[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6124079,"mediaKeyId","2686413-7ef59075e91cfa524ac641f53787d144","parentId",2686413,"title","DPS Commission backs draft 2025–26 budget and proposes modest water service-charge increase to offset GLWA rate hike","audioSeconds",3346,"startMs",3578000,"endMs",6924000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2686413-7ef59075e91cfa524ac641f53787d144&start=3578&end=6924","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2686413-7ef59075e91cfa524ac641f53787d144/thumbnail_3578000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6124079/Michigan/DPS-Commission-backs-draft-202526-budget-and-proposes-modest-water-service-charge-increase-to-offset-GLWA-rate-hike","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124079-5f79e02d10dccd76384f4c082cc8a369/orig.mp4?Expires=1770812502&Signature=gBuc4cR1Wj~MOne-b85m91RKKcZycBmhISbwZZH49KSw~8GSVSPSGFbFqynxSQyFURrt3T2JAf8FIj58kdCd4VprwQz8B~R03~LDum7MKf9dKO4Ta6x4OyTYat7zqMxJJaeyM6eHtRMlFndC9KrsV3h1RWjf0S5LSmRf3sqyLMj8QnTtTmdVPtR7EFoaAThiMxHDovsk0FcgTe~CmTLs-fg0hg6K1BIE2VhoomWCpzZTOI0hTOBH4DECv889iQPmQZikCTeqgE4yFZ0Ua4yJZBuv8KoXr8bREaD2l56czVgTBDiDCdLG8LAzl4yC-oGzqr5t5QFSFLEPfdECeyuEKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","GrosseIleTownship","date","2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","article","The Grosse Ile DPS Commission reviewed and recommended the township’s draft fiscal 2025–26 budget for drainage, roads, water, sewer, wastewater treatment and refuse and discussed several operating and capital items that staff said will shape the year’s spending and financing.

Derek (staff member) summarized the package and called out two immediate revenue drivers: a proposed increase in the quarterly fixed service charge on the water bill, and a federal appropriation/administration of sewer grants. He said the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) has proposed a wholesale rate increase that would add roughly $187,683 to township costs; the draft budget covers part of that increase with broader line-item adjustments and proposes a $6.82-per-quarter hike in the fixed service charge (from $17.50 to $24.32), which staff estimates would raise about $111,142 in revenue.

The commission discussed program-level items that appeared in the presentation and packet: a cross-connection program (commercial and residential) required under EGLE compliance, continued meter replacement to reduce unmetered water and improve lost-water accounting, and funding for periodic updates to the water asset-management GIS and plan. Staff said the draft budget includes money to replace equipment (a backhoe financed over five years using a lease-like program) and to continue meter replacements.

On water-quality and service-line issues, staff reported a completed inventory of lead service lines (approximately 403 identified in the inventory). The draft budget earmarks dollars to replace about 10 lead services in the coming fiscal year at a budgeted cost of roughly $70,000; staff said per-service replacement costs range from about $5,000 to $7,000 depending on site conditions.

For sewer and the wastewater treatment plant, staff reviewed the status of a congressional appropriation administered by the EPA (used for a citywide sanitary sewer project) and the bidding outcome for the first project. Bids returned higher than the original budgeted low-bid assumption; one low bidder attempted to withdraw and the township is handling bid-bond issues and expects to rebid. Staff said the project budget relies on an approximate 80/20 grant split; engineering costs are not grant-eligible and increase the township’s share. Staff emphasized they will not finalize budget changes until firm bid results are available, and they will make budget adjustments after award when actual costs are known.

The commission also reviewed wastewater treatment plant items: a scheduled contract increase for the plant operator (Veolia) was incorporated into the draft, odor-control equipment installation is near completion, and planned plant capital of approximately $250,000 for non-ACO work is in the packet. Commissioners noted sludge-hauling bids and a new chemical (sodium bisulfate) in the plant budget.

On roads and public works, staff described a continuing pavement program including crack sealing and a repaving project for Belleville Drive, road machinery replacement plans, and dust-control timing concerns tied to a possible multi-week county bridge closure. Commissioners directed staff to coordinate dust-control timing with the county and vendors if bridge work disrupts the usual schedule.

After discussion, the commission voted to recommend the draft budgets to the township board and to advance staff’s proposed water service-charge adjustment as part of the draft. Derek said the formal rate change will be scheduled for a public hearing (customarily in June or July) before final board action. The commission did not adopt a final rate ordinance at this meeting; it recommended the budget package and the staff-proposed service-charge increase to the township board for action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Services Commission - 11 Mar 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The DPS Commission reviewed the draft 2025–26 operating and capital budgets for drainage, roads, water, sewer, wastewater treatment and refuse and recommended them to the township board; staff proposed raising the quarterly fixed water service charge from $17.50 to $24.32 to offset a GLWA wholesale rate increase.","taxTitle","Grosse Ile, Wayne County, Michigan","taxId",55649,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6124084,"Engineers present 25-year water asset management plan; recommends about $30 million in pipe work",3274,286000,3560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2686413-7ef59075e91cfa524ac641f53787d144&start=286&end=3560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2686413-7ef59075e91cfa524ac641f53787d144/thumbnail_286000.jpg","/articles/6124084/Michigan/Engineers-present-25-year-water-asset-management-plan-recommends-about-30-million-in-pipe-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124084-a455caef7a5195889c24f645f7023225/orig.mp4?Expires=1770812502&Signature=oVoCbOunjtnzhqOCBSR7WZCBwBRtOF5rHaxgAw-IO~VdLke7tEkUowfMLTx7hXf~ZHkUHqFMbyfB216YZCKlClmeMwpTB3lRcDrWMqGRDEThRHGgFjbhru0jFzachFN8cYZRwM-xFzAoI~OU3Hv6VHRF0DRQo~9ZOnEqs1MfApYQ8bsFtsiZWOyfYpbZbNksoVszXwdN98VZz26lhQ4SN8POu0Am6P-FfQlbmwWMFoCNmDKEzV-On3-cii4ujMRgNFtHVkmKhTIANJPq-GstmbxPwqeVsnUO9blYK5pq7YBOH5HjXobfvVWD7vQbr9V~enS8Xc3imZngE4J7SRm8wQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The township received a draft water asset management plan and a near-complete water reliability study during a public presentation at the Grosse Ile DPS Commission meeting. Maria Sedka, an engineer with Fishbeck, summarized an inventory of the water system, condition and criticality ratings used to prioritize replacement, and a capital-improvement plan covering roughly 20–25 years.

The plan matters because it compiles an asset inventory and condition assessment required by EGLE, ranks assets by probability and consequence of failure, and translates that analysis into a prioritized replacement list and cost estimate. The presentation focused on the age, material and size of pipes, the system’s hydraulic performance for fire flows, and how these factors drive project sequencing.

Sedka said the team combined three information sources to build the capital-improvement plan: the condition-based probability-of-failure scoring, the water reliability (hydraulic) modeling that shows where upsizing is needed for pressure and fire flow, and local operations knowledge from township staff. She said the GIS-backed inventory links all record drawings to mapped mains, valves and hydrants and makes that information available for field crews.

The inventory totals Sedka described included 605 gate valves, 681 hydrants and about 398,000 feet of water main. She said the system still contains a substantial amount of 6-inch cast-iron mains, much of which dates from the 1920s–1940s; those segments show high probability of failure but lower system consequence because they serve smaller areas. Conversely, larger transmission mains and the two connections from the mainland scored high in consequence of failure because they serve broad areas and are hard to access.

The plan uses EGLE’s business-risk-exposure (BRE) approach (probability times consequence, scored 1–25) to prioritize projects. Sedka said the township currently has no high BRE items (16–25) because the worst-condition pipes are typically small-diameter lines with limited system impact; nonetheless, she urged replacement of many old 6-inch cast-iron segments over time. The reliability model flagged portions that need upsizing (8- to 12-inch replacements) to meet recommended fire-flow contours; the presentation noted a local target of about 2,000 gallons per minute where possible.

Sedka said the team generated an Excel inventory that lists each GIS segment, material, installation decade and an engineering replacement-cost estimate. She gave typical useful-life benchmarks used in the analysis: PVC and HDPE (plastic) at about 50 years and ductile iron at about 75 years, noting industry benchmarks can change as longer field records accumulate.

The draft capital plan shown to the commission recommends replacing a first tranche of segments identified across the system (42 GIS segments called out in the presentation) and estimated a minimum set of replacements totaling roughly $30,000,000 in 2025 dollars over the 20–25 year horizon. Sedka emphasized the number represents a planning-level estimate using unit lengths and diameter-based unit costs and does not include detailed pavement restoration or site-specific construction complexities.

Township staff and commissioners discussed sequencing and funding. Derek (staff member) said the next steps are to finalize the draft report, provide the commission and staff the Excel inventory to allow prioritization, and prepare a funding strategy in the coming 3–6 months that balances bonding, pay-as-you-go capital, and timing of bond maturities. Sedka said the draft water reliability study should be finalized within a few weeks and will be submitted to EGLE with the asset-management report, as EGLE expects periodic updates.

Commissioners asked for clarifications that were recorded in the meeting: how probability-of-failure scoring is derived (age/remaining useful life, hydraulic c-factor from modeling, and historic break frequency), the GIS positional tolerance (“down to inches” in the linked GIS as presented), and whether recommended pipe materials and installation methods affect per-foot cost. Staff and Sedka confirmed variances in installation method and site constraints (railroad, creeks, tunneling) can affect both material choice and unit cost.

Sedka and staff noted a separate but related item: the plan identified many lead service lines. The meeting record indicates an inventory was completed and the township has approximately 403 lead service lines to replace; the draft budget proposes replacing about 10 in the next fiscal year at an estimated $5,000–$7,000 per service line, with the township aiming to replace as many as the budget allows over the next several years.

The presentation closed with a timetable: the consultant will finalize the draft report for staff review, the township will submit the document to EGLE, and EGLE appears likely to request an update every several years (presenters said a five-year review cadence is becoming common). Derek said staff will develop funding scenarios and return to the commission with options that try to minimize consumer rate impacts while addressing priorities.

The commission did not adopt or vote on policy at the presentation; the plan was presented for review and next-step planning.","Fishbeck engineer Maria Sedka and township staff presented a draft water asset management plan and an accompanying water reliability study, inventorying the system, scoring assets by risk and recommending a prioritized 20–25 year capital-improvement program totaling roughly $30 million (2025 dollars).",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6124075,"Votes at a glance: DPS Commission approves draft budgets, accepts bills and minutes, and recommends appointment",351,6702000,7053000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2686413-7ef59075e91cfa524ac641f53787d144&start=6702&end=7053","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2686413-7ef59075e91cfa524ac641f53787d144/thumbnail_6702000.jpg","/articles/6124075/Michigan/Votes-at-a-glance-DPS-Commission-approves-draft-budgets-accepts-bills-and-minutes-and-recommends-appointment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124075-de9a19c24aec5d94917ea64e5a4e9cb8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770812502&Signature=UsYl9JbHhyQORystz63UaiGZhLuQCZxcBiJaGuj5KfzYXsxWE42-we01yopxmMSKmAi96PEeTBGm7AII9y2dnZXWkClGzj5jTyOACFIX6jTKs4S3U1vb5jN-Ps0mIZ7pEAjxHG1~odEjsPKFfuFYZYcqfw86P9bru8APB48SUOYMyYx1jQs4nYb4VTkEG5pjOAdgl0lWYVavh-jm-Sz66UWx1AYR1TjJLzm5eqabtP12iZjDZdaQCEc4V8Of~amAOlkic71NXt9JEU4QINaSrprml5XRsPnoZSsqqriiFaKBQd6TgTDVO0LPD8cvJrC7mxvI2qXtVC8McBKlXpbwFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its meeting the DPS Commission recorded several formal actions and recommendations.

Votes and formal actions
- Minutes: The commission approved the minutes of the Feb. 11 meeting (motion and second were made on the record; vote recorded as unanimous by voice). No objections were recorded.
- Bills: The commission approved payment of bills listed in the packet (pages 42–46); commissioners voted aye and the motion passed.
- Budget recommendation: The commission voted to recommend the draft 2025–26 budgets for drainage, roads, water, sewer, wastewater treatment and refuse to the township board. The motion (moved by Stankel; second by Ray Bridal) carried by voice vote. The recommendation includes staff’s proposed increase in the quarterly fixed water service charge (from $17.50 to $24.32), which staff estimates would generate about $111,142 in additional revenue to offset part of a GLWA wholesale rate increase.
- Appointment recommendation: The commission voted to recommend that the township board appoint Lance Schmitke to fill the current DPS vacancy; the recommendation will be forwarded to the township board for approval at its April 24 meeting.

Notes and next steps
- Several approvals were recorded by voice vote with no roll-call breakdown published in the meeting minutes; where vote tallies were not recorded, the meeting transcript records unanimous \"Aye\" calls and no recorded objections. The commission recommended budget and appointment items to the township board; final approvals and any rate ordinance will be decided by the board after required public hearings and formal votes.
- Staff will schedule the public hearing on any water-rate adjustment (customarily held in June or July) and will update the budget based on final bid results for sewer work before finalizing appropriations.

The commission’s recommendation to the township board on the draft budgets and the appointment recommendation are the formal outcomes advanced from this meeting.","The commission approved minutes and bills, recommended the 2025–26 draft budgets for drainage, roads, water, sewer, wastewater treatment and refuse to the township board (including the staff-proposed water service-charge increase), and voted to recommend appointing Lance Schmitke to the commission vacancy.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DPS Commission backs draft 2025–26 budget and proposes modest water service-charge increase to offset GLWA rate hike

Engineers present 25-year water asset management plan; recommends about $30 million in pipe work

Votes at a glance: DPS Commission approves draft budgets, accepts bills and minutes, and recommends appointment