KINGSFORD — Payments totaling $1.4 million to Payne and Dolan of Gladstone for ongoing water and sewer projects have been approved by Kingsford City Council, as recommended by project engineers GEI Consultants of Iron Mountain.

The largest payment of $624,304 is for water main and access line replacement — and road resurfacing — in the Heights area as part of project No. 2. The final layer of paving west of Westwood Avenue will be completed soon.

In total, infrastructure work north of Woodward Avenue has resulted in the replacement of 24,957 feet of water main, doubling the size of most lines, and replacement of 433 residential water service lines with 1-inch copper pipe. Fire hydrants, valves, roadways, curbing, and affected sidewalks were also replaced.

A payment of $620,238 was approved for project No. 3 for sewer work to eliminate one of the lift stations in the Heights and run a sewer line across 40 acres of land owned by Dickinson County to connect to the city’s sewer system at Woodward and North Pyle Drive.

Woodward Avenue is now open and the first phase of project No. 3 has been completed up to the lift station on Saratoga Street. This lift station has now been abandoned. The other lift station and work on Bancroft Street will be completed in the spring.

A final payment of $145,540 was made for the first Heights project, which began in spring 2024 and is now completed.

In other business, the council:

— Accepted $210,000 from the Michigan Department of Transportation as part of the Small Urban Program. The money will be used to crush, shape and resurface a 0.7-mile portion of Breitung Avenue.

— Learned that City Hall is receiving some security upgrades at a cost of $7,837. Several doors will be replaced in the main lobby on the first floor. A system will be installed to allow people to be buzzed in through a locked door.

— Reported that 20 deer have been taken in the city’s managed archery hunt by nine participants.

— Received an update on the city’s joint curbside recycling program with Norway. Enrollment is at 120 for Kingsford and 45 for Norway. The deadline has been extended to Dec. 1. The program is expected to start in January with a monthly rate of $8.50 locked in for 2026 and 2027. Green For Life of Kingsford will provide 96-gallon containers and pickup with be twice a month.

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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.