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Votes at a glance: Brighton council approves consent agenda, water‑line replacements and new backhoe; schedules special meeting
Summary
At its June 24 meeting the Brighton City Council approved the consent agenda (minutes, a social‑district resolution and equipment purchases), authorized replacement of five water service lines on Glenwith Road, approved purchase of a Caterpillar backhoe with compactor attachment, and set a special council meeting for July 1 at 6 p.m.
Brighton City Council on June 24 approved several items on a consent agenda and took three new business votes covering water‑service repairs, equipment replacement and scheduling.
Consent agenda: Council approved the consent agenda by roll call, including: approval of the June 10, 2025 minutes; Resolution No. 2025‑18, local government unit approval for a social district permit for Brewery Becker LLC d/b/a Brewery Becker (500 W. Main St.); purchase of an X‑Mark Laser S series turf mower from Weingartz in an amount not to exceed $12,847; and a Tetra Tech engineering services retainer agreement for July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 in an amount not to exceed $12,492. The motion was moved by Council member Renee Pettengill and seconded by Council member Bill Albert; Clerk Tara Brown called the roll and the items passed on recorded yes votes from Mayor Christopher Toby, Mayor Pro Tem Susan Gardner and all council members present.
Water service replacement: The council approved a request from the water department to replace five service lines on Glenwith (Glenwood) Road to connect houses to the 12‑inch main before scheduled repaving. Water Superintendent Josh Bradley said the work would retire an aging two‑inch PVC lateral that has required multiple repairs and that doing the work ahead of repaving would reduce repeated road cuts. The council approved a contract with Comprehensive Contracting not to exceed $33,000. Council member Renee Pettengill moved the motion, seconded by Council member Ken Schmank; the motion passed on a voice vote.
Equipment purchase: The council approved purchase of a Caterpillar 420 backhoe loader and a vibratory compactor attachment from Michigan Cat at a list price of about $133,775, with a stated dealer trade‑in allowance of $41,000 for the city’s existing machine. DPW Superintendent Brad Schroeder said the current backhoe (model 2004) is at the end of its service life and the compactor attachment will improve pavement compaction during repairs. Council member Susan Gardner moved the purchase; Council member Ken Schmank seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote.
Special meeting: Council set a special meeting for Tuesday, July 1 at 6 p.m. to consider matters related to purchase or lease of real property and to allow the council to convene a closed session for negotiating real estate; attorney Sarah Gabis advised property‑purchase negotiation will require closed‑session discussion for some parcels. The calendar motion passed unanimously.
Why this matters: The water‑line replacements are timed to coincide with planned road work to reduce repeated repairs; the backhoe purchase replaces aging equipment used across public works divisions; and the consent agenda items clear routine administrative, permit and small capital purchases. Council repeatedly noted the city has a limited local tax base and described these items in the context of fiscal caution while maintaining infrastructure and services.
