Wayne County public services committee approves series of contracts, grants and infrastructure work; accepts Prescott Road jurisdiction

The Wayne County Committee on Public Services on an omnibus motion approved a package of contract amendments, professional services agreements, grant acceptances and a lease extension covering parks, roads, sewer televising and pump-station work.

The approval came at the committee's regular meeting after staff presented details on ARPA-funded park improvements, an SRF-backed sewer televising loan, engineering extensions for bridge and road projects and a multi-year lease extension for county office space. Commissioner Kenlock moved the omnibus motion to "receive and file item 1 and approve items 2 through 20," and the motion passed on a roll-call vote with all commissioners present voting yes.

Why it matters: the items approved fund and extend work on county infrastructure that county staff said is ready to proceed or requires continued engineering and construction oversight. The matters affect parks in River Rouge and Westland, multiple road and bridge projects across townships and cities, county pump stations and the Rouge Valley sewer system.

Rouge Valley sewer televising and SRF loan

County staff said the contract with Pipeline Management Company LLC covers televising, inspection and structural evaluation of the Rouge Valley Sewage Disposal System as part of a state revolving fund (SRF) loan program intended to implement the long-term corrective action plan for that sewer system. "Yes. It's a loan. Yes. We have to pay it back," said Elizabeth Barrera, assistant division director for DPS Environmental Services, describing the SRF loan structure. Staff said this is the third SRF loan for the program and that a fourth loan is planned to close in fiscal year 2026.

Merriman Road bridge closeout work

The committee approved an amendment to extend construction engineering services with Waitram Associates Inc. for the Merriman Road rehabilitation project after construction that extended across two seasons. Staff said the contractor completed general traffic reopening last year but that remaining restoration and final closeout work require additional construction engineering; staff estimated the extra work was "a little over half million" but did not provide an exact amendment amount in the discussion.

Pump stations and Tetra Tech contract

The committee approved a contract with Tetra Tech of Michigan to complete designs and construction administration for additional pump stations. County staff said three rehabilitations are complete (including Pump Station 716 in Taylor, Pump Station 111 at Greenfield and Michigan, and Pump Station 182 at I-75 and Allen Road, the latter supported by a grant obtained through Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib's office), with other designs under way or ready to go to construction.

Parks and site improvements

Elizabeth Isler, chief of planning for Wayne County Parks, described amendments to Professional Engineering Associates (PEA Group) contracts to add design work for Nanking Mills Interpretive Center and to add surveying and landscape architectural services for Benoit Dorsey Park in the city of Wayne. Isler said the Nanking Mills work is connected to ARPA funding and includes adding an ADA ramp to the comfort station; construction is expected to begin in late spring or summer.

Leases, purchases and municipal transfers

The committee approved a three-year extension of the real-estate lease with Persocconi and Persocconi LLC to continue office space at 3600 Commerce Court for the Department of Public Services and Department of Senior Services; Jim Jernigan, office of corporation counsel, confirmed the lease runs until February 2027 at $10,000 per month. The committee also approved an amendment to accept jurisdiction and control of Prescott Road from Warman Road to Vining Road in Huron Township; staff said the road will become a Wayne County-maintained collector and will be eligible for MDOT funds.

Other items of note

- A resolution accepting FEMA-related funds routed through the Michigan Department of State Police to reimburse flood damage at the medical examiner's office and countywide was approved; staff reported about $253,000 in documented damage at the medical examiner's office. - The committee extended engineering services for multiple road and bridge projects (including Hannon Road and two bridges in Northfield Township) so design, load-rating and future construction can proceed when funding is available. - Contracts and purchase orders were continued for ongoing operational needs: pump part repairs (Care Pump and Supply), catch-basin cleanout and storm-pipe jetting (Dukes, formerly Pipetec), hot-mix asphalt deliveries (Cadillac Asphalt) and purchase of trash bags (Central Polybag Corp).

Votes at a glance

The committee recorded one omnibus motion. The motion language, as stated on the record, was to "receive and file item 1 and approve items 2 through 20." The motion was made by Commissioner Kenlock; a second was recorded on the roll call. Roll-call votes on the motion were recorded as follows: Commissioner Kenlock: yes; Commissioner Kara Clemente: yes; Commissioner Badu: yes; Commissioner Palomira: yes; Chair Morecki: yes. The motion carried.

Items covered (short descriptions as stated at the meeting):

1) Forwarding October 2024 report of complaint calls to the road crew (filed). 2) Forwarding November 2024 complaint calls report (filed). 3) Intergovernmental agreement with the city of River Rouge for Memorial Park improvements (approved). 4) Amendment 1 with Professional Engineering Associates (PEA Group) for Nanking Mills Interpretive Center campus and comfort station (approved) 5) Amendment 1 with PEA Group for surveying, engineering and landscape services for Benoit Dorsey Park (ARPA-funded) (approved). 6) Modification 3 to a three-year lease with Persocconi and Persocconi LLC for office space at 3600 Commerce Court (approved; $10,000/month through Feb. 2027 disclosed in discussion). 7) Three-year professional services contract (with six-month option) with Pipeline Management Company LLC for televising, inspecting and cleaning the Rouge Valley Sewage Disposal System (approved; presented as SRF loan-backed work). 8) Amendment 1 to a three-year contract with one-year option to renew with Waitram Associates Inc for construction engineering services for Merriman Road Rehabilitation (approved; staff said additional funds required for extended construction and final closeout). 9) Amendment 1 to a three-year contract with Alfred Benesch and Company for construction engineering on Hannon Road (approved; delay tied to railroad permitting; project complete). 10) Amendment 1 to a three-year agreement with Great Lakes Engineering Group for design of two bridges over Middle Rouge in Northfield Township (approved; design continued pending construction funding). 11) Resolution to accept jurisdiction and control of Prescott Road from Warman Road to Vining Road in Huron Township (approved; county to maintain road and seek MDOT funds). 12) Three grant agreements with the Michigan Department of State Police for FEMA funds related to June floods (approved; staff reported about $253,000 in damage to the medical examiner's office). 13) Amendment 1 to a three-year sole-source professional services contract with Care Pump and Supply for pump parts and repairs (approved). 14) Amendment 1 to a three-year professional services contract (name change noted: Dukes, formerly Pipetec) for catch-basin cleanout, storm-pipe jetting and debris disposal (approved). 15) Amendment 5 to a one-year purchase order (with one-year option) with Cadillac Asphalt for hot-mix asphalt deliveries; staff said the goal for resurfacing this year is about 50 lane miles (approved). 16) Amendment 2 to a three-year DLZ Michigan contract to add services for rehabilitation, construction and traffic-signal modernization at Wayne Road and Ecorse Road in Romulus (approved). 17) Three-year contract with one-year option to renew with Central Polybag Corp for trash bags for DPS Equipment Division (approved). 18) (Item discussed off the agenda; staff to return with plan in a few weeks) (no action taken at this meeting). 19) Contract with one-year option to renew with Tetra Tech of Michigan for design and construction administration to repair and upgrade pump stations (approved). 20) Amendment/restatement of a five-year lease with a five-year option to renew with 400 Monroe Limited Partnership for space at the International Building, 400 Monroe St., Detroit (approved; slight reduction in total square footage noted).

What the committee recorded and next steps

Committee members voted to approve the package on a single roll-call motion. Several items will proceed with staff implementation, contract execution or further work to finalize funding and project closeout; staff said follow-up information (for example, total bridge cost and specific amendment dollar amounts) will be provided to commissioners after the meeting. The committee adjourned following the vote and the public comment period produced no speakers on record.