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Ishpeming approves $240,033 change order to Lindbergh's for Michigan Street storm sewer connector
Summary
The Ishpeming City Council approved a $240,033 change order to Lindbergh's under DWSRF contract 1 to install a storm sewer connector from Third Street down Michigan Street toward Lake Bancroft; council discussed funding from the public improvement fund, major streets and the general fund.
The Ishpeming City Council voted to approve a $240,033 change order to Lindbergh's under DWSRF Contract No. 1 to install a storm sewer connector running from Third Street, down Michigan Street beneath the tennis court lot, then down Empire into Lake Bancroft.
Council members said approving the connector now would let contractors already working on nearby water and sewer mains complete the storm sewer work while in the vicinity, and would avoid a later alignment that would cross the city football fields.
Grant, a city staff member who ran the financial analysis presented to council, told members that about $430,000 could be contributed from the city’s public improvement fund. He said the city could also use up to $300,000 from the major streets fund to cover sidewalk costs tied to the work; state guidance includes a 1% recommendation but no legal limit on such expenditures, he said. Using those sources, Grant said, would leave an estimated $75,000 to $100,000 to be covered by the general fund, which he said currently holds about $1.3 million in cash on hand.
Councilors discussed trade-offs if the city draws from the general fund. Grant noted that using public improvement funds down to low levels was consistent with recent capital execution after years of under-spending, and that some projects previously planned—such as tennis courts or local blight remediation—could be deferred if council wanted to preserve the general fund balance.
The change order was described to council as the connector segment that will allow Third Street storm runoff to reach Lake Bancroft; councilors were told the Third Street portion of the project itself will be brought forward for approval at a later meeting. A motion to approve the Lindbergh's change order under DWSRF Contract 1 for $240,033 passed on a voice vote.
Construction sequencing and some ancillary work remain to be finalized; council asked staff to notify Lindbergh's after the vote so the contractor can schedule the added work.
The approval does not itself authorize additional Third Street work beyond the connector; council members were told the Third Street estimates will return for separate approval.
