Frequently Asked Questions

Just like any other mechanical device, backflow prevention assemblies are prone to wear and tear, and do break down from time to time. Regular testing is required in order to ensure that your device remains in proper working order (http://www.hydrocorpinc.com/resources/faq/).

Manufacturers’ requirements, state plumbing codes, and local cross connection control programs usually require annual backflow prevention assembly testing. You will receive notice when testing is required.

HydroCorp has been contracted by Georgetown Township to assist with their Cross Connection Control (CCC) Program. Every CCC program includes two parts: Testing of backflow prevention assemblies and on-site inspections. The visiting technician will be conducting a visual inspection of your facility’s internal water system to identify cross connections that could possibly contaminate your drinking water or the public water supply. These may include boilers, water softeners, hose connections, utility sinks, lawn sprinklers, fire systems, and restrooms. Your water service will not be interrupted during the inspection process.

An average inspection normally takes from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your facility and how your plumbing system is configured.

An adult 18 years of age or older must be present during the inspection.

If you are the owner of the building being inspected, you are responsible for any needed repairs. Renters may have to refer to their lease agreements in order to determine whether they are responsible for repairs.

All HydroCorp inspectors wear photo ID badges during inspections and are prepared to provide appropriate documentation verifying their identities. Do not admit any individuals who do not have these badges or documentation.

Smart911 allows citizens to create a Safety Profile at https://www.smart911.com/ for their household that includes any information they want 9-1-1 and response teams to have in the event of an emergency. When a citizen makes an emergency call, their Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker, allowing them to send the right response teams to the right location with the right information. Responders can be aware of many details they would not have known previously, and now fire crews can arrive at a house fire knowing how many people live in the home and the location of bedrooms, EMS can be advised of allergies or specific medical conditions and police can have the photo of a missing child in seconds rather than minutes or hours. Smart911 also has a mobile app available for both Android and Apple.

No, you do not need a permit for a small campfire in the backyard. You can only burn clean wood; no brush,trash, or yard waste permitted.

Burning yard waste such as leaves, grass and twigs is not permitted for many reasons, as the smoke poses a threat to human health in high density suburban neighborhoods. Persons burning yard waste will be asked to put the fire out and will be cited. We only allow burning in certain zoning districts, and only if the property owner has a burn permit. Composting is a better option, as it returns helpful nutrients to the soil. If you don't know if you are eligible to receive a burning permit, please contact the township offices at 616-457-2340 or email contact@georgetown-mi.gov

We allow homeowners to burn brush or yard waste only in certain zoning districts and only if you have a burning permit. Just because you are not in a subdivision, that does not mean you have the appropriate zoning for a burn permit.

Burn permits can be obtained from the township office if you are eligible. You must call the Township offices BEFORE you burn so we can inform Ottawa County Central Dispatch. If you plan to burn on a weekend, you must call us during office hours during the week. If the fire department is called due to excessive smoke or interference with neighbors you may be asked to put the fire out.

The Michigan Fireworks Safety Act allows the discharge of consumer fireworks on the following days:

• December 31, after 11 AM and until 1 AM on January 1
• The Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Memorial Day, after 11 AM and until 11:45 PM on each of those days.
• On June 29 to July 4, after 11 AM and until 11:45 PM on each of those days.
• If July 5 is a Friday or Saturday, fireworks are allowed on July 5 after 11 AM and until 11:45 PM
• On the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Labor Day, after 11 AM and until 11:45 PM on each of those days.

We do not check car seats at any Georgetown fire station. We recommend you contact your pediatrician's office or local children's hospitals for resources about car seat safety.

We are always willing to look at qualified individuals that would like to join our team. Click here to view more information on what is required of a firefighter. If you have further questions please contact the fire chief.

Call the main office 8 AM - 5 PM Monday - Friday. (616)457-2340. After hours call the non-emergency number for Ottawa County Central Dispatch at 1-800-249-0911.

Yes all smoke detectors have batteries. Most smoke detectors have a standard 9 volt battery including detectors that are wired to power all the time. These wired detectors need a battery in case of a power outage. You should change the batteries every 6 months.

When should you use the toll free non-emergency number 1-800-249-0911?

The non-emergency number is to assist the public when the use of 911 is not an urgent request or life and property are not in danger. The non-emergency number is toll free, and answered twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Call 1-800-249-0911 when there is no immediate danger to life or property.

Examples: Animal Control calls (no threat to public safety), miscellaneous crimes, any type of incident that has occurred at an earlier time/date that needs a police investigation and/or a report, miscellaneous calls for service where police or fire assistance would be helpful, or informational requests related to police or fire activity.

When the fire department responds to a given location, we may be delayed in arriving if the address is not clearly seen from the street. Although it's fairly easy to spot a column of smoke from a house fire, it's difficult to see someone's heart attack from the street. In a medical emergency, firefighters may waste critical time having to knock on several doors to try and find a correct address. Make sure your address is clearly visible from the street. The numbers should be four inches in height and be reflective.

This problem is compounded in large condominium and apartment complexes; both are huge residential facilities with many buildings. Make sure large identification lettering or numbering is mounted on the side of the building. This is as important as the street address. It would be even better if someone could be standing near the street to direct the fire units to the appropriate apartment.

The Georgetown Fire Department does not service or dispose of extinguishers. We recommend taking empty fire extinguishers to a hazardous waste recycling facility (like Ottawa County's Hazardous Waste and Recycling facility on Roger Dr in Hudsonville). Fire protections companies who perform fire safety inspections for commercial properties may also take empty fire extinguishers or have resources for repairing broken fire extinguishers.

You will fill out this form, at least two weeks in advance to request the Fire Department attend your event: https://www.gtwp.com/formcenter/fire-department-9/schedule-a-fire-prevention-event-76

Fire Department units are dispatched according to information received by the 911 operator. The Georgetown Fire Department is prepared to deal with the worst that could happen at any given incident. A computer selects the closest unit to respond to an incident. The fire department's philosophy is to get our firefighters there as soon as possible. 

In preparation for the worst case scenario, an ambulance often is dispatched as well. There may be three or more fire department vehicles on the scene for what appears to be a "simple" incident. However, in emergency services we have learned that if we assume something is "simple," we can be horribly mistaken. Plus, we respond as fast as we can and are prepared to encounter the worst. The winner in these situations will always be the citizen who needs help.

Our services are paid through taxes collected by Georgetown Township. Therefore,Georgetown township residents are not charged for fire protection or medical services. If you require emergency transportation via ambulance or helicopter those entities will charge for the services they render.

No, we do not rescue cats from trees.

A principal residence is exempt from school operating taxes levied by the school district up to 18 mills.  A homeowner's principal residence is defined as: "the one place where an owner of the property has his or her true, fixed and permanent home to which, whenever absent, he or she intends to return and that shall continue as a principal residence until another principal residence is established." 

Laws regarding PRE are established by the State of Michigan.  Property owners may claim only one PRE.  A husband and wife filing income tax returns jointly are entitled to only one PRE.  The law allows a temporary additional exemption for up to 3 years on a home that is listed for sale and unoccupied (among other qualifications), and is referred to as a Conditional Rescind.  The law also allows members of the armed forces to retain their exemption if they rent their home while away on active duty. Click here to be taken to the State of Michigan's FAQs regarding PRE.

The annual deadline for being eligible for PRE is June 1.  If a homeowner intends to claim PRE, they must file for and qualify for PRE by June 1.  All PRE forms are reviewed by the Assessing Department.  Exemptions filed in prior years are valid until rescinded.

The summer property tax bills are mailed in early July of each year and are due on September 14th.

The taxable value of a property is the value against which property taxes are calculated.  Current taxable value for a property can be found on a property tax statement or by visiting our property information system. Click here to go to our BSA property information system.

A millage rate is the rate at which property taxes are levied on property. One mill is 1/1000 of a dollar.  Property taxes are computed by multiplying the taxable value of the property by the number of mills levied.

For example, if a school operating tax is 18 mills, that's $18 per every $1,000 of taxable value.  If a property has $100,000 of taxable value the formula is: 18X100 = $1,800 in school operating tax.

Millage rates can be found on a property tax statement or by checking your property's tax information on the BSA property information system. Click here to go to the BSA property tax information system.

You may place your payment in the Township payment drop box located at the south face of the library near Baldwin St.  Payments placed in the drop box any time on the due date will be considered on time.  

The size you can build depends on the Zoning District you are in. Information about accessory buildings can be found in Chapter 3, Section 3.4 of the Zoning Ordinance.

It depends on the zoning district. Click on the link below to view the district regulations where you can view lot sizes, lot width requirements and setback requirements.

A fence up to 6 feet tall can be built at a residence as long as it does not extend beyond the front face of the house. Georgetown Township does not have any requirements regulating which side of the fence faces out, nor are there any setback requirements. Be mindful that you are responsible for maintaining any of your property outside of the fence. Special considerations exist for corner and double frontage lots. In the case of a corner lot, for zoning purposes any yard which abuts a street is considered to be a front yard and therefore may not have a privacy fence which extends beyond that face of the house. For double frontage lots, the fence must be set back at least 5 feet front the rear lot line.

The Georgetown Parks Pavilion Rental Request & Agreement form can be found on our Parks page or by clicking here: Park Pavilion Rental Agreement.

At this time, Georgetown Township only takes reservations for 8th Avenue and Maplewood Parks. Reservations can only be made between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The reservation form can be filled out online here: https://georgetown.seamlessdocs.com/f/pavilionrental

8th Avenue, Maplewood, Rosewood, Pioneer, and Rush Creek Parks have pavilions available. Only 8th Avenue and Maplewood parks have pavilions that can be reserved. You can find the reservation form online here: https://georgetown.seamlessdocs.com/f/pavilionrental

All Georgetown Township Parks have portable restrooms available. 8th Avenue and Maplewood parks have facility restrooms that are available for use between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

8th Avenue, Maplewood, Pioneer, Rush Creek parks have grills available for use.

To find results, click here.

No, our meters are mechanical meters; they do not read electronically.

Utilities are billed quarterly. Your first utility bill will be prorated from the time you create an account with us.

Yes. You can sign up for ACH automatic withdraw by filling out the application here. ACH can only be withdrawn from a checking or savings account.

Unfortunately, no. Residents have on occasion reported that our billing statements will get sent to spam folders, even after several successful deliveries to the main inbox. As email security services are constantly updating, we cannot rely on email services to deliver bills. Residents can receive their bills both via email and paper, but cannot be exclusively email.

Yes, you can pay your bill online here by using an electronic check or debit/credit card (additional 3% fee with debit/credit card).

There are a few factors that could contribute to a high bill.

• Utility bills tend to jump during the summer months due to landscaping/sprinkling.
• During the winter months you are not being billed for seasonal sewer, and your sewer charge is directly related to your water charge. This can make your bill seem abnormal if you were maintaining your lawn later into the year.
• If you’re concerned your usage is dramatically different from usual, you may have a leak. Click here to see tips on pinpointing a leak.
  
  

Click here to find the application for absentee ballot. You can fill out the form, print and sign it, and then turn it into the township office. You can also come into the office to fill out the form. 

Ottawa County has an interactive map that shows voting location information. You can search for your address, or find your property on the map and click on it to see where your polling location is. Click here to view the map.

On Election Day, polls are open from 7:00 AM until 8:00 PM. If you are in line before 8:00 PM, you will be allowed to vote.

There are several ways. The easiest way to register to vote is by going online to the Michigan Secretary of State's website here: SOS Voter Registration. If you've recently moved, your voter registration is often updated at the same time as you update your driver's license with the SOS. You can also come into the township office to register to vote. PLEASE NOTE that by updating your voter registration you are actively updating your driver's license. Your voter registration information will get sent to the SOS and a new address sticker for your driver's license will be issued.

Absentee ballots may be returned until 8 PM on election day in the drop box located at 1515 Baldwin St at the South end of the library near Baldwin St (pictured below). There are also drop boxes at all three of the Georgetown Township Fire Stations. Station 1 is at 14th Ave and 44th St. Station 2 is on Church Street near Main St and Baldwin St. Station 3 is at 36th Ave and Baldwin St.

Election results can be found on the Ottawa County Clerk's website: Ottawa County Clerk Election Results