Wayne Martin, a Kentwood resident, told the Kentwood City Commission on July 1 that he was confused and worried about recent increases in water and property bills and raised separate concerns about an emergency call that drew an armed police response to his home.

Martin said he had been told his water bill rose by about 49% and that parts of Kentwood are served through infrastructure tied to Wyoming. “I don't understand it. I really don't,” he said. He also asked the commission about PFAS in the drinking water and whether Kentwood has a local pump station. Later in his remarks he said, “I called for an ambulance back in 2023 or 2022, and 2 cops showed up at my house with guns drawn on me,” and asked the commission to look into why that happened.

City staff responded during the meeting and offered to meet Martin after the meeting to review his bill and to arrange a tour of the city’s water facilities. A staff member said Kentwood does have a local facility, the Potter Street Pump Station, and described three storage tanks: a 5,000,000‑gallon tank, a 1,000,000‑gallon tank and a smaller tank the speaker described as “a half million gallon or 250,000 gallon.” The staff member invited Martin to provide his billing details so the city could run the specific calculations.

Mayor Kepley and commissioners also commented on property taxes during the exchange, noting that much of local property tax revenue is set by state law and distributed to schools and regional services. Kepley noted the city does not set the statewide formula and said the city primarily collects and distributes those levies.

The commission did not take formal action on the concerns raised at the public comment period. Staff said they would follow up directly with Martin to review his bill, discuss PFAS testing and investigate the 911/response incident he described.