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KINGSFORD -- The Kingsford City Council approved a resolution requested by City Manager Mike Stelmaszek that would allow him to sign documents related to seeking federal funding to replace sewer and water lines that contain lead.
Stelmaszek told the council he has spoken to people at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and explained the city faces a $4,438,410 funding shortfall for work on the Ford Addition/Heights area sewer and water line replacement project.
They are willing to help expedite the application process for funding but that might mean moving up timelines and deadlines on needed documents, he said.
Kingsford is one of the first, so they were very open to doing deadlines at an increased pace, Stelmaszek said.
The city would still be required to have hearings and council approval of documents associated with the application; this move would just give him the authority to sign documents that needed to be submitted early, Stelmaszek said.
The project would replace more than 343 water access lines and more than 23,000 feet of water mains in the Ford Addition and areas west of another Heights project slated to begin in spring.
The state has changed the funding distribution parameters and is offering 50% in grant funding instead of 75%. This would be combined with a $2,274,000 loan at 2% interest rate over 40 years.
The state has required communities to replace aging lead pipes and water access lines. Some of the water mains being replaced in Kingsford are 100 years old. With completion of the two Heights projects, the city will be ahead of the state's timeline to have all lines replaced by 2041.
In other business, the council Monday:
-- Approved a request to remove trees in the Kingsford Heights area slated for water main and access line replacement in spring. Some of the trees are very large and close to the streets, according to Jeff DeMuri, superintendent of the Public Works Department.
-- Re-elected Joseph Groeneveld as mayor and chose Daniel Freeman for his first term as mayor pro-tem during its reorganization meeting. Dennis Baldinelli was mayor pro-tem the previous year.