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Ishpeming public works outlines AquaHawk rollout, water-main work and funds contract for Third Street storm design
Summary
Public Works reported AquaHawk meter-read improvements and frequent winter water-main breaks; council approved engineering work with UPEA for Third Street storm-sewer design and reallocated funds to cover the work.
City public works presented multiple operational updates and the council approved hiring UPEA to design Third Street storm repairs, approving a funding reallocation to cover the engineering work.
Public Works Director William described completion of a citywide meter-installation project and an upcoming customer-facing rollout of the AquaHawk leak-monitoring application. Staff said moving all meters to a single monthly read date and implementing one-gallon reporting will allow customers and staff to detect small leaks and running fixtures faster. Bill told council AquaHawk implementation could occur in late April or May after data collection, and that the utility could then allow customers to set leak alarms and pay bills online.
Bill also reviewed system conditions: crews responded to ten water-main breaks during the winter, and several roads remain dependent on pending main replacements. He said Seventh Street has been held from paving earlier because an underlying cast-iron water main at the same location has failed multiple times; council approved paving for Seventh Street in this year’s contract but noted the water-main work must precede final paving.
On stormwater, Bill and Council discussed a proposal to route additional stormwater into Lake Bancroft and to bore an outfall beneath the park and nearby parking to improve flow and lake circulation. Bill said that routing the outfall west would add relatively fresh water to the lake and that the overall construction approach could reduce long-term costs compared with slip-lining a longer existing trunk line.
On engineering, council considered and approved a scope with UPEA to design storm drainage work on Third Street. Council amended the motion to identify the funding source for the engineering as the money previously earmarked as a tennis-court grant match; staff said that public-improvement funds would be the likely source for design and possible subsequent construction. Grant, the finance director, reminded council the public-improvement fund has competing priorities including a fire-tower repair estimate and costs from last year’s Second Street storm-sewer collapse.
Council directed staff to coordinate detour and signage planning for the Third Street work as part of the design contract and emphasized improved public communication compared with prior seasons. Bill said contractors Payne & Dolan and others are scheduled to begin portions of the city’s larger road program in May and that staff will provide a timing presentation to council.
No explicit construction timetable for Third Street was finalized at the meeting; staff and UPEA said the engineering contract would allow design work to proceed ahead of construction scheduling. The council required the work be subject to attorney review before the contract is finalized.
