Kentwood · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Kentwood public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Police department promotions
The police department promoted two lieutenants and two sergeants, expanding its command team for the first time in years.
Coral Valley cul-de-sac improvements
The city is finally fulfilling decades-old promises to add landscape separation and berms between the Coral Valley neighborhood and 29th Street, and improving the cul-de-sac.
Police Department 2025 performance
Kentwood firefighters handled 5,507 runs in 2025 — most of them medical calls — while keeping average response times at 4:34, beating the 5:20 promised to residents. The department also installed nearly 1,000 free smoke alarms and logged over 3,200 inspections.
32nd Street bridge replacement over Broadmoor (M-37)
MDOT will replace the 32nd Street bridge next year. Kentwood will pay about $308,000 as its share, including added paving on 36th Street while crews are on site, plus a street-lighting contract change.
Zoo & Museum Millage Renewal on the November 3 ballot
A ten-year, .4086-mill renewal for John Ball Zoo and the Grand Rapids Public Museum goes countywide on November 3 — about $5.11 a month for a $150,000-SEV home. It funds education programs, exhibits, collections care and zoo animal care, generating an estimated $15.5 million in year one.