By Ralph Echtinaw

Inflation hit the city hard Tuesday when bids were opened on a water main project expected to cost $1.25 million.

The lowest bid of $1,804,852 from Crawford Contracting, was 44 percent higher than expected. A bid from Isabella Corporation ($1,854,844) was higher yet.

As City Manager Kurt Giles told city council Tuesday: “We’re going to have to see what can be done before making a recommendation. It’s a more expensive endeavor than we were expecting. That was all. It was enough wasn’t it.”

Contacted by email Wednesday, Giles added: “The bids are being tabulated at this time to verify unit prices translate correctly to the total base bids. At this point, we are looking for a way to fund the project in its entirety.”

Fortunately for the city, county commissioners approved using $500,000 in American Recovery Plan Act funds to help fund this project last December.

The project will replace the water main under M46 from Watson to Clinton.

Library landscaping

Council approved spending $13,700 with Twin City Landscaping for modifications to the flora around the library’s gazebo. Some $11,000 of that was donated for this specific purpose.

Twin City will remove the carpet rose flower bed and change the footprint of the kidney-shaped raised bed near Michigan Avenue to encompass the existing spigot within the bed. The flower bed will be extended south, and a brick walkway will be installed to tie the flower beds and benches together and make them handicap accessible. 

“We worked with twin City on this design both because they’re a local company and have done extensive work for us in the past as well as at the specific request of Steve Kelly,” said Library Director Jessica Little in a letter to the council. 

DDA appointment

Council approved the addition of Manny Nannan of Manny’s Marathon to the Downtown Development Authority. Nannan owns two downtown buildings in addition to the gas station.