Finance committee backs Nash Creek drainage bond; county share about $130,000

The Kent County Board of Commissioners Finance Committee approved a recommendation to pledge the county’s full faith and credit for the issuance of Nash Creek Intercounty Drain District Bond Series 2025 to fund a multi‑year stream stabilization and restoration project. The project cost was presented not to exceed $4,100,000; the county’s at‑large share was reported as roughly $130,000 and the committee approved a related transfer and appropriation of up to $130,255 to the FY 2025 General Fund Drains county at‑large budget.

Drain Commissioner Yonker described the project’s history and scope. “This is a project that we started 4 years ago. It was petitioned by the township board,” Yonker said, and he explained the work responds to widespread erosion caused by dead ash, changes in field tiling that accelerate runoff, sedimentation of a deep pond that has filled with silt, and chronic high‑water flooding that has inundated village Main Street buildings during major events.

Yonker said engineers initially estimated an $8 million project but that the county secured $2 million from the state budget and additional assistance from the conservation district for tree planting. The planned work includes about a mile and a half of two‑stage ditching (to slow flows and reduce channel erosion), riparian tree plantings to shade and stabilize banks, invasive grass removal and construction of a deeper wetland area to detain flood water. The Commissioner said the design will remove barriers to fish passage and aims to restore trout habitat where feasible; the wetland work will be monitored under EGLE oversight for five years.

Yonker also described extensive easement work to rebuild rights‑of‑way lost to erosion; he said roughly 43–45 easements were re‑signed with property owners and that the Commissioner did not charge personal time to the district, saving about $1 million in project costs.

Committee members asked about timing and cumulative county obligations. Yonker said additional large at‑large projects are pending and that combined county responsibility across the petitioned projects is currently estimated near $7.8 million; commissioners were told some funding and bids will extend into the next fiscal year. The committee approved the bond pledge recommendation and the at‑large appropriation transfer by voice vote.