City contracts over $2 million for street construction projects

At the Monday Tecumseh City Council meeting, council unanimously awarded road construction work that has been funded through the $2.25-million voter-approved bond sale. Gerken Paving Inc., of Napoleon, Ohio, was awarded $1,797,687 of the work through four of five contracts, while Michael Andrews Concrete was awarded $271,950 worth of curb work through the remaining contract. The contracts total $2,069,647, leaving $180,353 as a contingency fund. “The reason for that [contingency fund] is you never know what you might run into when you open a road,” said Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch. “There could be extra expenses.”Welch and Tim Bock, Supt. of Tecumseh’s Department of Public Works, also procured bids from Slusarski Excavating & Paving and Ten Mile Creek Excavating, Barrett Paving Materials and Michigan Paving & Materials, with Gerken Paving Inc. and Michael Andrews Concrete offerng the lowest bids, according to Welch. Bock said that the city has worked with Gerken Paving Inc. in the past, the company paving the parking lot at the AJ Smith Recreation Center on N. Evans Street. “I have to really commend Tim [Bock] and his foreman for working on this and spending some real quality time to try to maximize the number of roads that are accomplished with this and to really fit the type of road repair to the road. This is not a cookie cutter approach,” said Welch. “The goal really was to use the right process of road repair so it would maximize the road and not waste money.”Welch added that Wind Dancer Trail and Evans Street repairs are being held back as a further contingency, saying that the city may be able to receive a grant for the work on Evans Street with the city matching $130,000 for the complete road rebuild. Bock said the city should know if it received the grant by early summer. “In the end, to do all the work, the best possible way, we’d be about forty to fifty thousand dollars over [budget],” Welch said. Councilmember Gary Naugle asked what percentage of roads this will repair in the city, to which Bock answered approximately 25-30 percent. Bock added that Burt and North Evans Streets will undergo construction next year thanks to a grant the city received. Welch said roadwork should begin in early spring after the bonds are sold. The roadwork will be completed over this year and next. Monday, Council also approved Brookside Ceme-tery’s perpetual care fund investment policy through Old National Bank. Council voted in January to move the fund from Merrill Lynch after the company decided to discontinue managing public funds, which are regulated by Public Act 20 — meaning funds have to be invested in low risk, low return government-secured bond investments. Council members also approved moving the Tecumseh Center for the Arts (TCA) Endowment Fund from Old National Bank to Lenawee Community Foundation (LCF). The move was proposed during a study session held prior to the regular Monday, Feb. 2, city council meeting. Welch said the funds were earning very low interest at Old National Bank because of the way it was invested. Currently, the fund is worth approximately $1.141 million, according to Welch. “I don’t think anybody believes those interest rates are going to skyrocket in the next few years,” Welch added. “This [investing with LCF] is, obviously, more risky than what we have had in the past. This gives a better opportunity for the TCA to earn more of the interest and use it for normal operating expenses.” The resolution was passed subject to Tecumseh City Attorney Scott Baker’s review. Council also approved a 30-year extension of the lease agreement with the Tecumseh Area Historical Society for the city-owned building located at 302 E. Chicago Blvd. The lease expires in October, according to Welch, and it is for $1 a year. The new lease will expire on October 28, 2045.In other business, council: • Approved the Kelly Carter Scholarship Run-Walk event for July 11 beginning at 8 a.m. • Appointed Robert Tooman to Tecumseh’s Board of Review • Heard Tecumseh City Assessor Amanda Lacelle’s annual report • Approved Civitan of Lenawee to hold its annual fundraising event at the AJ Smith Recreation center and to sell alcohol at the event on April 25• Recognized Tecumseh Eco-nomic Development Director Paula Holtz for receiving the 2015 Amelia Earhart Award from the Zonta Club of Lenawee• Proclaimed April 24 to be designated as Arbor Day in Tecumseh• Entered into closed session for labor negotiations