Wayne County committee approves park sculpture agreement, road and engineering contracts and authorizes extra winter salt
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Summary
The Wayne County Committee on Public Services approved several procurement and intergovernmental agreements — including siting a Rosie the Riveter sculpture in Vanoy Dorsey Park, MDOT-funded road work in Dearborn, and engineering study work for a Pennsylvania Road grade separation — and authorized exigent purchase authority to add salt stocks after heavy snow.
The Wayne County Committee on Public Services voted to approve a package of contracts and an intergovernmental agreement on Tuesday, authorizing park improvements and multiple public-works contracts and granting urgent authority to buy additional road salt amid a heavy snow season.
Elizabeth Isler, chief of planning for Wayne County Parks, told commissioners the county will enter a three-year intergovernmental agreement with the City of Westland to host a Rosie the Riveter sculpture in Vanoy Dorsey Park. "They got some ARPA funding to do a Rosie the Riveter sculpture," Isler said, noting the sculpture will sit in a new plaza and that the county is adding parking, trails and an outdoor gym as part of coordinated neighborhood investments. She said the City will fund and maintain the sculpture.
In a separate item, the committee approved a two-year contract with two 1-year renewal options with Batteries Plus to supply batteries for county equipment, from lawnmowers to snow-fighting vehicles. Eric Ludwig, assistant division director for DPS equipment, said exact purchase volumes are weather-dependent: "It's hard to narrow down exactly how many we would use" because cold weather accelerates battery failures, he said, and staff will return if spending hits the contract maximum.
The committee also approved an amendment to a construction contract in Hines Park to remove and replace sidewalk, a wooden safety fence, and storm structures related to the Marimu Sanitary Sewer relaunch. Patrick Cullen, Environmental Services Division director, said the amendment covers work not included in the original scope and that a specialist vendor, Xylem, will supply temporary dewatering equipment.
On transportation, Alan Coe, assistant division director of engineering, outlined a Michigan Department of Transportation contract to improve roughly 0.24 miles of Dix Avenue in Dearborn. Coe said the project has an estimated construction cost of about $3.2 million, with MDOT providing about $2.6 million and the county and the City of Dearborn contributing roughly $292,000 combined. Commissioners raised scheduling concerns about overlapping traffic impacts while the nearby Miller Road bridge remains under reconstruction; Coe said staff will coordinate the start date after MDOT's contract letting to minimize public disruption.
The committee also approved a three-year professional services contract with Baker and Associates to perform preliminary engineering for a Pennsylvania Road grade separation, funded in part by an Aerotropolis grant of about $865,000 and matching contributions of $76,000 each from Huron Township and the City of Romulus. Nelly Lee, assistant corporation counsel, explained to commissioners that a liquidated-damages provision was removed from the professional-services contract because engineering consulting work typically lacks discrete performance benchmarks for such clauses.
Separately, staff requested exigent authority to purchase additional road salt from Detroit Salt Company to cover an unexpectedly heavy winter. Michelle (staff) said the county purchased about 79,500 tons of salt this season and is requesting an additional 23,000 tons under the same contract rate to avoid running out. "We don't want to run out," she said, adding that domes are about half full and the 30% purchase cushion preserves the contracted price for urgent needs.
Votes at a glance - Item 1 (receive file: November 2025 complaint-call report): received for filing (motion carried). - Item 2 (Intergovernmental agreement with City of Westland for Vanoy Dorsey Park and Rosie the Riveter sculpture): approved. - Item 3 (Contract with Batteries Plus for automotive batteries): approved. - Item 4 (Amendment 1 with Pemar Enterprises — Marimu Sanitary Sewer Project): approved. - Item 5 (MDOT contract for Dix Avenue road improvements, Dearborn): approved. - Addenda Item 6 (Name-change assignment to Gauteng/Mark's Chevrolet): approved. - Item 7 (Professional services contract with Baker and Associates — preliminary engineering for Pennsylvania Road grade separation): approved.
The committee approved a consolidated motion to receive Item 1 and to approve Items 2 through 7; Commissioner Baydoun moved and Commissioner Clemente supported the motion, which the chair announced as carried. The chair also indicated exigent procurement for additional salt can be executed by administration and will be presented through committee subsequently for ratification.
The meeting ended with no public commenters registered; several commissioners offered public praise for Department of Public Services crews working on snow response.