Grand Haven council approves street, signal and service contracts, extends county assessment agreement

The Grand Haven City Council approved four procurement and service actions on Feb. 17, 2025, including a street resurfacing contract for a nonmotorized pathway, a traffic-signal participation contract, a three-year agreement for property-assessment services with Ottawa County, and a custodial-services contract. The consent agenda, which included a $739,543.20 bills memo and a 185-square-foot easement in Ricks Robinson Park to Merit Network Inc., also passed.

Why this matters: The contracts address capital maintenance and routine services that affect the city’s infrastructure and operating budget. One project uses Michigan Department of Transportation grant participation and another continues an existing relationship with Ottawa County to provide assessing services rather than maintaining an in-house assessing department.

Key approvals and amounts

- Beech Tree nonmotorized pathway resurfacing: Council approved a contract to Michigan Paving and Materials of Comstock Park for $418,185.55 and authorized staff to add additional road segments up to a not-to-exceed supplemental amount of $89,276.20. Administration recommended approval; the council voted to approve the contract.

- Beech Tree and Robins traffic-signal replacement (MDOT Project No. 24-5496): Council approved a participation contract with a not-to-exceed amount of $106,849. Staff said the city obtained a participation grant of $326,000 from the Michigan Department of Transportation and will cover the remaining cost. The council approved the contract.

- Property-assessment administrative services with Ottawa County: Council approved a three-year agreement covering fiscal years 2025-26 through 2027-28, with an optional three-year extension. Staff said the city has contracted assessing services through the county since around February 2011 and that the current agreement runs through June 30, 2025. The council approved continuation of the arrangement.

- Custodial services contract: Council approved a custodial-services contract in the amount of $5,343.75 per month. Staff reported three bids were solicited. The transcript records that Professional Building Services of Norton Shores was the lowest bidder; meeting materials and the clerk’s motion named a contractor (transcript text contains an inconsistent contractor name in one place). The council approved the contract as presented.

Consent agenda

The consent agenda passed and included: approval of the Feb. 3, 2025 regular-meeting minutes; a bills memo in the amount of $739,543.20 (the council confirmed the amount on the agenda was correct, and a slide on-screen had an outdated figure); authorization of a 185-square-foot easement in Ricks Robinson Park to Merit Network Inc. of Van Arbor, Michigan for fiber-optic utilities; and adoption of a proclamation recognizing Black History/African American Heritage Month.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (minutes, bills memo $739,543.20, Merrit/ Merit? easement for Ricks Robinson Park, Black History Month proclamation): approved. Roll call recorded votes of Fritz, McLaughlin, Lowe, Vanessa, and Mineta as "Yes." (tally: yes 5, no 0, abstain 0)

- Beech Tree nonmotorized pathway resurfacing contract to Michigan Paving and Materials, $418,185.55; supplemental not-to-exceed $89,276.20: approved. Roll call recorded Fritz, McLaughlin, Lowe, Vanessa, and Mineta as "Yes." (tally: yes 5, no 0, abstain 0)

- MDOT Project 24-5496 (Beech Tree & Robins traffic signal) participation contract, not-to-exceed $106,849; MDOT grant participation $326,000: approved. Motion recorded as moved by Councilmember Lowe and seconded by Councilmember Fritz; roll call recorded five yes votes. (tally: yes 5, no 0, abstain 0)

- Property-assessment administrative services agreement with Ottawa County (three years, FY 2025-26 through FY 2027-28, with optional 3-year extension): approved. Motion recorded as moved by Councilmember McLaughlin and seconded by Councilmember Lowe; roll call recorded five yes votes. (tally: yes 5, no 0, abstain 0)

- Custodial services contract, $5,343.75 monthly: approved. Roll call recorded five yes votes. (tally: yes 5, no 0, abstain 0)

What council members and staff said

Mike England, public-works-related staff, said staff sought to do more streets than the original bid allowed and explained the not-to-exceed supplemental amount for the Beech Tree resurfacing: “Her estimate was $554,000. We came in pretty low asking to do more than the streets that were in her bid so we can get some more streets done at this time.”

On the traffic-signal project, staff said the city received a participation grant of $326,000 from MDOT and that the decorative black streetlights used in some city areas increased the cost, leading to the city covering the difference and authorizing the not-to-exceed amount.

For the Ottawa County assessing agreement, staff said the city has used the county assessing department in lieu of maintaining city assessing since around 2011 and that the current agreement runs through June 30, 2025.

On custodial services, staff said three bids were obtained and that Professional Building Services of Norton Shores was the lowest bidder; the meeting materials contain an inconsistent vendor name in one place, which staff said had been clarified in the contract language.

Context and limitations

The meeting record shows council approval for all listed items but does not include contract documents, full bid tabs, or the final signed agreements. The meeting transcript includes a discrepancy in the contractor name for the custodial contract in one line; staff commentary indicated the low bidder and recommended award.

What's next

Staff were authorized to execute necessary documents for the approved contracts; the transcript does not record specific implementation dates or start dates for the work.