The
Holland Board of Public Works – a hometown utility created to meet the needs of
the community
As early as the 1880’s, Holland citizens began to realize the need for the creation of a municipal water system. The venture into municipal ownership of public utilities began in 1883, with the city proposing a bond to cover the cost of construction for a water works system. Completed in April of 1885, a Board of Water Commissioners was appointed to oversee the system, which comprised 4.5 miles of water mains.
In
the early days of water supply, there were many problems related to controlling
its use. Residents were often found to
be using water without having obtained the required permits, and meters were
not always used.
By
1886, it became apparent that 1886 needed a larger water supply. Permission was obtained from the Common
Council to drill in search of more water, and a new well was constructed that
year. More test wells were established
in 1888-89 in search of yet more water sources. The completion of a third well took place in 1890. Watermain extensions were also in demand for
a number of years, and some small extensions were made; however expansion of
the system on a large scale was not approved until 1891.
Electric
lighting, to be used for commercial purposes, followed in 1890 when Alfred
Huntley and W. A. Holley received permission from the Holland Common Council to
use the streets for installing poles and lines. Permission was granted with the understanding that if at any
future time the city decided to establish a power plant for street and
commercial lighting purposes, Huntley and Holley would be required to forfeit
their right-of-way privilege and remove the poles. This action prompted
the establishment of the
Wolverine Electric Light Company to supply electric lighting
to the city’s commercial businesses.
Concurrently,
the city had entered into a contract for gas streetlights through the Globe
Light and Heat Company of Chicago. The
service, however, proved to be unreliable, and street lighting became a heated
issue in 1891. At a Common Council
meeting, 112 citizens submitted a petition asking the city to contract
with the Wolverine Electric Light company for lighting on 8th and
River Streets.
The
committee responsible for this decision could not agree on a recommendation,
the majority favoring installation of 8 electric arc lamps through Wolverine
and a minority favoring the construction of a municipal power plant. The Common Council tabled both reports and
the matter was dropped until some time later, when a petition bearing 205
signatures was presented to the Council.
The petition called for a referendum vote to decide whether
bonds should be issued for a power plant to be constructed to light the streets
of the city.
The
Common Council’s Committee on Electric Lighting favored the citizens’ petition
and presented a report giving estimates on the cost of an electric light
plant. At the same time, Wolverine
Electric Light company also presented a proposal to provide the necessary
lights and electric power. Common
Council rejected this proposal, approving instead the committee’s
recommendation, and April 1892, was set for the referendum vote.
This
vote, which was the second in Holland’s history on the question of municipal
ownership of utilities, was more conclusive than the former, indicating citizen
approval of the conduct of the 10-year-old water department. The vote resulted in 524 citizens favoring
the establishing of a city-owned power plant, with 210 voting against it.
The
Wolverine Electric Light company immediately filed suit against the city,
charging that the city charter did not allow the city to install their own
electric lighting and also that the vote was not conducted according to charter
requirements. On December 1st of
that year, a judge in Ottawa County Circuit court ruled in favor of the
plaintiff, saying the Holland common Council could not issue electric light
bonds. Immediately plans were made to
amend the city charter and provide for the establishment of a Board of Public
Works to manage the water works, electric light plant, sewer system, and other
such public improvements.
A
revised charter was approved by the state legislature in 1893 and an
overwhelming vote in favor of a city-owned system was put into place. With this, the City of Holland’s municipal
electric production and distribution system was begun.
Land
was purchased from Hope College on east Sixth Street near Cedar Street (now
College Avenue) to build the electric production facility. This plant became known as the “Fifth Street
Station.”
Today,
the HBPW provides electricity, water filtration and supply, and wastewater
collection and treatment for nearly 30,000 customers. Its system has grown tremendously in size, technology, and
reliability. From the 40 streetlights
that were installed in 1893, the Holland Board of Public Works has expanded to
a service system that includes street lighting, industrial electric service, residential
electric service, and fiber optic technology.
Clearly, the decision made over 100 years ago by the voters of Holland
to initiate municipally owned utilities has proven to be a valuable asset to
the entire community.
In
the spirit of public ownership, the Holland Board of Public Works has continued
to provide a multitude of benefits to the community, including: low rates,
excellent service, local accountability, a financial contribution to the City’s
General fund, and active involvement in the community.