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Resident urges Mount Clemens commission to pause and re-audit water-plant plans, citing escalated costs
Summary
Resident Patrick McKay told the commission he wants independent review and auditing of engineering reports after he said the citys water-plant planning moved from a $17 million option to a roughly $42 million request to the state, and he urged the commission to reconsider alternatives and re-examine the reports.
Patrick McKay, a Mount Clemens resident who gave his full name and address during public comment, urged the City Commission to pause and re-evaluate the citys water-plant planning.
McKay said he was confused by competing cost estimates and by the commissions prior reliance on a $17 million estimate to connect to Great Lakes Water Authority versus a $45 million estimate to build a new plant. He cited an article that, he said, reported the commission asked the state for $42,052,000 and asked that staff and elected officials provide the reports and analyses so residents can understand the basis for the decision.
"I think we need to all take a step back real quick and just take a pause," McKay said. He asked to review the initial assessment that flagged problems with the plant and the Fishbeck two-part report that he said gave different options and costs; he also requested audit access to the underlying reports.
McKay expressed concern about switching from a gravity-fed system to a mechanically pressurized system, saying that mechanical systems can be more prone to catastrophic failures if regulators or valves fail. He compared potential failures to a large water main break in a nearby community and warned of risks to aging house plumbing.
The commission did not respond with new action at the time; city staff and commissioners later reiterated that the commission had adopted a capital improvement plan for water infrastructure and that the commission had made difficult funding decisions to move forward with improvements. McKay returned for a second public comment later in the meeting to reiterate his concerns that escalation of cost estimates to roughly $42 million merited renewed review.
No formal vote, directive or scheduling of an audit was made during the meeting; the item remained a citizen concern entered into the public record.
