Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Lead Service Line Replacement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hamtramck wins $5.8 million EPA grant for lead service‑line replacements; council approves contractor awards
Summary
The city accepted a $5.8 million EPA construction grant to replace lead service lines in a defined northeast quadrant and awarded multiple construction contracts; discussion followed about construction management fees and funding sources.
Hamtramck — City staff told the council April 21 that Hamtramck has been awarded a $5.8 million EPA grant to fund the construction phase of a lead service‑line replacement program covering a northeast quadrant of the city. Council approved awards to multiple contractors and also considered — then tabled — a separate resolution on construction management fees.
According to staff, the grant covers construction in the specified area (Carpenter to Kiff; Joseph Campau to Conant) and does not allow the city to divert those funds for non‑construction expenses. The procurement split 669 service‑line replacements into three contract packages to accelerate work; staff recommended awarding contracts to qualified firms with contingency allowances.
Council approved Resolution 2026‑49 to award the construction contracts (staff described the bids and recommended three firms for the work). During the discussion, staff emphasized the grant’s construction‑only restrictions.
A related resolution (2026‑50) to hire Hennessy Engineers for construction management services — presented with an estimated supervision fee of about $493,000 to oversee the three contracts — drew concern because council members said supervision fees would be charged against the city’s water and sewer funds and could raise resident water bills. Several members asked for further review of the supervision fee and asked the city manager and CFO to seek lower fees or other options; the council voted to table the resolution pending further review.
Staff said the project will proceed once contracts are executed and that construction management will either be renegotiated or returned to the council for further approval. Councilmembers praised the decision to divide work among multiple contractors to speed completion and urged close oversight to avoid delay and cost overruns.
Next steps include contract execution, scheduling construction, posting notices to affected residents, securing consents for in‑home replacements where required, and returning any revised construction‑management proposal to the council for approval.
