Detroit committee advances multiple public‑works, transit and demolition contracts, seeks corrections to some finance documents

The Detroit City Council’s Public Health & Safety Committee reviewed a broad slate of contracts on June 16, approving or forwarding many items to formal session while flagging a small set of corrections and follow-up items for procurement and the clerk’s office.

Stormwater contract: The committee heard an overview of contract #6007080, a Detroit Water and Sewer Department (DWSD) stormwater infrastructure program-management agreement with Orchard Hills and McClements Inc. intended to support green stormwater infrastructure in the Upper Rouge tributary and the Near East Side. Staff described the contract as funded by DWSD capital dollars, extending through May 31, 2030, and the contract total listed in the agenda as $18,000,000 with an estimated $3,000,000 spend over five years for a particular scope component.

Sidewalk replacement and blight-related contracts: Members discussed contract #6006862 (sidewalk replacement joint venture, three-year term, contract amount cited ~ $2,000,875) and questioned contractor bonding and whether withheld funds from demolition contracts were being used to pay for sidewalk work that contractors had not completed. Office of Contracting and Procurement staff said bonds are required for construction over $25,000 and that the department has withheld contractor funds for incomplete site finalization; deputy procurement staff confirmed a $2,800,000 bond for the major-contracting line item on the contract.

Emergency demolition and environmental contracts: The committee approved emergency-demolition and other blight-remediation items (items 7.1, 7.3–7.5 and others) and discussed a commercial environmental-due-diligence contract (6004504) where the committee asked OCP to submit a correction letter because an agenda line showed a $532,000 figure while the intended increase was $17,500 (total $819,572). Legislative Policy Division staff confirmed the correct numbers and said a corrected committee report would be distributed.

Transportation and pilot programs: The committee advanced a set of transportation contracts (7.15–7.19), including remanufactured bus-engine and transmission contracts to reduce vehicle downtime, CDL and tow-truck training for DDOT staff, and a grant-funded accessible autonomous-vehicle pilot (contract #6007244) for $1,550,000 with Perrone Robotics to relaunch a free public autonomous shuttle along Corktown–downtown–riverfront; staff said the pilot aims to be running just after the Fourth of July and is funded by MDOT/other grants.

Motions and next steps: Several items were approved and sent to formal session or new business with recommendations to approve; committee members requested that OCP or the clerk submit correction letters where contract amounts or teeter-report titles were inconsistent, and that OCP provide copies of bonding documents and tax-clearance confirmations for specific vendors before formal council action.

Key contracts and outcomes recorded in committee: - 6.3 (Contract #6007080, DWSD stormwater infrastructure) — brought back in 2 weeks for further discussion with related resolution of necessity pending in July. - 7.1 (Emergency demo contract #3084267) — approved, forwarded to formal with recommendation to approve. - 7.2 (Contract #6045004 amendment) — held for correction and to be returned to new business with corrected amount (increase $17,500, total $819,572) per LPD/OCP. - 7.3–7.5 (ARPA and training amendments) — approved and forwarded. - 7.6 (Sidewalk replacement #6006862) — motion to send to formal without recommendation; committee requested bond documents and a list of sidewalk locations to be provided. - 7.7 (Design-build extension) — approved and sent to new business. - 7.15–7.19 (Transportation contracts including autonomous-pilot #6007244) — approved and sent to new business with recommendation to approve.

Committee members set multiple follow-ups: OCP to provide correction letters and bond/tax documentation; Law Department to review a blight-violation memo and return in three weeks. Several items will return to the committee or go to formal session with recommended actions.