental Action Council
Tom Cary Patricia Pennell Vincent Ferrarese Legal Issues Subcommittee,
Storm Water Management Task Force
Jeffrey S. Ammon - Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey Clifford H. Bloom - Law, Weathers & Richardson PC James R. Brown - Mika, Meyers, Beckett & Jones PLC Richard W. Butler, Jr. - Richard W. Butler, Jr. PLC Jeffrey V.H. Sluggett - Law, Weathers & Richardson PC Key Contacts Nichol Stout
Former Project Manager GVSU - AWRI Roger Laninga Former Kent County Drain Commissioner