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Council approves annual leak-detection program and sends several contracts to full council
Summary
Flint City Council approved a yearly leak-detection survey for the water system, voted to keep an ordinance in committee and sent contracts — including police-uniform procurement and a Michigan State University evaluation agreement — to the full council for consideration.
Flint City Council on Jan. 26 approved a contract to perform annual leak-detection surveys for the city’s water system and took several procedural votes sending other procurement and contract items on to the full council.
The council voted 7–0 to approve resolution 2600027, authorizing annual leak-detection work for the Water Service Center. Howard Hudson, supervisor for the water service center, told council members that past surveys identified roughly 345,000 gallons of apparent loss per month in the system and that repairs typically range from about $7,000 for minimal on-site repairs to $12,000–$25,000 for contracted emergency work. Hudson said the vendor delivers reports with coordinates, photographs and marked locations so crews can target repairs.
Why it matters: Council members framed the detection program as a proactive “insurance” measure to reduce expensive emergency repairs and water loss from the city’s aging infrastructure. Members asked for follow-up data showing billed water versus supply from Detroit and for documentation the vendor provides after surveys.
Other actions at the meeting included: leaving ordinance 2550414 in Special Affairs (motion carried 5–1), sending resolution 260024 (police uniforms) to full council (vote 6–0), and moving resolution 260025 (a contract with Michigan State University for the Flint ReCAST program evaluation) to council for further action.
On the police-uniform procurement, Angela Ammerman, finance and accounting supervisor, said the apparent price increase reflects both replacement gear and uniforms for new recruits; she estimated a per-officer outfitting cost between $5,500 and $7,500 when belts, holsters and tactical items are included. The motion to send that resolution to council was made by the councilwoman in the seventh ward and seconded by the councilman in the first ward.
The meeting adjourned at 6:41 p.m.; several items were forwarded for full-council consideration or additional staff follow-up.
