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Barry County Chamber reports broadband, childcare and housing progress to commissioners
Summary
The Barry County Chamber and EDA presented an annual report May 27 highlighting broadband expansions covering about 7,500 addresses (noting projects in Hickory Corners and Thornapple Township), childcare capacity growth including a new 60-seat site, over 1,000 housing units planned countywide, and workforce training initiatives.
Jennifer Heisman (introduced by the chair) and Nicole Wyke, the economic development director for the Barry County Chamber and EDA, presented the chamber's annual report to the board on May 27.
Wyke said the county has seen progress on broadband expansion: roughly 7,500 addresses will receive coverage through current projects, including about 490 addresses in Hickory Corners and just over 200 addresses in a project spanning Thornapple and Rutland townships. She said early delays in a federal grant process paused some applications but the county's BEAD-related efforts remain the biggest broadband success for Barry County to date.
On childcare, Wyke said a recent regional study showed countywide improvements in provider access (she cited a change from about 4.2 kids per provider earlier to roughly 2.3), and noted new and expanding child-care facilities, including a Little Sprouts site expected to provide about 60 seats and a new Munchkinland 2 in Middleville.
Wyke also described housing activity: she said more than 1,000 housing units are planned in Barry County and the county is updating its housing study. She outlined efforts to preserve affordable homeownership through a local initiative ("HOMES: Homeownership Made Easy and Sustainable") in partnership with the Barry Community Foundation and United Way and noted work to reuse existing properties for lower-income housing.
On workforce development, Wyke said the chamber reestablished the county career consortium, graduated a cohort from a Kellogg Advanced Manufacturing Assembly program and is working with local employers to create temporary training facilities focused on allied health and manufacturing skills.
Wyke urged coordination with townships and municipal partners on permitting and right-of-way issues for broadband projects, and said the chamber will host a "Permitting 101" workshop and record it for wider use.
The presentation closed with an invitation to the board to continue supporting local partnerships that advance broadband, childcare, housing and workforce strategies. No formal action was taken at the meeting on the items presented.
