Rochester Hills council approves multiple contracts and grants for parks, roads, water mains and transit access

At its April 7 meeting, Rochester Hills City Council approved a series of purchase authorizations, construction contracts and a transit grant interlocal agreement covering parks signage, road rehabilitation, water‑main replacements, park maintenance contracts and a transit-access pathway.

Key approvals

- Wayfinding design: Authorized a contract not to exceed $142,500 with Corbin Design (Traverse City, MI) to produce a citywide park wayfinding signage plan. The design work will cover vehicle and pedestrian wayfinding, maps, interpretive signs and standards for consistent park signage. (Motion approved unanimously.)

- Velodrome grant reimbursement: Council authorized payment to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to reimburse 50% ($22,500) of Recreation Passport grant RP12-479 related to Velodrome resurfacing; staff said repayment and grant closeout was less costly than proceeding with a full replacement at this time. (Motion approved unanimously.)

- Mowing and grounds maintenance contracts: Council approved two contracts for lawn/weed mowing and right-of-way maintenance: Timberland Landscape (Auburn Hills) for road/pathway/ROW mowing not to exceed $203,880 through 12/31/2026, and Green Meadows Landscape (Rochester Hills) for city-owned sites not to exceed $245,000 through 12/31/2026. Staff said splitting prior bundled contracts produced cost savings and improved local participation. (Motions approved unanimously.)

- Construction engineering and sewer work: Approved an as-needed construction engineering authorization to Hubbell, Roth & Clark (Bloomfield Hills) for the Innovation Hills sanitary sewer extension ($33,500 not to exceed). Council also approved the University Hills water-main replacement contract with Bedegari Contractors ($7,276,224.99, plus 10% contingency), and a Brewster Road water-main replacement contract (Bidagari Contractors $2,159,208.75 plus contingency). For Brewster Road, the council also authorized a paving contract with Proline Asphalt Paving Group ($2,258,639.35 plus contingency) and construction engineering to OHM Advisors ($249,500). Staff said the water-main and pavement work are being coordinated to reduce duplicate trenching and interruptions.

- Transit-access grant (Oakland County Access to Transit): Council accepted an award through Oakland County’s Access to Transit program for a multi-component pedestrian/transit-access project centered at Forrestor/Marketplace on Adams Road. The total project cost is $534,375; the grant covers 80% ($427,500) and the city is responsible for a 20% local match ($106,875). Council’s resolution requires the city to commit to long-term maintenance of installed facilities. (Motion approved unanimously.)

Why these items matter

Taken together, the approvals advance a multi-year slate of infrastructure and operations work: park signage to improve visitor wayfinding; maintenance contracts to keep rights of way and city properties maintained; coordinated water‑main and roadway rehabilitation projects to replace aging infrastructure; and a sidewalk/transit access project tied to a county transit program that will fill pathway gaps and add bus-stop amenities.

Implementation and oversight

Staff said many of the construction contracts include contingency budgets and are contingent on execution of written agreements acceptable to the city. Engineering staff and procurement will administer the contracts, monitor project phasing to minimize neighborhood impacts and coordinate sequencing of water‑main replacement and paving work.

Ending

All motions on the consent and new-business items passed without opposition. Staff will return to council with updates and milestone reporting for larger capital projects as work progresses.