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Gladwin officials update lead service-line work as tensions flare between mayor and council member
Summary
DPW reported progress on hydro-excavation and lead-service-line inspections while the council and mayor exchanged heated remarks over staff interactions; the city reported about 147 inspections completed with roughly 177 remaining and said EGLE prefers multi-point checks.
The Gladwin City Council received an update on the city’s hydro-excavation work to locate and address unknown water service lines and heard a pointed exchange between a council member and the mayor about council-staff relations.
DPW Supervisor Jeff Graham told the council that contractors and city crews have completed about 147 hydro-excavation inspections and have roughly 177 remaining; he said the work is intended to eliminate approximately 330 unknown service lines in the city and that EGLE prefers multiple inspection points at each service. Graham noted staffing levels, ongoing contractor work and a training quote of about $175 for required operator training.
City Administrator Kimberly Hines responded to remarks directed at staff, saying, "the Council hired me to do a job, let me do it." Mayor Sarah Kile said she visited the DPW to ask questions so she could better understand the hydro-excavation process after constituents expressed confusion about received letters and lack of responses to inquiries.
Council Member Darlington addressed the mayor directly, urging members to "find our lane" and telling the mayor, "You are destroying this City." Council Member Winarski said there is a lack of chain of command and urged colleagues to stay in their assigned roles. No formal personnel actions were taken at the meeting.
Officials also noted the city is required to replace 5% per year under current requirements; the timeline the transcript references for full replacement was inconsistent and not clearly specified at the meeting. The DPW said it will continue the hydro-excavation work and report back on progress at future meetings.
