Wayne County panel approves contract extensions, 79,500‑ton salt purchase and four MDOT road projects

The Wayne County Committee on Public Services voted to approve eight agenda items authorizing road and park projects and a bulk road‑salt purchase for the 2024–25 winter season.

The committee approved a retroactive Amendment 2 to a two‑year construction contract with Cadillac Asphalt to extend the contract term so county crews and contractors can finish road resurfacing projects; staff said there is no change in contract value, only an extension of time. Steve Shea, division director of roads maintenance, told commissioners the extension is to allow crews to finish projects still in progress and that weather will determine how much more work the division can complete this season.

The panel also approved a cooperative agreement with Detroit Salt Company for the purchase of 79,500 tons of road salt to supplement the county’s existing 64,000 tons on hand for the 2024–25 season. Eric Ludwig, assistant division director of DPS equipment, said the purchase is through the state contract (referred to as “Detroit Salt” in staff remarks) and that the county typically bases the order on prior usage.

Two park‑millage items were approved as amendments to intergovernmental agreements: Amendment 1 with the city of Taylor for completion of improvements to Heritage Park and Amendment 1 with the city of Inkster for completion of improvements to the Booker T. Dozier Recreation Center. The clerk noted these are park millage projects; no substantive discussion or funding changes were reported in the meeting record.

The committee approved four contracts with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT): a resurfacing contract for roughly a half‑mile of Allen Road from Southfield Road to Euclid Avenue in Allen Park (county staff anticipates starting in spring and completing by 2026, weather permitting); a traffic‑signal modernization and road improvement project on 5 Mile Road at Levin Road and Newberg Road at Linton Street in Livonia (staff said the county’s contribution is about $84,000 and that the city of Livonia is including this scope in its larger project); a resurfacing project of about 1.31 miles on Dix Toledo Highway from Goddard Road to I‑75 in Lincoln Park (county contribution stated as about $630,000; construction expected to begin in 2026 and finish late 2026); and a Marymount Road resurfacing project from the I‑94 Hines Drive ramp to Joy Road in Westland (described in staff remarks as about 7.78 miles, to be managed by Wayne County with Cadillac Asphalt identified as the contractor, and targeted for 2026 completion, weather permitting).

A commissioner asked whether the video‑detection portion of the Livonia signal project would be a temporary pilot or a permanent installation; staff replied they did not have that detail at the meeting and said they would provide the information later.

A single motion to approve items 1 through 8 was moved and supported. The clerk conducted a roll call: Commissioner Clemente — yes; Commissioner Palamara — yes; Chair (recorded with a name variant in the transcript) — yes. Earlier in the roll call several commissioners had requested to be excused. The clerk recorded the motion as passed.

No members of the public spoke in person or via Zoom during the public‑comment period. The committee adjourned after routine closing business.

Provenance: The facts in this article are drawn from staff presentations and roll call recorded in the committee’s meeting transcript (see meeting timeline for topic‑level evidence excerpts).