City hears timeline for Great Lakes water tie-in as staff update hiring and committee plans

City staff told commissioners the Great Lakes water-main bore-and-tap under I‑94 is scheduled for late summer "27, with a storage-tank project starting with pile work and the tank construction following. Staff said the storage-tank site work would commence with piling (peers) and that the tank lift was expected to begin in early July with site activity through November; the bore-and-tap under I‑94 was planned after coordination with the main-owner and temporary pumping infrastructure is in place. Officials said the city will be tapped into the main but will not immediately use that water until pumps and distribution are online and coordinated.

Commissioners described the connection to Great Lakes service as a significant future benefit for residents—particularly to reduce emergency plumbing costs and to avoid the need for a costly standalone treatment plant—but also noted some residents have concerns and that the shared contract covers several operational elements such as water billing and plumbing assurances.

On staffing, staff reported they have five interviews scheduled for the department-head position referenced in the session and will bring a recommendation to the commission for approval when appropriate; the hiring process includes posting on MML and Indeed and internal and external candidates are under consideration.

A commissioner proposed reorienting the traffic-safety committee toward broader public-safety matters to address vacancies and increase its work plan; staff (Dan and HR) are forming an internal in-house safety committee to standardize workplace safety practices across departments.

The work session concluded with routine commissioner comments and a motion to adjourn that passed with no opposition.