N. Liberty St. upgrades postponed until next year by city council

The bids to replace the aged water mains on N. Liberty Street in the city of Belleville this year came in too high, so the city council on June 16 voted to rebid the project in November for work at the beginning of the next construction season in the spring.
City manager Jason Smith said 50 companies took specifications for the work and just two returned bids. He said the city engineer said they were on the high side and recommended rebidding at the end of the season.
Mayor Ken Voigt said he agreed with the engineer’s proposal.
City manager Smith said in having the work done this year the contractors would be tacking this project on the end of their construction season and scrambling for crews. The asphalt company that was to repave the street after the pipes were replaced said it would honor this year’s price and do the resurfacing next year.
“We’re disappointed it’s not this season, but the engineer gave his expert opinion,” mayor Voigt said.
Smith said the engineers believe the city will get a better price. He said the project was estimated at $1 million and the two bids came in 50% higher.
In other business at the 52-minute meeting, the council:
• Reviewed budget calculations through June 30 for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 budgets;
• Held a public hearing on putting delinquent utility accounts on the summer tax roll as special assessments, with no public speaking. Then the council unanimously approved the 55 water bills that have been unpaid for six months to be put on the property taxes;
• Approved the second reading and final adoption of the new ordinance amendment on trees. Smith said this final version has no permit fee needed to plant trees in your own yard, residents don’t have to replace dying trees or those on the prohibited list, and a donation for tree replacement instead of replanting will be not more than $100. Dangerous, dead trees on private property may be removed by the city and costs charged to the property owner, if the property owner does not take the tree down as requested. The city’s tree fund will be no less than $5,000;
• Tabled for review the second HydroCorp quote delivered earlier that day on residential cross connections, which are required by the state;
• Approved authorization for this year’s taxes: 8.517 mills for operation on the July 1 tax and 11.5 mills for public safety on the Dec. 1 tax;
• Confirmed the Summer 2025 Special Assessment Tax Roll;
• Approved a proposal to buy back graves in Hillside Cemetery from those who own them at half the original cost they paid. Clerk Briana Hootman said the city has had no full graves to sell for a year. A regular plot now would sell for $1,100 if available;
• Reviewed the results of a study on notary service charges by several communities and decided what Belleville charged was fair and to leave any training of notaries up to the clerk. The city provides free notary service to residents and charges $5 each for non-residents. There are four notaries presently on staff;
• Asked for copies of accounts payable and departmental expenditures which had not been provided in the council packet and then waited for copies to be run off and delivered to council members at the council table by the city manager;
• Heard Smith report High Street resurfacing is completely done from Main to Roys and completion of the resurfacing up to W. Huron River Drive will start in July. He said 88.54% of the new water meters have been installed, with 127 to go. The city took its first readings from the meters and found a few that weren’t quite right. He reported the Safe Streets for All grant application should be done by the end of the week and the Transportation Alternatives grant application will go to the state next week. He said he will put the changes for 330 Charles St. before the planning commission. Smith said the request is before U.S. Senator Gary Peters to allocate $3 million in discretionary spending to the city, but, “I’m not holding my breath”;
• Heard the mayor announce that Goat Day will be from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, at Horizon Park. Those who donate money to the Food Closet will get a free goat t-shirt, he said. He also thanked the Garden Club, DPW, and volunteers for planting the free roses the city got throughout the city. He said Janine Houle of the Garden Club coordinated the planting. Mayor Voigt also said the representatives of America in Bloom will be in town July 21 and 22; and
• Heard Veterans of Foreign Wars Post Commander John Blackstone thank the city council for its support of the VFW and PLAV. He said the Memorial Day service was a huge success along with their distribution of poppies on the street. He said last year the VFW Post was honored for being third in the state in Community Service and last Monday it was named an All-American Post. He said on Memorial Day he had asked the mayor why “a crapper” was put on the site of the Memorial Day ceremony, since the veterans feel the memorial site is a sacred place. He said the mayor said the restrooms were not open and they had to do something for the crowd. Blackstone also pointed out problems with the flagpoles at the memorial.
Wayne County Commissioner Allen Wilson was on the agenda to present a resolution, but he did not come to the meeting.