Wayne County public‑services committee forwards contracts and agreements to full board; staff flag grant limits on parkland

Wayne County’s Committee on Public Services voted to forward six administrative contracts and agreements to the full Board of Commissioners, staff said, after brief presentations on projects that county officials said are time‑sensitive or tied to grant requirements.

The items forwarded included a renewal for an owner’s‑representative contract for the Medical Examiner’s Office renovation, an amendment to a facility‑services contract, a 10‑year license with Crestwood School District for playground use at Hillcrest Elementary, a declaration required by a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant for Benoit Dorsey Park, a professional‑services agreement for the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center, and a not‑to‑exceed supply contract for long‑lead water‑main materials tied to the Allen Road grade‑separation project.

Joan Gregg, deputy director of facilities management and planning for Wayne County, described the medical examiner work as a complex, occupied renovation that requires an owner’s representative to manage phasing so operations can continue. “This owner’s representation is necessary to help us with phasing through the project and ensuring that the operations continue,” Gregg said. Staff told commissioners the owner’s‑rep fee was described as a percentage of construction costs (discussed in the meeting as roughly 2% and later referenced in the presentation as about 2.75%) and that the consultant will be on site with weekly check‑ins and milestone reviews.

On facility maintenance, county staff said Amendment 1 to the Benkari LLC contract will continue grease‑trap cleaning, lift‑station services, mainline sewer jetting, catch‑basin cleaning and hazardous and nonhazardous waste hauling at county sites including headquarters in Southgate, Division 3 in Hamtramck, the county jail complex and Lincoln Hall of Justice. Staff said the extension carries no change in dollar amount but is contingent on the vendor returning a required FEP document before full execution.

Elizabeth Isler, chief of planning for Wayne County Parks, outlined a proposed 10‑year license with Crestwood School District for use of about 22,704 square feet at Hillcrest Elementary for a playground. Isler said the school will maintain the area and carry insurance under contract terms; county counsel noted that a licensing agreement — distinct from a lease — requires that the school maintain insurance for the property and that county staff plan semiannual inspections of externally maintained sites.

Parks staff also presented a declaration and notice tied to a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant for the canoe and kayak launch at Benoit Dorsey Park. Staff said the declaration encumbers the property and that selling encumbered parkland would trigger penalties and limit future grant eligibility. County staff stated the county must replace sold parkland with property of equal value (staff cited roughly $1,000,000 as a replacement target) to restore eligibility; staff estimated the county has foregone roughly $500,000 a year in grant funding while ineligible and said acquiring replacement land was a priority to regain access to those grants.

For the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center in Westland, staff sought approval of a contract with Professional Engineering Associates Inc. (DBA PA Group) to provide design, surveying and construction‑administration services for an ARPA‑funded project. Staff said the consultant will perform oversight once a contractor is selected.

Alan Coe, assistant division director of engineering, described a not‑to‑exceed $3,000,000 contract with Aetna Distributors LLC (DBA Aetna Supply Co.) to procure long‑lead materials for relocation of a 42‑inch water main tied to the Allen Road grade‑separation project. “It’s very critical that we order them now,” Coe said, explaining manufacturing and delivery take about five to six months and that pipe arrives in multiple sections covering the length of the relocation.

A motion to forward the items to the full board was put and taken to a vote. A roll‑call comment in the record shows one commissioner voting yes on all items except one listed item, on which they registered an abstention. The committee then adjourned; no in‑room public comments were offered and no emails or Zoom hands were recorded.