Riverview council adopts new right-of-way ordinance, approves contracts and a slate of bids

Riverview Mayor Pro Tem Webb and the council on Feb. 18 adopted a new ordinance regulating access to and work in public rights of way and approved several contracts and bids tied to the city’s street and land-preserve programs.

The council voted to add sections 54-15 and 54-16 to the city code to require city review, permits and standards for work in the public right-of-way and to regulate excavation and digging. City staff said the measure responds to contractors performing work in county and Michigan Department of Transportation right-of-way and claiming the city lacked jurisdiction; staff told the council that “this is unacceptable” and that horizontal and vertical separation standards are needed to protect utilities and public health.

Council members also approved an extension of the Savone Cement contract for the 2025 street sectioning program for $680,000 plus a 10% contingency of $68,000 (total $748,000) and authorized engineering fees not to exceed $104,720 for evaluation, inspection and administration. The council said funds for the 2025–26 fiscal year had been appropriated for the street program.

On the consent agenda the council accepted multiple bids for routine materials and services: heavy-equipment rentals, aggregate and screened topsoil, aerial photography and mapping, and heavy-equipment tires. The city awarded aerial photography and digital mapping work to Drone View Technologies from bid 2555. The council also…