Holland recycling center not eligible for $1M county grant

OTTAWA COUNTY — After a planned project with the city of Holland fell through, Ottawa County will have to adjust its plans for a $1 million sustainability grant from the state.

During a meeting Tuesday, July 2, members of the Ottawa County Board’s finance and administration committee approved a budget adjustment that discludes the grant from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. That doesn't, however, mean the county is returning it.

Nina Baranowski, finance manager for the Ottawa County Department of Public Health, said the grant agreement expires Sept. 30 and won’t be spent this fiscal year, so it’s being removed as a way of “cleaning up the budget."

Staff hope to still utilize the funds. Kim Wolters, the county’s environmental health supervisor, said she’s requested an extension from EGLE.

"We’re not just letting it go," she said. "We’re holding onto it as long as we can.”

Following that explanation, Committee Chair Gretchen Cosby asked, “To be clear, the county is not canceling the grant?”

“Nope, we’re just making the numbers look good,” Wolters said.

The grant in question is intended to help the county construct a new environmental sustainability center.

Commissioners had previously approved a plan to pass the funds to Holland for a facility along Pine Avenue. But under the explanation section of the budget adjustment proposal in Tuesday’s agenda packet, fiscal services wrote the project "is no longer viable.”

“The city of Holland's project does not meet the scope of the grant application/award," it read.

Wolters shared Tuesday the city has applied for its own infrastructure grant in an attempt to pursue the project.

The grant first came before the committee in March 2023. At the time, the facility was proposed on the campus of Grand Valley State University in Allendale Township.

The GVSU-based center would have included a recycling drop-off location for county residents and served as a hub for the county’s existing centers.

That plan was tabled, though, with commissioners Joe Moss, Sylvia Rhodea, Gretchen Cosby, Allison Miedema, Roger Belknap and Lucy Ebel supporting the delay. Jacob Bonnema, Rebekah Curran and Doug Zylstra disagreed.

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In November, the grant was brought before the committee again, this time in Holland. The committee voted 9-0 to accept the grant and the interlocal agreement, which was approved by the full board on Nov. 21.

Budget amendments on Tuesday passed 5-0 and will advance to the full board next week.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.