Edmore council hires firm to complete EGLE water-system materials inventory for up to $5,000

The Edmore Village Council voted 7-0 on Aug. 12 to hire Fleis & Vandenbrink to complete the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Complete Distribution System Materials Inventory, approving a contract not to exceed $5,000.

Village Manager Mark Borden told the council the village's Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grant supports in‑town fieldwork but does not fund completion of the CDSMI reporting forms. He said village staff estimated about 120 man-hours would be required to fill out EGLE's long form and that contracting the work would meet EGLE's Oct. 16, 2024 deadline without diverting ongoing DPW capacity. "DWAM does not allow for or cover expenses for CDSMI reporting," Borden said in his report to the council.

Guild moved to authorize Fleis & Vandenbrink to complete the CDSMI long form at a cost not to exceed $5,000; Griswold supported the motion. A roll call vote recorded Colburn, Griswold, Guild, McParland, Moore, Pierce and Burr in favor. The motion passed 7-0.

The action follows the village's DWAM project work, which included hydro-excavation to identify shut-off valves and a staff effort to inventory water-line materials at 98 locations. Under the grant the village is reimbursed for staff time spent on the DWAM tasks; Borden said the DWAM reimbursement does not extend to the separate CDSMI paperwork, creating the need for the contracted service. The council did not specify an execution date beyond the approval and directed staff to proceed with the contractor agreement.

Next steps: the consultant will complete the CDSMI submission to EGLE to satisfy the statutory reporting requirement; no additional budget appropriation beyond the approved $5,000 cap was recorded in the meeting minutes.