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Council approves SEMCOG grant for downtown pedestrian refuges after mixed debate
Summary
After a lengthy debate about downtown safety, process and maintenance responsibilities, the Wixom City Council approved a $190,400 SEMCOG Safe Streets Now grant and authorized a design contract for pedestrian refuges on Pontiac Trail, voting 5–2.
The Wixom City Council on Tuesday voted 5–2 to accept a SEMCOG Safe Streets Now grant for two pedestrian refuges on Pontiac Trail and to authorize design and engineering work by Hubble Roth and Clark not to exceed $41,950. The grant award is $190,400; the city's estimated local construction match and associated engineering costs were discussed during the meeting.
Jessica Buck, chair of the Wixom Downtown Development Authority, urged the council to remove the item from the table and accept the grant, saying the DDA had prioritized pedestrian safety and would manage maintenance through its downtown-focused DPW assignment. “We want our downtown to look nice and to be safe,” Buck said, asking council to approve the SIMCOG/SEMCOG funding so the DDA can proceed.
Deputy Mayor Gotcho and several council members expressed reservations about process and long-term maintenance. “We have to look at the whole city. This was studied for specific downtown locations, but I don't like the sense that the DDA became de facto decision-maker without full council involvement,” Gotcho said. Other council members and DDA representatives countered that SEMCOG's timetable and the localized study made the downtown locations the practical choice and that SEMCOG would allow only limited location tweaks without a major rework.
Council members weighed alternatives — increased police traffic enforcement and different placement of the refuges — but ultimately approved the motion. The roll call showed five yes votes and two no votes. The council also authorized preliminary engineering and noted additional environmental assessment and construction engineering costs that would follow when the construction contract is considered. Council discussion stressed monitoring outcomes and coordinating maintenance responsibilities with the DDA and DPW.
The council's approval authorizes staff to proceed with design engineering and prepares the city to receive SEMCOG funds; final construction authorization will require a subsequent council action when bids and local-match funding are identified.
