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Votes at a glance: Saginaw council approves grants, contracts, ordinances and fee changes
Summary
Council approved multiple consent items, contract awards, ordinance adoptions and resolutions, including grant submissions for the riverfront and Bliss Park, cemetery software, EV charger repairs and a $1.799 million road-patch contract.
The Saginaw City Council approved a slate of routine and substantive items during its March meeting. Key outcomes:
- ChargePoint repair (consent item 2): Council approved a purchase from ChargePoint Inc. for $22,950 to repair and replace two power modules on the city’s direct-current fast charger at 113 S. Hamilton St. The council conducted a roll-call vote on the consent exceptions for this item; the roll call recorded seven yes votes and one no. Council discussion noted the charger warranty had lapsed for the affected unit and that renewal of subscription services typically covers such repairs.
- Electric charging-station fee increase (consent item 3): Council approved new fees for the city’s eight EV chargers across four downtown sites after staff explained operating costs. Staff reported annual electric costs and subscription fees together may approach $30,000–$35,000, while revenue to date sits under that level (city reported about $12,089 collected to date this year; last year’s revenue reported was about $11,900). Councilmembers noted the chargers had been subsidized initially and that fee changes are intended to better align revenue with operating costs.
- Cemetery management software (consent item 10): Council approved a software purchase and data-conversion agreement with All Funeral Services LLC for $66,940 for a cemetery-management system. Staff said the contract includes a one-time data-conversion charge (to migrate records for more than 100,000 lots across three cemeteries) and an annual license/service fee of about $4,950.
- Water and sewer road patch restoration contract (item 13): Council approved a contract with Mike’s Landscaping Services LLC for $1,799,000 for the C-1708 water and sewer road patch restoration project, intended to repair streets after completed water-main, service and lead-line work. Staff said the work covers a backlog of roughly 3,300 road patches.
- Ordinance adoptions: Council adopted three zoning-related ordinances: rezoning blocks along North Michigan between Shaffer and the CSX railroad and adjacent properties to B-2 (general business); vacating a portion of Congress Avenue adjacent to North Niagara Street per the map amendment; and rezoning Blocks 11 and 14 (Fish Filon and Remington’s addition) plus adjacent Cedar Street from R-1 (single-family) to R-3 (low-density multiple dwelling). All three ordinances were adopted by voice vote.
- Resolutions: The council adopted a set of resolutions including authorization to seek FY 2028 local bridge program funds from MDOT; authorization to submit the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Recreation and Legacy Program application for Saginaw Riverfront Park (covered in a separate article); authorization to submit the Michigan DNR Trust Fund grant for Bliss Park improvements; and approval of an MDOT cost agreement for a Genesee Avenue road-safety audit (MDOT agreement 25-5093).
Most items were approved by voice vote; where a roll-call tally was recorded it is noted above. For several items, staff provided supplemental financial details during discussion; the formal votes authorized staff to proceed with contracts, purchases or grant submissions as described.
