Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By D. LANG
The Wakefield City Council voted on Monday evening to retain professional services in relation to $350,000 that the city received last fall in grant and loan funds for the city’s water project.
In October of 2023, Wakefield was informed that it would be granted a $175,000 loan and a $175,000 grant from the Lead Service Line Replacement Program of the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
“State law requires municipal entities that receive funds from the (DWSRF), which are in the form of bonds, to retain bond counsel, legal services, engineering services and a municipal advisor,” said City Manager Robert Brown Jr. in an agenda report.
Toward that end, the council approved a payment of $14,600 to Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors, which will act as municipal advisors on the project that Brown said will enable the city to “bring approximately 40 services into compliance by replacing 1,000 linear feet of copper water lines, making interior connections and restoring surfaces.”
Brown said that Baker Tilly will provide revenue support consultation and will submit a bond-raising application. It also will assist with bond closing.
The council also approved a fee of $38,600 to hire U.P. Engineers and Architects of Houghton as project engineers.
According to the city manager, UPEA will prepare design plans and specifications, assist with bidding and construction administration, and provide a part-time resident project representative during the project.
Brown said that the city’s bond counsel Steven Mann, a Detroit attorney with Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, provided a summary of bond-related needs and said that the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy will approve the final bond amount by Aug. 7.
In preparation for the project, council members also approved an ordinance relating to outstanding bonds lien revenue sharing for the DWSRF project.
The council also:
—Heard the first reading of an ordinance to repeal the city’s ordinance against deer feeding.
—Approved a resolution authorizing a permit extension via the Michigan Bell Telephone Company, doing business as AT&T Michigan. “The permit essentially grants AT&T’s permission to have their infrastructure within city rights-of-way in exchange for a fee,” said Brown in an agenda report. The permit was due to expire on Aug. 30.
—Approved a premium payment of $9,508 for the city’s Workmen’s Compensation renewal for the Michigan Municipal League. According to Brown, the renewal period will begin on July 1 and will end on June 30, 2025.
All votes were unanimous.
The council’s next regular meeting will be on May 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers.
