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Zeeland council adopts electric, water rate ordinances, accepts appointments and names interim fire chief
Summary
At its Dec. 1 meeting, the Zeeland Common Council adopted ordinances revising electric and water rates, approved multiple committee and administrative appointments and confirmed Mitch Harsevoort as interim Fire/Rescue Chief, with motions passing unanimously in recorded roll calls.
The Zeeland Common Council on Dec. 1 adopted ordinances to revise the city’s electric and water rates, approved several mayoral committee appointments and confirmed an interim Fire/Rescue chief.
Councilmember Phung Lam moved to adopt Ordinance 1044 to permit electric rate revisions; Councilmember Timmer supported the motion, which passed unanimously in a recorded roll call. Councilmember Amy Langeland moved to adopt Ordinance 1045 to permit water rate revisions; Mayor Pro-Tem Sally Gruppen supported the motion and it likewise passed with unanimous recorded support.
The council approved a motion to add a partial release of a restrictive covenant for 500 N. Centennial to the agenda. The consent agenda was approved by roll call. The meeting minutes record the ayes for these measures as Councilmembers Langeland, Timmer, Bult, Phung Lam, Perkins, Mayor Pro-Tem Gruppen and Mayor Richard VanDorp III; no votes were recorded against the motions in the transcript.
Mayor VanDorp’s appointment of Mitch Harsevoort as interim Fire/Rescue Chief was approved, effective Dec. 13, 2025, until a full-time chief is hired and transitions into the role (approximately two to three weeks after hire). The council set the interim annualized pay for that period at $45,167.20, based on an average of 20 hours per week; the motion passed with the same unanimous roll call recorded elsewhere on the agenda.
Council also approved the mayor’s appointments to the Tax Incentive Committee, the Personnel Committee and administrative appointments to the Pension Committee, with terms and administrative responsibilities recorded in the meeting minutes. Specific committee appointees listed in the record include Richard Van Dorp III as mayor, Sally Gruppen and Phung Lam representing city council on the Tax Incentive Committee, and administrative officials Andrew Boatright, Kevin Plockmeyer and Tim Klunder on the Pension Committee.
The meeting record shows that former Mayor Kevin Klynstra and Councilmembers Broersma and Kass recused themselves from parts of the session and that Kristi DeVerney, the city clerk, administered oaths of office to the newly seated officials.
The council concluded its regular business after recording the motions and votes. The transcript does not record any votes opposing the actions described above.
