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Gibraltar council approves engineering contracts, event vendor and employee HRA assistance; directs attorney to file nuisance action
Summary
At its April 27 meeting the Gibraltar City Council approved professional engineering and bridge‑inspection contracts, hired Wade Shows for the July carnival, authorized one‑time HRA deductible assistance for employees, adopted a one‑year business‑license renewal waiver, and voted to authorize a nuisance‑abatement lawsuit after a closed‑session legal review.
The Gibraltar City Council on April 27 approved a package of contracts and budget items and voted to authorize the city attorney to file a nuisance‑abatement action following a closed‑session legal review.
Council voted to approve a professional engineering services agreement with Fleis & VandenBrink (FNV) to support the city’s infrastructure projects, with project‑by‑project proposals rather than a fixed percentage fee and a 30‑day termination notice included in the final draft. "I'm satisfied with the explanations we received," a council member said in support of entering the partnership. The motion carried on a roll call.
The council also approved Amendment No. 5 with Collins Engineering to perform routine and underwater bridge inspections for 2026 at a cost of $28,850, the same annual fee the city has paid in prior years. City staff said the inspections support grant applications and local road safety planning; council approved the payment by roll call.
For city events, the council authorized a contract with Wade Shows to provide rides and concessions for the July 3–4 carnival (set up June 29; take down July 5). The vendor will supply three to six food stands and 12–14 rides. Parks and recreation director Hannah said Wade Shows successfully ran the carnival last year. Council members asked staff to follow up on ride‑wristband pricing and possible advance‑purchase discounts to keep the event affordable for larger families.
On personnel and benefits, council approved a one‑time payment totaling $9,075 to cover half of certain employees’ health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) deductibles for the January–June period. Staff explained the city’s fiscal year and Blue Cross’ calendar year differ, producing a timing gap that left a small number of employees short of deductible coverage; the council approved the one‑time remedy by voice vote.
Council also approved payment of an emergency invoice of $2,600 to Kennedy Industries for replacement parts and installation to restore pump No. 3 at a lift station.
In administrative business, the council rescinded an April 13 resolution and adopted corrected language to implement a temporary one‑year waiver of business‑license renewals for the licensing period July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027, extending current 2025–26 licenses to June 30, 2027 while continuing to require licenses for new businesses and ownership changes.
After a closed‑session review of a written legal opinion, council voted to direct the city attorney to file a nuisance‑abatement action in circuit court on the recommendation of the chief of police and the city attorney. The motion carried by roll call.
Other procedural items approved included the clerk’s attendance at the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks conference (June 16–19, cost $1,038.25), rescheduling the second May meeting from May 25 to May 26, cancelling a May 4 study session, and establishing monthly study sessions at 5:30 p.m. before the second regular meeting each month.
The council postponed performance‑review procedures for department heads and a proposed special‑events policy until the city administrator can be present for further discussion. The meeting concluded after council reports and community updates.
