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Committee advances multiple DWSD, demolition and transportation contracts, delays some items for follow-up
Summary
The committee reviewed and moved a series of contracts: it advanced a $18 million DWSD stormwater contract, approved multiple demolition and fire department contract amendments, and approved transportation and pilot contracts including a $1.55 million autonomous-vehicle pilot; the sidewalk replacement contract was sent to formal without recommendation pending bond and scope clarifications.
The Public Health & Safety Committee reviewed a packed contracts agenda on June 16, approving or advancing multiple items while scheduling follow-ups on others.
Stormwater and green infrastructure: The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department presented contract 6007080, an $18,000,000 capital-funded agreement with Orchard Hills and McClements Inc. to support stormwater infrastructure management and compliance with the state-issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. DWSD staff said work will focus on the Upper Rouge tributary and Near East Side, with design and phased implementation extending over several years; a separate resolution of necessity for property transfers will go to the PE committee in July.
Demolition, environmental and training contracts: Committee members advanced multiple demolition-related contracts, including an amendment for environmental due diligence (increase described in the agenda as $17,500; LPD confirmed an agenda clerical error existed in the committee report and OCP/LPD will circulate corrections). The committee discussed alleged reports about contaminated fill from the Northland demolition but group executives said the city did not authorize Northland dirt for backfill.
Sidewalk replacement and bonding: The committee considered contract 6006862 for sidewalk replacements ($2,000,875). Members questioned whether demolition contractors had been repairing damaged sidewalks. Group executives said the city had begun withholding $2,500 per demolition contract as a site-finalization holdback and that some contractors have been suspended for performance issues. OCP confirmed a $2,800,000 bond for major contracting and agreed to provide documentation; the committee sent 7.6 to formal without recommendation.
Transportation and pilot projects: The committee approved several DDOT contracts for bus engine remanufacture and maintenance and a grant-funded accessible-transportation pilot (contract 6007244) with Perrone Robotics for $1,550,000 to resume a free autonomous shuttle between Corktown, downtown and the East Jefferson riverfront. Tim Slusser, chief of mobility innovation, said the pilot aims to resume service shortly after the July 4 holiday for an initial year and pursue extensions if successful.
Votes and procedural actions: Several items were approved by unanimous voice consensus or "hearing no objection" and were sent to formal session or new business with recommendations to approve. Other items (e.g., the sidewalk contract and tax-clearance-dependent payment for an emergency demolition contract) were deferred for follow-up in 1–3 weeks.
What the record does not show: Full vote tallies by name and all contract documents were not included in the committee transcript. Several agenda entries referenced amounts or dates later corrected by LPD or OCP.
Next steps: OCP and LPD to circulate corrected committee reports where clerical inconsistencies were found; the committee will revisit tax clearance and sidewalk-bond documentation in follow-up meetings before formal council action.
