Downtown business owner and contractor press commission on street-sweeping contract at public hearing

The Mount Clemens City Commission opened a public hearing on the downtown maintenance special assessment and heard concerns from downtown business owners and the contractor who has provided sweeping services for years.

Champion Power Sweeping owner Larry Alger told the commission his business has served downtown since the early 2000s and asked for dialogue before rebidding the contract, saying he and previous operators have provided the service as customer support for downtown businesses. "We said fine, we'll bid it. We happen to be the only bid that came in," he told the commission, urging staff to talk with local vendors before reissuing bids.

City administration warned the commission that expenditures for the downtown maintenance program are likely to exceed collections by a little over $12,000, driven in part by the anticipated increase in street-sweeping costs. Administration said bids are out again and that the city would confirm final bid numbers before deciding whether to use general fund dollars or raise the special assessment rate.

Several business owners asked the commission to consider the affordability of any assessment increases. "So please consider that when deciding the best option for that bid," one business owner said, explaining small owners may have reached their capacity to pay.

The commission closed the first public hearing and will consider the assessment and bid results at a later meeting; staff noted the assessment-roll and second public hearing scheduling as part of the DWSRF-rate discussion earlier in the meeting.

The hearing record includes public comments about procurement practices, collection rates (administration reported a ~95–96% collection rate historically), and the role of snowfall on sweeping frequency and costs.