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Council approves USIC contract for utility locating as water projects increase this summer
Summary
Council authorized hiring USIC of Indianapolis for utility locating and marking services to support a heavier summer workload in the water department; estimated annual cost range discussed was $30,000–$60,000.
The City Council voted to hire USIC of Indianapolis to provide utility locating and marking services for the Escanaba Water Department under unit pricing in the vendor proposal.
City administration said the water department lacks staffing capacity for the number of projects scheduled this summer and that the contractor will provide needed additional manpower. Administrators told council the engagement is budgeted for the fiscal year but not yet tied to a specific line-item allocation.
Councilors asked whether the work is a one-year commitment; staff said the contract is expected to be renewed annually (auto-renewal provisions may apply) and that they would review contract language. One councilor asked about estimated annual cost; a staff member acknowledged the figure is an estimate and said yearly cost is “a very difficult estimation to make,” adding the $30,000–$60,000 range attempts to account for variable mark durations and project volume.
A councilor also asked about marking fiber optic cables; staff clarified the city does not mark the fiber itself but must mark the city’s infrastructure whenever fiber is placed in the ground.
The motion to approve hiring USIC was moved and seconded and carried on a unanimous roll call. The clerk recorded affirmative votes from Councilor DuBork (DuBord/DuBois variants in the transcript), Councilor Bushaw, Councilor Fluff (variants), and Mayor Helm.
