Belleville considers legal action against water authority

The City of Belleville is looking into legal options on the water line break on Oct. 7 that caused loss of water supply, a boil water alert, and repair costs to the city.
At Monday’s regular meeting of the Belleville City Council, City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said the city was looking into the cause of the water main break, but Building Official/DPW Chief Rick Rutherford said it is quite evident what caused the break.
Rutherford said the line pressure usually is 65 to 73, but at 3 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, the pressure shot up to 97 pounds from the city’s water supplier.
The city gets its water from the Great Lakes Water Authority.
Councilman Tom Fielder thanked the crew members for their water line efforts and said he was impressed that it was solved in just 15 to 16 hours.
Mayor Pro Tem Jack Loria, who was presiding at the meeting in the absence of Mayor Kerreen Conley, noted that Rutherford was able to fix the break without the cost of digging up East Huron River Drive and was able to work beneath the roadway.
Rutherford said after an early-morning start, his crew got to go home by 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.
City Manager Kollmeyer said Kim Tindall came into the office on Sunday and let all the television stations know about the water line break and boil water advisory and also put it on the city website.
Fire Chief Brian Loranger said his family contacted all the restaurants in the city so they could be advised in advance that they would be losing water.
“Most of the city had pressure when they should have been shut down,” Kollmeyer said.
Rutherford said when they shut the city down, some of the valves didn’t close.
“It’s very tough to put a number on a valve replacement,” Rutherford said, adding that will have to be done as part of an upgrade to the system.
Kollmeyer said she also wants to thank Van Buren Township for getting the alert on Nixle. She was in communication with Public Safety Director Greg Laurain and he got it done quickly.
“I didn’t know we could use Nixle,” Kollmeyer said. She said now the Nixle App is on the city’s website and is up and operative. Residents were encouraged to sign up for the Nixle system.
In other business at Monday’s half-hour meeting, the council:
• Approved a revised route for the Jingle Bell Run on Dec. 1 that allows about 450 runners to use a closed Main Street from High to Five Points and back for the first one-mile leg of the route, which will then proceed over the Denton Road Bridge for the normal route, less the dirt road part. High Street will be closed from 8 to 11:30 a.m. and Main Street from 9:50 to 10:30 a.m. (and possibly earlier). Main Street will be closed later in the day, as well, for the annual parade. The Jingle Bell 5K/1K is sponsored by the Van Buren Public Schools Education Foundation;
• Witnessed Clerk/Treasurer Sherri Scharf open four sealed bids for a copier/printer/scanner/fax machine. The bids came from Toshiba, $6,217 purchase price or $158 per month for a 60-month lease; Rico, $6,220 purchase, $127.77/mo. lease for 60 months; Sterling Office Systems, Livonia, (Sharp MNX5070B) $8,299 purchase, $175/month lease for 60 months; and Image Business Solutions of Wixom, (Sharp MX4050) $5,727 purchase or $114.70/month for 60 months or $125.71/month with dollar buyout at the end. The bids were turned over to the administration for a recommendation at an upcoming meeting. City Manager Kollmeyer said they are looking at a lease-purchase, which they have had for many years in Belleville, but they will come back with some cost comparisons;
• Approved accounts payable of $129,086.87 and the following purchases in excess of $500: to Conference of Western Wayne, $3,406 in annual dues; to Wayne County, $2,415 for lodging of prisoners at Dickerson facility; and to Upright Fence Inc., $1,855 for cemetery fence repair. Kollmeyer said the last item was “a wash” as Waste Management created the damage and the city was reimbursed via Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA) claim 8-18;
• Was reminded by Loria of the Downtown Development Authority event at Victory Park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Halloween where a coffee truck is coming and people can get a free coffee and donut with a $1 donation to the Belleville Community Food Closet. This is to gauge the public’s support for a coffee shop in town. “My guess is support will be overwhelming,” said Councilman Jesse Marcotte; and
• Heard Councilman Fielder report that the undefeated Belleville High School varsity football team will play Brighton at BHS this Friday and will continue to host games into the playoffs as long as it continues to win. He also announced the 4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 22 meeting of the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission. Fielder also gave a report on the negative results on young people of the recreational use of marijuana in Colorado and across the country.