Oak Park council approves ARPA home-repair contract, water-main payments, 11 Mile mural and matching façade grant

The Oak Park City Council approved a series of routine bids, payments and public-art funding at its meeting, including awarding an ARPA-funded minor home-repair contract, approving a payment application and change order for a 2025 water-main replacement project, and authorizing a mural and a matching façade grant for a business at 13691 West 11 Mile.

The approvals are part of the city’s effort to use federal ARPA funds and capital-improvement authority money for neighborhood repairs, ongoing infrastructure work, and private façade improvements that the council says will support local businesses and streetscape goals.

Council action and key facts

- ARPA Minor Home Repair Projects: The council awarded the 2025 ARPA Minor Home Repair Projects to We Preserve Michigan LLC (Southfield) for $28,858. Director Kim Maroney told the council the city received $200,000 in grant funding through Oakland County to cover lawn services, yard cleanup, snow removal and minor home repairs. She said the city received 40 resident applications; seven were excluded for failing to meet minimum criteria and several requests exceeded the $5,000 maximum per household for the grant. Maroney said eligible homes were inspected and county-approved contractors were solicited to bid the work. The motion passed on a roll-call vote (Stephanie Crawford, Julie Edgar, Mayor Marion McClellan and Mayor Pro Tem Sean Whitehead voting yes).

- Water-main project payments and change order: Council approved pay application No. 3 for Eminent Excavating LLC (Dearborn) in the amount of $39,302.53 and change order No. 2 in the amount of $12,342.38 for the 2025 water-main replacement project (M769). Maroney said the project is about 75% complete and crews were working on restoration. The motion passed on a roll-call vote (Crawford, Edgar, McClellan and Whitehead voting yes).

- Mural at 13691 West 11 Mile and façade grant: Michelle Bishop, manager of authorities, presented a mural application for the property at 13691 West 11 Mile submitted by the Offices at 11 and building owners Chris and Ally Dural (doing business as Tresnik Roofing). Bishop said the mural was reviewed and approved by the Corridor Improvement Authority (CIA) board and the city’s mural board, which includes the mayor, municipal services staff and a local artist, Robert Murek. The council voted to approve the mural application and to award a matching façade grant for the same property not to exceed $4,500 from CIA funds (motion carried; Crawford, Edgar, McClellan and Whitehead voting yes). Bishop said the building owners and a CIA façade grant will pay the project cost.

- Consent agenda and other payments: The council approved the consent agenda, which included routine items and vendor payments. Notable items listed on the consent agenda were: invoices from OHM Advisors for engineering consulting services totaling $7,565; payment application No. 2 for the 2025 Northfield Reconstruction Project in the amount of $245,552.58; payment application No. 2 for the 2025 lawn maintenance contract to Capital Landscapes of Ferndale, Michigan, $9,650.87; and payment application No. 2 for a 2025 landscape maintenance contract to Contract Landscape of Ferndale, Michigan, $5,966.25. The consent agenda motion carried unanimously (Edgar moved; Crawford seconded; roll-call recorded in the meeting record).

Why this matters

Council members framed the ARPA-funded repairs as a one-time use of county-administered federal funds intended to address small but urgent home-repair needs; Maroney said funds must be expended under the county’s grant timeline. The water-main payments reflect ongoing capital work in the city’s distribution system; Maroney reported the job is largely complete with restoration remaining. The mural and façade grant approvals are part of the CIA’s strategy to support business investment and streetscape improvements along the West 11 Mile corridor.

What officials said

Director Kim Maroney said the ARPA home-repair program prioritized eligible applications in order and excluded projects that exceeded the $5,000 per-household cap. She also told council the water-main project (M769) is roughly 75% complete and that the recently requested change order relates to ongoing construction work and restoration. Michelle Bishop said the mural application met city ordinance requirements and had CIA board support; she said the project cost will be covered by the building owners and the approved façade grant.

Next steps and context

Maroney said staff will move forward with contracting and scheduling the ARPA home-repair work through the county-approved contractors and complete the remaining restoration for the M769 water-main project. The mural installation timeline was not specified during the discussion. Several consent-agenda items reference upcoming projects and routine minutes from boards and commissions; no further public hearings or extended debate occurred on those items during the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda: approved (motion moved by Council Member Julie Edgar; seconded by Council Member Stephanie Crawford). Roll call recorded all in favor. - Award: ARPA Minor Home Repair Projects to We Preserve Michigan LLC — approved, $28,858. Roll-call votes: Crawford yes; Edgar yes; McClellan yes; Whitehead yes. - Pay Application No. 3 and Change Order No. 2 to Eminent Excavating LLC for Water-main Project M769 — approved, $39,302.53 and $12,342.38. Roll-call votes: Crawford yes; Edgar yes; McClellan yes; Whitehead yes. - Mural application for 13691 West 11 Mile — approved. Roll-call votes: Crawford yes; Edgar yes; McClellan yes; Whitehead yes. - Matching façade grant for 13691 West 11 Mile (CIA funds, not to exceed $4,500) — approved. Roll-call votes: Crawford yes; Edgar yes; McClellan yes; Whitehead yes.

(Amounts and project identifiers quoted are those given in the meeting record.)