Emily's Platform
Local Economy
Grow Kentwood’s economy through supporting our businesses, residents, and expanding employer opportunities.
- Support small businesses and entrepreneurs that play crucial roles in Kentwood’s economy. It is up to us to ensure they have the needed resources to survive the current climate and bounce back as Kentwood opens up.
- Provide access to financial resources such as community grants and loans
- Training tools such as financial seminars, bid processes, etc.
- Supplier diversity program and policy
- Make Kentwood attractive to employers to create and increase local jobs and our city’s tax base
- Direct resources to job seekers navigating these challenging times
- Promote a small business environment through partnerships with surrounding organizations, such as Local First, to spend and keep local dollars in Kentwood.
- Affordable Housing
- Evaluate and update zoning to create affordable housing
- Connect surrounding residents to financial & rent assistance resources
- Local nonprofits and school districts
- State and federal agencies
- Communicate with constituents on employment and education opportunities
- Advocate and implement voter education and registration efforts
- Host citizenship classes for residents pursuing naturalization
Environment
Making Kentwood a greener and more sustainable city.
- Install more walking paths and connect with surrounding cities
- Support and fund park beautification
- Promote and support community gardens
- Provide access to financial resources such as community grants and loans
- Training tools such as financial seminars, bid processes, etc.
- Supplier diversity program and policy
- Provide a recycling solution for residents
- Shift to sustainable lawn care methods
- Install electric vehicle (EV) chargers
- Install city-wide energy efficiency measures
- Adopt an electronic tree inventory system
- Set the goal of planting 10,000 trees in 10 years
- Evaluate which neighborhoods lack trees and equitably implement city resources
- Install a solar farm on the superfund site behind city hall
Community Health
Create a city where everyone has a voice, access to city resources, and equitable representation.
- Cultural competence training
- Create a non-discrimination statement
- Provide excellence in customer service
- Use census data to create equitable representation on boards and commissions
- Transparency in the city’s decisions on budgets, policies, and the allocation of taxpayer dollars while ensuring issues are solved in a timely manner
- Provide access to financial resources such as community grants and loans
- Training tools such as financial seminars, bid processes, etc.
- Supplier diversity program and policy
- Implement master plan including new parks and a recreation building, amphitheatre, and a community gathering space near city hall
- Create a community meeting space focused on the needs of our immigrant and refugee population
- Work with public safety officers to improve relations and outreach with community members
- Create an annual event to celebrate the best of Kentwood together with community members and public safety officials
- Ensure necessary training facilities for safety officials such as building a training center for Kentwood’s Firefighters
- Highlight and encourage neighborhood associations
“I will create a stronger Kentwood that is more responsive, accessible, and representative of our community through active, collaborative leadership.”