Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some commonly asked questions and their answers, grouped by department.

Building Permit and Inspection Services

Do I need a permit to put up a fence and what are the requirements?
No permit is required.  However, to put a fence on a corner lot, please contact the City of Walker Building Department at (616)791-6858.

Can I make an anonymous complaint?
Yes, you may. Click here to read about more about the complaint procedures.

Do I need a building permit for siding?
Yes, you do. Click here for application.

Do I need a permit to re-shingle my roof?
A permit is required only for a complete tear off of a roof not for shingle additions.  Only 2 layers of shingles are allowed.  Click here for application.

What are the required setbacks?
Click here to view the Schedule of District Regulations.

Why is the use of gravel restricted by the City of Walker?
Chapter 94- 438 of the City of Walker Zoning ordinance which specifically restricts parking lot surfaces to “dustless and durable all weather surface materials”. Due to the large number of fine materials present in gravel it generates large amounts of dust as well as sediment.  This creates both long-term erosion and maintenance problems.

Is a building permit required for a swimming pool or hot tub?
A building Electrical permit is required. Click here for a complete guideline. Click here for Swimming Pool application.

Is a building permit required for an accessory building or garage?
A permit is required for any building 200 sq. ft. or larger.

City Clerk

Where do I vote?
This is determined by where you live. Please contact the City Clerks office. There are 3 Wards with 3 Precincts in each Ward.

Who is my Commissioner?
There are two Commissioners elected into each Ward for 4 year terms. One Commissioner for each Ward is elected every other year.

Who is my Representative?
Click here to go to the State and Federal Officials Page of our website.

What school district am I in?
This is determined by where you live. Please contact the City Clerks office. There are three school districts within the City of Walker: Kenowa Hills, Grandville & Comstock Park.

When are the City Commission meetings?
The City Commission meets on the second and fourth Mondays of every month. Meetings begin at 8:00pm.  Committee of the Whole meetings precede the regular meetings and begin at 7:00pm. The purpose of a Committee of the Whole meeting is to discuss the items on the agenda. No action is taken at the Committee of the Whole meeting.

Fire Department

Can I burn anytime within the City of Walker?
No, there are specific times that open burning of brush and twigs is allowed, April 15 through May 15 and October 15 through November 15.  you must have a burning permit issued by the Fire Department to burn.

Do I need a permit to burn within the City of Walker?
Yes, you can obtain a permit, at no charge, at the receptionist area in City Hall, during normal business hours.

Is there a charge for the Fire Department to come to my house and put out a fire if I have a house fire?
No, your tax dollars provide you with 24 hour, 7 days a week fire protection.

How come my neighbor with an orchard can burn their tree brush and I can not burn outside of the normal burning season?
Agricultural permits are issued for these individuals that have working farms and must dispose of the limbs removed from their fruit trees during the trees' dormant period.  Their burning period is longer but they must follow the same rules as residential permits, also the same days of the week for burning.

If I build a new home in the City of Walker can I burn up the scrap lumber and other scrap materials?
No, commercial burning is not allowed, you must get a dumpster or make arrangements to have the materials hauled away.

Can I burn my household trash in a barrel in the yard?
No, burning of household refuse is not permitted even if you have a burning permit.

How far away from a building must I be if I am burning?
You must be at least 50 feet away from any building or any overhead wires.

Income Tax

Who needs to file a Walker Resident income tax return?
Every resident or part-year resident of Walker, including renters, who had taxable income in a tax year must file a return by April 30 of the following tax year.

Married persons may file either a joint return or separate returns. The following examples may be used to assist you in determining if a return is required:

• Filing as a single person--if your income is $750 or more you must file a return.
• Married, filing jointly--if your income is $1,500 or more you must file a return
• Filing as a single person and you are age 65 or older--if your income is $1,500 or more you must file a return
• Married, filing jointly and both you and your spouse are age 65 or older--if your income is $3,000 or more you must file a return

If you do not meet the requirements for filing a return, but Walker tax was withheld or estimated tax payments were made, you must file a return to receive a refund.

I only lived in Walker for part of the year--how do I file?
If you lived in Walker for part of the year and did not work in Walker as a non-resident, you need to file a Walker resident return (Form W-1040R). Report on this form only your taxable income while a resident, regardless of the source of the income. Check the part-year resident box under the name and address block on the form and fill in your dates of residency.

I am having trouble preparing my Walker return.  How do I get help?
We would be happy to prepare your Walker return free of charge.  Call (616)791-6880 for an appointment.  You will need to bring your completed federal return, W-2, and 1099 forms.

My mailing address is Grand Rapids. How do I know if I live in Walker?
All addresses in the City of Walker have a Grand Rapids mailing address. There is a Street Directory in the Assessor’s section of this website that lists all of the address ranges that are in Walker city limits.  Click here to view the Street Directory.

I received a distribution from a pension plan and/or an IRA that was reported to me on Form 1099-R.  How do I know if it is taxable?
Click here for a PDF document containing the pension and retirement benefit taxability rules.

The City of Walker Employer’s Withholding Tax Forms and Instructions booklet are no longer mailed. Forms must be printed from our web site by clicking here.

Follow the directions to fill out and print forms. If you have any questions concerning the forms, contact Nancy at: phone: (616)791-6869, fax: (616)791-6808 or email.

The Withholding Tax Guide contains instructions for withholding the Walker income tax from employee’s pay. It includes withholding tables at 1% (resident rate) and 1/2% (non-resident rate). The personal exemption rate for individuals subject to the Walker income tax is $750 per exemption. The Withholding Tax Guide can be downloaded by clicking here.

What mailing address should I send my completed Walker income tax return to?

All Walker individual, corporate, partnership, and employer withholding income tax returns should be mailed to:

City of Walker
Income Tax Department
PO Box 153
Grand Rapids, MI  49501-0153

Parks and Recreation

What are your hours?
We are open Monday through Fridays from 9:00am – 5:00pm.

Where are you located?
We are on the east side of the city hall complex (4243 Remembrance Rd. NW). Our entrance faces the ice arena side parking lot.

What programs do you offer?
Varying with the seasons, we offer many programs and special events such as Adult softball, Trips, Co-Ed Youth Soccer & Camps, Girls Softball, Senior Citizens Group, A 3 on 3 pick-n-roll basketball tournament, Easter Egg Eggstravaganza hunt, Fall Arts and Crafts Show, Memorial Day Parade, Senior Citizen’s Bowling Tournament, Walker Day at The Whitecaps, and the annual Walk-er-run.

How do I make a reservation for a park?
Call the department at (616)791-6890 for availability of dates and times for City Parks. For Johnson Park, please call the Kent County Parks Department at (616)336-3697.

Where do I get Walker Ice Arena information?
You may call the Ice Arena at (616)735-6286 or visit their website for specifics regarding hours and information about the programs offered at the arena.

What about Senior Citizen activities?
Call Walker Recreation Department at (616)791-6890 for information regarding Senior programs.

Department of Public Works

When does the City remove snow?
Snow is removed as it begins to accumulate. First, we concentrate on major streets, hills, hazardous intersections and school areas. Then attention is given to residential areas.

Why do residential areas get plowed last?
We must keep major streets open to allow buses, emergency vehicles away to get to all parts of our City.  As soon as we are certain major streets are clear, equipment is moved into residential areas.

Major Streets: We have twenty so called "First Attention Routes" with a total of 150 lane miles to be plowed. These routes are top priority during a snow event.

How much equipment is plowing at one time?
We have three plow districts with three front line vehicles in each district. When it starts to snow and accumulate, we start to plow and salt around the clock until every street has been plowed.

Culdesacs: When plow trucks complete their routes of plowing streets, they are reassigned to small pickups to clean culdesacs.

What does all this cost?
Our annual snow removal cost average is over $350,000. The cost of everything just keep going up for the City, as well as individuals and families.

How much salt does the City use?
Anywhere from 500 tons to 3000 tons depending on conditions. We are trying to reduce salt usage where possible, not only because of its high cost, but for ecological reasons. It damages trees and runs off into our streams.

Incidentally, when the temperature drops below 20 degrees, salt becomes less and less effective. It is dormant at zero or below and does little or no good. We are now using Dow Armor, a liquid product that is mixed with salt and has the potential to work faster and stays on the roads longer. Also, Dow Armor is environmentally friendly.

What is Ordinance #70-64?
Snow removed from private property not to be deposited on street, sidewalks.

No snow or ice shall be removed from private property and be deposited upon or plowed across any public street or sidewalk. The plowing of snow into the street and spreading of snow within the street is prohibited.

Who do I call if I have a problem with snow removal?
Call the Department of Public Works, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, 791-6854.

Planning Commission

When does the Planning Commission hold its meetings?
The Planning Commission, a group of nine citizen members – one of which is an elected city commissioner, meets on the first and third Wednesday’s of every month. The meetings begin at 7:00pm and are held in the Public Safety Building located at 4343 Remembrance Road, NW.

When are the application deadlines for consideration of a request by the Planning Commission?
The application deadline for requests to be considered by the Planning Commission is generally four weeks prior to the regularly scheduled meeting. You should contact the Planning Department for specific deadline dates.

What is the zoning of my property?
There are 19 different zoning districts within the city. The City of Walker has an official zoning map that is located at City Hall and also has maps available for sale. It is best to stop by the office to locate your specific parcel of property on the map and personally verify its zoning category with a city official. This eliminates any misunderstanding that sometimes occurs with phone calls.

What is the Master Plan?
The Master Plan, simply stated, is a document that outlines the vision of how the city would like its land uses to develop over the next 10 to 20 years. The plan provides goals and contains guidelines for the city to consider when making land use decisions. The current Master Plan was adopted by the Planning Commission on August 19, 1998.  Click here to view the Master Plan.

What is the difference between the Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance?
Where the Master Plan is a guide of how the city would like to develop, the Zoning Ordinance is one tool (and most common) used to help implement the Master Plan. The Zoning Ordinance provides the specific rules and regulations that must be followed to develop or redevelop a piece of property. The Zoning Ordinance states what land uses are permitted in what zoning districts and the guidelines that must be followed to develop these uses, such as the required number of parking spaces, the setbacks from property lines and the height of the building. The official zoning map is a part of the Zoning Ordinance. Changes to the Zoning Ordinance or map can only be approved by the City Commission following the appropriate public hearings.

Will I be notified when somebody is proposing to develop property next to mine?
Notification is required only when somebody is proposing to rezone property, request a zoning variance, or request a special exception permit. State law and City ordinances require the city to notify property owners within a certain radius of a proposed development and publish a notice in the newspaper. If somebody is proposing to develop a subdivision or a site plan that complies with the current zoning requirements, a public hearing and notice may not be required.

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The City of Walker, Michigan
4243 Remembrance Rd. NW
Walker, MI  49534
(616)453-6311
City Hall hours: Mon-Thursday from 7:30am to 5:30pm. Closed Fridays
All information © 2010 City of Walker

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