Davenport Brothers of Belleville had the low bid of two sealed bids opened and read at the Feb. 24 meeting of the Belleville Downtown Development Authority.
Three sealed bids had been submitted for the streetscape construction work to begin in April, but Spicer Engineer David Vallier, who was opening the bids, threw out the bid by Walker Landscaping and refused to read the total since Walker had not submitted the required 5% bid bond.
He upended the envelope and shook it to make sure no bid bond was stuck in the bottom of Walker’s entry.
Davenport, which had submitted the required bond, bid $583,429.29 and the third bidder, Warren Excavating, bid $951,195.25, with the 5% bond.
Vallier said he would take the bids, add up the figures, and come back to the DDA at the next meeting with a recommendation for awarding the bid.
In an update on the streetscape project, Vallier reported that Phase 1 will begin in early April, depending on the weather.
“It sounds like we’ll have a good local contractor on the job,” Vallier said, referring to Davenport.
He said Phase 1 will include streetscape work on South Street, Fourth Street Square, and enhancements on Main Street outside the right of way, which all is expected to be complete before Strawberry Festival begins on June 17.
Vallier said Phase 2 includes a new concrete Main Street, side streets, and milling and asphalting of Five Points.
He said the DDA intended to have everything bid together, but they separated the bids because there was chance for another nice grant for the road portion through the Michigan Department of Transportation besides the Transportation Enhancement grant announced Feb. 22.
Vallier said there was an MDOT meeting the next day to review the grant applications.
He said they will put out bids for Phase 2, with a bid date of June 4 and a starting date of July 5. He said the entire project is expected to be complete by Nov. 15.
“We’ve been working on getting easement signatures,” Vallier said, referring to work outside the right of way that is a part of the streetscape.
He said after the discussion at the previous DDA meeting, where Mike Foley objected to permanent easements that would appear on property deeds, they had the DDA attorney look into the wording.
He said the attorney changed the easement language to make it more agreeable to property owners. A deadline for signing the easements is March 5.
“Then we’ll make a decision on where the features will be at,” Vallier said. He referred to fences, walls, bollards and trees.
DDA member Mike Colletta asked if the bids for Phase 1 included language, that he had requested, that would encourage work to continue in 12- or 24-hour shifts to move the work along and reduce impact on local merchants.
Vallier said this phase doesn’t require shutting down of Main Street, but such language would be a part of Phase 2.
Barbara Miller, an attorney with her office on Main Street (and one of the founders of the Council for the Arts), asked if there was any plan to build or provide a place for performances and Conley answered the streetscape design has been out there for people to inspect and there is an area on the Fourth Street Square where people could perform.
Miller persisted, asking if downtown planners don’t agree that people want a place to gather and put on performances on a raised platform.
Conley replied: “That’s not a component of this project.”
“Too bad,” Miller replied.
Foley, owner of Frosty Boy and former DDA member, said it was disingenuous to say the peoples’ words were heard at the last meeting.
He said lawyer jargon has been added to the easement agreements, but it’s the same meaning. He said the new words make it appear it’s not permanent any more, when it is.
“For a streetscape to look good, you need everyone on board,” Foley continued. “If it was temporary, everyone would like it.”
He said he hasn’t seen a depiction of what they want to put in, but he’s sure it is very nice.
“Unless both parties sign off, it is permanent,” Foley said. “It’s so final, so forever.”
Foley said he wouldn’t sign an agreement that would be put on his property deed.
Colletta said that they needed permanent on the agreement because maintenance needs to be done.
“Couldn’t they say they have access for the life of the streetscape and if the property is sold, it goes with the property?” Colletta asked.
“I don’t want nothing on my deed that’s permanent,” Foley insisted.
Spicer engineer Ron Hansen said they received a lot of input from the DDA attorney and “tried to do our best.”
Mike Windiate, owner of Pro Hardware on Main Street and leader of the Main Street Merchants Association, said two years ago the DDA said they were willing to pay money for easements.
“I guess that’s not the case anymore,” he said.
Keith Bruder, with offices on Main Street, said he was the landscape architect on the first streetscape.
DDA member Ken Voigt said they have looked for the records of the 20-year-old streetscape and they cannot be found.
“We thought they were already eased,” Bruder said of the Main Street properties, adding there were three who didn’t give easements: Century 21, Dr. Troxell, and Sam Kassab.
In other business at the Feb. 24 meeting, the DDA:
* Approved applying for an $80,000 Urban Revitalization matching grant from Michigan Economic Development Corporation to modify the DDA’s façade program that has had no takers because of the investment required. This grant application has a deadline of March 5. The motion included wording declaring a moratorium on financial requirements of the façade program, since the city will get a higher score by judges if the moratorium is included;
* After much discussion, approved an agreement with the lowest of three bidders, Main Street Computers of Belleville, for up to $4,500 to design a “Buy it in Belleville” web site, trusting the DDA’s Marketing Committee with the details of the discounted $350/month “optimization” fee, and other details;
* Discussed at length the proposed LED community events sign, with resident Vera Howell, a former DDA member, saying she liked it the way it is and changing it would take away from the character of the community. Conley said the DDA has to decide what it wants to do and then go out for bids. “We’re trying to do due-diligence,” she said. No action was taken on the specifications presented for review;
* Discussed flower plantings for 2010 and the new Garden Club’s request to plant annuals and perennials in front of the Victory Park sign. That garden was disrupted by the cement slab put in place to erect the new sign. The club members don’t want to weed and water, just plant, Conley said. Bruder said in the spring the DPW cleans up the beds and perennials look like weeds and get thrown away and annuals that bloom all summer seem to be a better choice. Because of construction, flower baskets won’t be put on Main Street, but will be put on the new streetscape on South Street;
* Heard Foley report he was having problems getting specific DDA financial information and said he was told he would have to request it under the Freedom of Information Act. He said Windiate got similar information without a FOIA request. Conley directed Foley to see her after the meeting and then chastised him because she had already spent time with him, she has a full-time job and he should have asked all his questions when he met with her. Windiate admonished her not to get personal; and
* Heard Howell say that she lives in Victoria Commons, which provides the majority of the tax money for the DDA. She said the value of the homes has dropped and warned, “You’ll have less money to work with.”