Eastpointe approves parking-lot, streetscape contracts tied to $1 million revitalization grant; low-bidder's past bid-rigging questioned

The Eastpointe City Council on Sept. 20 approved contracts to carry out parking-lot and streetscape improvements funded through a state revitalization and placemaking grant.

Council awarded the Civic Pointe parking-lot improvements contract to Asphalt Specialists LLC (1780 East Highwood, Pontiac, Michigan) at a bid amount plus a 10% contingency for a total of $621,892.65. Council also awarded the DDA streetscape improvements contract on Gratiot Avenue and 9 Mile Road to Big Lakes Lawn Care and authorized the city manager to execute related documents; the council vote on the streetscape award was recorded without a specified bid total in the meeting record.

The projects are tied to a $1 million state revitalization and placemaking grant intended to fund resurfacing, carports with solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations, reconstruction of a bio-retention area behind the library, and solar street lighting, benches, bike racks and trash receptacles in the downtown development authority (DDA) district. City staff said the parking-lot improvements are intended to create a community gathering space north of the library and that the streetscape work is linked with recent water-main work that required removal of existing streetscape elements.

Council debate included concerns raised about the low bidder for the parking contract: one council member noted that Asphalt Specialists had been involved in a previous bid-rigging case and had paid fines. A consultant who addressed the council (identified in the record as Mr. Garn) said that the individuals involved in the earlier bid-rigging are no longer with that company, that the company had been barred from state and federal work immediately after the incident, and that as of February the company had been requalified to do MDOT work and has been allowed to perform federal work. The consultant said his firm had worked with Asphalt Specialists on other projects this year and had no reason to disqualify them for the Civic Pointe contract.

Votes: the Civic Pointe parking-lot contract passed on a 3–2 vote (Councilmember Curley, Mayor Kleinfeld and Councilmember Baker recorded as yes; Councilmember DeMonaco and Councilmember Przedlic recorded as no). The DDA streetscape contract passed on a 5–0 vote.

City officials said some of the matches for the revitalization grant will be covered by water funds and DDA expenditures; administration also said the grant allowed the city to count water-related expenditures toward the project's match.

The council record does not list a bid amount for the Big Lakes Lawn Care streetscape award in the public minutes; the parking-lot award amount was stated on the record.