Kent County commissioners heard details about planned bonds to finance special-assessment drainage projects, with staff saying the sale is budgeted and bond closing is anticipated in December 2025.

County staff told the board the county will pledge its full faith and credit to allow property owners and public corporations to pay assessments over time and to secure a better interest rate. The method of sale will be chosen to reflect market conditions at the time of sale, staff said.

The item matters because it will allocate long-term debt against property assessments in drainage districts, affecting property owners within those districts and the county's debt plan.

At the meeting, the county’s drain commissioner explained the special-assessment process to commissioners who asked about timing and property-owner notice. He said engineers have completed estimated assessments and the county held a “day of review” when property owners could discuss their estimates. A small number of property owners attended that session and there is at least one pending appeal that will proceed through probate; the drain commissioner said the county had not yet received a probate hearing date.

The drain commissioner described post-probate steps: after the court rules, staff will move forward toward closing on the bonds. Property owners will receive one more notice and will have a prepayment window; participants said owners have 20 days to prepay if they choose. The drain commissioner said the board of determination (a three-member body required by the drain process) makes a necessity determination at a public hearing; that decision can be appealed to circuit court within 10 days. He said appeals over assessed amounts more commonly go to probate court.

Commissioners pressed for more context about costs to typical homeowners and for maps. The drain commissioner said average homeowners face about $100 per year on assessments, while larger properties carry higher bills; he listed Frederick Meijer Garden, Caterberg, Verhaeg Landscaping and Twin Lakes as among the larger assessments. He also said the office is managing roughly $20 million in projects and has five staff, and that state drain statutes do not require a formal education program for property owners; the drain commissioner said there is no dedicated budget or staff for outreach beyond mailed notices and the day-of-review process.

Commissioners moved and seconded the recommended action (moved by Vice Chair McLeod; supported by Commissioner Halstead) and then asked questions; the provided transcript does not record a final vote on the motion.

Next steps described on the record are: resolution of the pending probate hearing date, notification to property owners with the prepayment window, and, after court action and any appeals, staff proceeding toward bond closing in December 2025.

Officials and commissioners distinguished discussion items (process explanation, average-cost estimates and resource limits), directions to proceed subject to court outcomes, and no formal final action was recorded in the provided transcript.