Ottawa County Considering Rejoining Grand Rapids Metro Area

[RegalTDP]

There's an inconsistency in the reporting here...

From the Holland Sentinel last week:

With the 2010 Census quickly approaching, the county planning commission voted 5-1 recently to ask the county board to support the idea of rejoining the Grand Rapids-Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area.

[suydam]

this is all assumption. but, lets say there are 3000 students that will go to the med school (I have no idea the actual number) add in the profs. thats 100-200 more plus staff some degreed you must be looking at about a 1% growth. I would say 1% is substantial.

[aowwt]

true that we will only have 450 or so college degrees in the city, as what was pointed out before thats still more than what we had before. Do not forget the VAI that is going to employ some 1000 more folks. We also have a possible if not already expansion of Spectrum for the Childrens Hospital, Heart Center, and Cancer Center that were all built after 2000. We also have to consider that VAI was not fully built out until after 2000. We have a lot of college degrees that came into the city just to support these few enterprises. I would also like to point out that it seems GRCC student numbers would have increased since 2000. That alone means more teachers. So I myself can not wait for the 2010 census to see what happens with out numbers. BTW if Ottawa County does get added in, I forgot about GVSU also being part of that county. That alone should add some weight behind the percentages. Every little step we take is still a huge step when taken altogether.

[RegalTDP]

The Sentinel chimed in on this, and they missed the mark:

Holland Sentinel: Our view - Ottawa Co. can stand on its own in census

I'll admit that, as a GR guy, I'm insensitive to the Lakeshore's sense of cultural identity, but with Michigan's economy the way it is, we need to be pulling out every possible stop to bring outside industries and investment into our area.

We shouldn't get caught up in the idea of being big

[GRDadof3]

The Sentinel chimed in on this, and they missed the mark:

Holland Sentinel: Our view - Ottawa Co. can stand on its own in census

I'll admit that, as a GR guy, I'm insensitive to the Lakeshore's sense of cultural identity, but with Michigan's economy the way it is, we need to be pulling out every possible stop to bring outside industries and investment into our area.

No they won't! The smart companies check the metrics to find the big markets, and the current metrics don't favor us.

I don't know if you guys heard about GVSU's report on our dismal venture capital numbers... It wasn't surprising, but appalling nonetheless to anyone who wants to see this area grow. We have to work with each other to attract outside capital, not against each other... and Holland has a lot to gain from a vibrant GR.

[RegalTDP]

We've established that using county lines as borders makes no sense... But my position is, as long as they use a system that doesn't make sense, let's make it nonsensical in OUR favor. My main beef with the Sentinel was that I think now is the time to forgo local identity in favor of economic advancement... If MSA populations do, indeed, make a difference. If anyone's conducting surveys, include that one too.

If you add up the Sentinel's numbers, that's 42,000 commuters between the cities each day, so there's definitely a certain level of interdependency that we should be milking for all its worth.

My big question is, whether or not a petition from Ottawa County, or wrangling from Pete Hoekstra or Vern Ehlers, have any influence on the Census at all.

[GRDadof3]

We've established that using county lines as borders makes no sense... But my position is, as long as they use a system that doesn't make sense, let's make it nonsensical in OUR favor. My main beef with the Sentinel was that I think now is the time to forgo local identity in favor of economic advancement... If MSA populations do, indeed, make a difference. If anyone's conducting surveys, include that one too.

If you add up the Sentinel's numbers, that's 42,000 commuters between the cities each day, so there's definitely a certain level of interdependency that we should be milking for all its worth.

My big question is, whether or not a petition from Ottawa County, or wrangling from Pete Hoekstra or Vern Ehlers, have any influence on the Census at all.

[RegalTDP]

Take that, Sentinel. The Press gets it:

Miscounting West Michigan's MSA - MLive

At first blush arguments over "metropolitan statistical areas," or MSAs, seem about as interesting to the average person as a labyrinthine mathematical formula.

[GRDadof3]

Not just a business attraction tool, but how the MSA's are counted effects medicare and medicaid dollars, as well as community block grants:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/ind..._hospitals.html

[suydam]

The Sentinel chimed in on this, and they missed the mark:

Holland Sentinel: Our view - Ottawa Co. can stand on its own in census

I'll admit that, as a GR guy, I'm insensitive to the Lakeshore's sense of cultural identity, but with Michigan's economy the way it is, we need to be pulling out every possible stop to bring outside industries and investment into our area.

No they won't! The smart companies check the metrics to find the big markets, and the current metrics don't favor us.

I don't know if you guys heard about GVSU's report on our dismal venture capital numbers... It wasn't surprising, but appalling nonetheless to anyone who wants to see this area grow. We have to work with each other to attract outside capital, not against each other... and Holland has a lot to gain from a vibrant GR.

[Phizzy]

Update: County moves to join GR stats area

A county board voted unanimously to try and shift Ottawa County into the Grand Rapids statistical area.

The move may save Ottawa County hospitals money because the rules for Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements to hospitals could soon change, according to county Planning Director Mark Knudsen.

The move may also help the Grand Rapids-Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area surpass the 1 million-resident mark, which is key to bringing large employers into a region, he said.