County approves AEW contracts for MS4 compliance and pavement asset-management study

Macomb County staff asked committees to move two contracts with Anderson, Eckstein & Westrick (AEW) to the full Board: one to provide municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) compliance services for county facilities and another to perform a pavement surface evaluation (PASER), develop an asset-management plan and produce a five‑year capital improvement plan.

Ben, a facilities staff member, described the MS4 contract as required work under the county’s MS4 permit and said funding is available in the 2025 operating budget. “All county owned facilities are included in this plan,” Ben said. He explained that the county’s MS4 program has been administered since the 1990s and noted coordination with the county public works department.

On the pavement assessment, Ben said AEW will visit each site to rate pavement condition using the PASER scale, estimate repair costs and recommend timing in a five‑year CIP. “The asset management plan will determine what level of funding will need to be provided for desired levels of services for the facility,” Ben said. He noted examples where varying usage (for example, heavy truck traffic behind Martha T. Berry) will affect the recommended surface and repair approach.

Commissioners asked whether the assessment would include sidewalks; Ben said the plan covers the “entirety of our property envelope” for most sites, though some sidewalks are under municipal jurisdiction and would be excluded. Commissioners also asked how frequently PASER assessments would be repeated; staff said this assessment is expected to cover planning for five years and will provide improved data for budgeting.

The committees voted to move both contracts to the full Board. The MS4 compliance contract motion recorded a 10–0 vote at committee roll call; the pavement asset-management contract motion recorded a 12–0 committee vote.

Ending

Staff said the pavement asset-management plan will support more accurate fall budget estimates and future bid scopes; the MS4 contract will support permit compliance reporting and activities required by the NPDES program administered in Michigan by EGLE.