Alpena’s City Council on Monday approved its consent agenda, moved two small budget amendments and voted to award multiple on-call service contracts for plumbing and utility excavation, actions city staff said will help the city respond quickly to building and infrastructure emergencies.

City engineer Steven Schultz told the council the plumbing procurement opened Dec. 16, 2025, asked bidders to provide hourly rates for HVAC and plumbing, and recommended awarding multiple contracts so the city has several vetted vendors available for emergency repairs, routine inspections and replacements. “The overall intent of this project is to allow the city multiple options for plumbing and mechanical services for small projects and emergency services within city buildings,” Schultz said.

The consent agenda the council approved included bills to be allowed in the amount of $601,646.08, authorization for the mayor and the clerk to sign the warrant, and an award for facility rug/linen services to UniFirst at a quoted rate of $76.95 per week. The council also approved a planning-department budget amendment of $7,500 for legal services relating to the Corridor Improvement Authority and a $1,500 increase in the public works budget for cleanup debt.

On procurement, the council approved three plumbing contracts — each not to exceed $35,000 — and six excavation contracts, also capped at $35,000 each. The plumbing contracts recorded in the meeting were with Rod Zena Plumbing LLC; a second plumbing contractor listed in the transcript (name unclear in audio/transcript); and Lakeshore Plumbing. The excavation contracts approved were Bedrock Contracting and Excavating; Environmental Excavating; CNC Excavating; MacArthur Construction; H and D Services, Inc.; and EMPI. City staff said the contractors will also be responsible for providing materials on water and sewer main repairs going forward, a change intended to free city crews to update infrastructure records and focus on other tasks.

During reports, Council member Danny said the Land Bank Authority conducted a poll vote to purchase a property at the corner of 3rd and Ripley for $15,000 and that Habitat (not further specified) may develop the lot. Council members also urged residents to take an online recycling survey and noted discussion about curbside pickup is circulating on social media.

The council recorded motions, seconds and affirmative ‘Aye’ votes for the consent agenda and each contract award; no ‘No’ votes or abstentions were recorded in the public audio. With no further business, Council member Danny moved to adjourn and the meeting ended.

The council noted city offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 19, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and that the next municipal council meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m.