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Utica council approves public‑safety equipment purchases, patrol rifles and several DPW projects
Summary
Council approved police purchases funded by a $250,000 grant (a 3‑D forensic laser system and laptop), a 16‑rifle purchase for patrol pool, recertified AED purchases with a budget amendment, and contracts/studies and emergency payments for DPW (generator repair, M‑53 force‑main study, ML Chartier extension, and a Shelby Underground emergency invoice).
At its July 14 meeting the Utica City Council approved a series of public‑safety and public‑works purchases and contracts, most of which were presented by Police Chief Klusny and Interim Superintendent Michael Francis.
Chief Klusny said the department received a $250,000 grant and asked to purchase a Ferrel 3‑D laser system for crime‑scene and traffic‑crash mapping (price quoted $59,931.38) and a specialized Dell laptop ($8,562.69); both items were described as fully funded by the grant and council approved motions authorizing purchases not to exceed $60,000 and $8,600 respectively.
Klusny also described a patrol‑rifle program included in the FY27 budget and requested purchase of 16 rifles from CMMG (12 officer purchases plus four pool rifles) for a total not to exceed $22,500; council approved the purchase. He requested purchase of two recertified LifePak 1000 AEDs and related maintenance from BoundTree (not to exceed $4,200) and a corresponding FY27 equipment budget amendment; both motions were approved.
Interim Superintendent Michael Francis presented DPW items: approval of PM Technologies estimate #143011357 to repair a DPW generator (not to exceed $3,500) following a May outage; designation of Francis as the city's MDOT street administrator under Public Act 51, section 139; a budget increase of $213,250 and a time extension to Aug. 7, 2026, for the ML Chartier water‑service investigation project; and a request to engage HRC for an M‑53 sanitary force‑main rehabilitation study (not to exceed $11,500) with an associated FY27 budget amendment. Council also approved payment of an emergency invoice to Shelby Underground Incorporated for $4,150 related to a June emergency sewer repair.
All motions described above carried on roll‑call votes.
What this means: The Ferrel system and laptop will be installed and configured for the department using grant funds; patrol rifles and AEDs are budgeted and will be added to inventory; DPW will proceed with repairs, a study of the M‑53 force main and schedule adjustments for the ML Chartier project, and will pay an emergency invoice for a June repair.
Quotes: “This fits perfectly in the grant and what I’m looking for,” Chief Klusny said of the Ferrel system. Michael Francis said the generator initially restarted then overheated during a May storm and requested approval to repair it to maintain DPW operations.
