Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances $150,000 contract amendment after emergency fiber repairs at Huntington Place
Summary
The Internal Operations committee voted to advance a 100% city‑funded $150,000 amendment to a low‑voltage cabling contract (606266A1), which staff said paid for emergency repairs after a 2024 fiber cut near Huntington Place and additional work at the Detroit Detention Center.
Detroit’s Internal Operations committee moved a city contract amendment to formal session on Jan. 21 after a Public Safety IT official described emergency repairs tied to a 2024 fiber cut.
The Office of Contracting and Procurement presented amendment 606266A1, a 100% city‑funded increase for structured network cabling services that requested an additional $150,000 to the existing contract. Robert Millender, director of Public Safety IT, told the committee the contract covers low‑voltage cabling needs across city departments and was used to repair a major fiber cut in 2024 that interrupted communications between the council building and public safety headquarters.
“That's what these contracts function for and allowed us to do at that time,” Millender said, describing immediate repairs and additional cabling required when the city assumed control of the Detroit Detention Center (DDC) and needed more data lines and cameras.
Millender told the committee the fiber cut occurred during nearby construction at Huntington Place (formerly Cobo Hall), that the line had not been clearly marked and that the city has since re‑identified and marked its fiber lines. Millender said the contractor that performed the construction had treated the older conduit as abandoned and that the city later negotiated about sharing repair costs.
Committee members asked how the cut happened and how the city would prevent similar incidents; Millender said the city had rerouted and clearly marked its lines and worked with telco providers to reduce the risk of future accidental cuts.
After the presentation and questions, the committee voted to send contract 606266A1 to formal session with a recommendation to approve the amendment.
Next steps: The amendment will appear in formal session for council consideration; procurement and IT staff said they will continue coordination with utilities and construction managers to reduce the risk of future fiber disruptions.
