Trending
KINGSFORD -- A combined services contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for an M-95/Carpenter Avenue road project this summer will have the city of Kingsford paying $100,000 upfront.
The city plans to replace two blocks of water and sewer lines, and associated hydrants, valves and access lines on Carpenter Avenue from Woodward to Hamilton avenues. This will be done in conjunction with an MDOT road reconstruction project over the same two-block section.
Total cost to the city will be $630,800 and the council Monday accepted City Manager Mike Stelmaszek's recommendation to pay $100,000 in advance.
The council, in another matter, approved a proposal from GEI Consultants of Iron Mountain for water and sewer project applications.
GEI would prepare a preliminary Clean Water State Revolving Fund engineering plan for free and charge $20,000 for Drinking Water State Resolving Fund engineering. Stelmaszek said this is consistent with the costs GEI has charged for recent similar plans.
The Clean Water component includes replacing two lift stations on Bancroft Street with a gravity system that would connect to the existing sewer system on Woodward Avenue; replacing 100-year-old sewer lines in the Breitung Avenue area where water mains are also being replaced; and separating sanitary and stormwater infrastructure where possible to improve the capacity and reduce overflows.
The Drinking Water component would replace 100-year-old water mains, hydrants, valves and lead service access lines in the Breitung area.
The State Revolving Fund administered by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy requires preliminary engineering plans as part of the application process. An Intent to Apply was submitted Oct. 30. The project is included in the city's 2025-2030 Capital Improvement Plan.
In other business, the council:
-- Approved a request to relocate the Precinct 2 voting location from Public Works to City Hall, where Precinct 1 is already located. According to Stelmaszek, the absentee voting proposal passed by the state in 2018 has lowered the number of people choosing in-person voting. Another measure increased the number of voting days for certain elections to nine days leading up to the election, increasing costs. Changes in election laws have made it more difficult to have voting in two places. Each precinct would have its own machine for processing absentee ballots and for in-person voting.
-- Learned 22 deer have been culled in the city's managed archery deer hunt.
-- Will advertise for cleaning services at City Hall after the prior company, Cleaning Services of Iron Mountain, decided not to renew.
-- Agreed to sponsor Josh Peterson at the Oakland Community College Police Academy in Auburn Hills, which begins Jan. 22 and ends May 24. The next academy in Marquette would not start until May.