Local utilities willing to help on M-68 project
by Angie Asam, Staff Writer
Last Wednesday a utilities coordination meeting was conducted by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) at the Onaway Courthouse. At this Wednesday morning?s Onaway City Commission meeting city manager Joe Hefele updated the commission on the progress made at that meeting.
The utilities coordination meeting was needed as the city is preparing for a M-68 water main replacement, streetscape and reconstruction project proposed for the spring of 2011.
Representatives from MDOT, the city, Presque Isle Electric and Gas Co-op (PIE&G), Aurora Gas and Verizon were present at the meeting. After discussing the plans as they pertained to potential utility conflicts, the group walked Washington Avenue to see what was actually there.
After walking the street PIE&G informed the city that most of the overhead utility lines it has on Washington would be gone, as much of them are used to serve the streetlights, which will be served underground, and its customers on Washington would be served from behind.
The relocation costs associated with these moves is around $12,000 and can be rolled into the project as the power poles on the north side of the road must be relocated because of the location of the new water main.
?I felt the need to express gratitude to PIE&G, which I believe is going out of its way to make the elimination of its overhead on the main drag affordable to us. It views this as a valuable community project,? said Hefele.
Aurora Gas, according to Hefele, also expressed a willingness to do whatever they could to make the project work, something Hefele believes is a benefit of having local, community-minded utilities.
Verizon indicated to Hefele that it will not move any of its wire without being paid to do so and actually plans to set poles in some of the locations once occupied by PIE&G. It gave Hefele an estimate of $280,000 to go underground on Washington.
The cost would be too much to roll into the project and would not be covered by the grant as the Verizon wires are on the opposite side of the road from the new water main and are not in conflict. Hefele will be speaking to Verizon about possible ways to lower the cost as well as speaking to the Michigan Economic Development Commission about possible grant money to assist with the project.
Hefele also needs to meet with Sunrise Communications to discuss the impact the moves will have on them.
IN OTHER CITY COMMISSION NEWS: ? The commission unanimously passed a resolution increasing the MERS contributions of the nonunion city employees from 5.47 percent to 6.16 percent effective April 1.
? A budget hear
? The 2010-11 utility rates, fees and polices were set by resolution. The resolution lowered garbage rates by one dollar but raised water rates by $1.50.
? The commission adopted both the Onaway Area Fire Department (OAFD) and Onaway Area Ambulance Service (OAAS) budgets. The OAFD contribution for the city will be $32 less than it was a year ago while the OAAS contribution will be around $500 less.
? Former city commissioner Mel Perkins was appointed to the city planning commission for a three-year term, which began Feb. 1.