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Ferndale council approves MDOT contracts for park sidewalks and Hilton Road resurfacing; consent agenda clears
Summary
The Ferndale City Council voted to approve two Michigan Department of Transportation contracts — one for park sidewalk improvements and one to resurface Hilton Road — and passed a consent agenda that included property sales, equipment purchases and a budget amendment.
The Ferndale City Council on Monday approved two contracts with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to fund sidewalk improvements in city parks and to remove and resurface Hilton Road, and it approved a consent agenda with multiple routine items.
The first MDOT contract (No. 24-5425) covers sidewalk reconstruction and concrete sidewalks serving multiple municipal parks. The city listed a low construction bid of about $250,000; the Transportation Alternatives Program grant applied to the project covers approximately $80,000, and the city’s portion was cited as about $56,720. Council authorized Mayor Raylon Meeks and the city clerk to execute the contract, and directed funding from the road bond capital outlay account number 450-000-977.75 for the $202,122 contract authorization.
The second contract (No. 24-5465) covers removal and resurfacing of Hilton Road from 9 Mile Road to Woodward Heights Boulevard. Engineering estimates were $1,113,000 with a low bid just under $1,068,000. The federal/state grant was reported to cover up to $911,493; the city’s buy-in was shown as roughly $202,000. Council authorized the mayor and city clerk to sign that agreement as well and cited local roads, major streets, capital outlay account number 202-000-977 for the $202,102 authorization.
Council members and staff emphasized that MDOT runs the bid process for these grant-funded projects and selects the contractor; the city’s action is to accept the state contract and to authorize execution and local funding. A council member asked who would handle resident communications and construction disruption for Hilton Road; staff said the city will participate in construction meetings and provide community information while coordinating with the state and contractor.
Votes at a glance
- Contract No. 24-5425 (MDOT — park sidewalks): Motion approved (roll-call recorded as Johnson: yes; Kelly: yes; Mikulski: yes; Polica: yes; Leaksmae: yes). Outcome: approved. Amount referenced in motion: $202,122; funding: road bond capital outlay account 450-000-977.75. Contract execution authorized for mayor and city clerk.
- Contract No. 24-5465 (MDOT — Hilton Road resurfacing): Motion approved (roll-call recorded as Johnson: yes; Polica: yes; Kelly: yes; Mikulski: yes; Leaksmae: yes). Outcome: approved. Amount referenced in motion: $202,102; funding: local roads major streets capital outlay account 202-000-977. Contract execution authorized for mayor and city clerk.
- Consent agenda (items 7a–7i): Motion to approve consent agenda carried unanimously. Consent items included approval of meeting minutes (12/16/2024); sale of city-owned property at the northwest corner of Browning Street and Chester Avenue; payment to Landscape Forms for park bench and trash/recycling bin ($10,243.70) for Martin Road Park; ProCare service plan for a Lifepak 35 cardiac monitor ($11,351.20); outfitting a new fire marshal vehicle ($16,842.96); appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions; the city’s FY 2024–25 second quarter budget amendment; a purchase order to J. H. Hart for emergency tree cutting services ($40,000); and bills and payroll as submitted by the finance director.
Why it matters
The sidewalk contract is intended to add or improve paths that connect park amenities to parking and neighborhoods, supporting universal access and nonmotorized travel within Ferndale’s parks. The Hilton Road work is part of the city’s larger pavement lifecycle program and regional transportation planning; resurfacing a major corridor is expected to affect traffic patterns during construction, so the city flagged resident communications and contractor coordination as follow-up tasks.
What’s next
Staff said the projects follow multi-stage timelines typical for MDOT- and federally funded work: concept development, grant application and review, design and bidding, then construction. For both MDOT projects, staff and consultants will participate in design and construction coordination with MDOT and the selected contractors; staff also said they will provide community notifications about timing and disruptions.
