Commission approves contracts, a wastewater change order, FEMA grant and mutual‑aid pact

The commission approved a set of routine but material items Oct. 6, including contracts, change orders, a mutual‑aid agreement and a federal grant.

Public Service Director Tyler Parin presented a capital project to clean and reseal cedar‑shake roofs on three historic structures and recommended awarding the only bid to Superior Exteriors ODC LLC for $27,600; the commission approved the award unanimously. City Engineer David Bole described Change Order No. 5 on phase one of the wastewater treatment plant: after moving vent piping and resubmitting plans to the state inspector, the team discovered deteriorated cast‑iron floor piping that required repair; the commission approved a $51,307.63 change order to Myron Construction, representing about 0.31% of the project budget.

Fire Chief Ed Miller asked the commission to join the Michigan Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) for the eastern Upper Peninsula to formalize mutual aid expectations, broaden access to regional resources and establish cost‑recovery protocols; the commission authorized the city to sign the interlocal agreement. Miller also reported a partial FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant award of $16,720 for wildland firefighting gear; the grant carries a 5% local match. The commission accepted the grant and established a project budget of $16,800, with $800 from the general fund as the local match.

These measures were presented as operational needs or grant successes; commissioners approved each motion with unanimous support and directed staff to proceed with contract execution and project administration.