Volume 1, Issue 44 MARCH 29, 2024
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Celebrating over 500,000 issues delivered across Oceana County! $23.7M water improvements project advancing in Hesperia By Scott Kroepel The Oceana Echo Community Contributor The Village of Hesperia had an open house Saturday, March 23, at the Village Hall to help answer public questions about their planned $23.7 million water system improvements project. The project will be funded by grants totaling approximately $20 million, along with a low-interest loan for the remaining balance, which will include a new well, water treatment plant, water mains, water meter replacements, lead service line replacements and improvements to the elevated water storage tank. According to the Grand Rapids firm Fleis & VandenBrink, the consultants and engineers for the project, the design work is approximately 60 percent complete as of March 2024. The most visible parts of the design process have largely been completed: topographic surveys, soil borings and “potholing” work to identify service line materials. Fleis & VandenBrink is also in the process of evaluating potential well sites and developing plans and specifications for the various parts of the project. The estimated timeline for the water main project is: • Design work for the new water main, service lines, meters and storage tank improvements will be completed in April. • Permitting work for the water main replacement and storage tank improvements will be completed, and advertising for the bids will begin in May. • Design work for the well and treatment plant will be completed in June, along with the opening of the bids.
Hesperia hosted an open house March 23 about its planned water system improvements. • Scott Kroepel/Echo
After the bids are received, the project scope may be adjusted to align with the funding, and the construction contract will be awarded in July. • Permitting work for the well and treatment plant will also be completed in July. • Closing for the loan portion of the funding will take place in August. • Construction on portions of the project could begin as early as November 2024. • The majority of the water main replacement work is anticipated to be completed in the 2025 construction season (April–November). • The final completion date for the project is anticipated to be in spring 2026. The project is being funded through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program and incorporates several funding sources, such as the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The village is also receiving a $3.7 million low-interest loan from the DWSRF program, which was 1 percent over 30–40 years, according to Village President Mike Farber. Repayment of the loan is expected to require a “mod-
est increase” in water rates, which were last increased in 2011. The new drinking water well will replace Well No. 3, which has been out of service since PFAS was detected with levels exceeding the State of Michigan’s Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for drinking water, in early 2023. The new iron removal plant will remove iron and concerns with odor, taste, and color from drinking water pumped from both Well No. 1 and No. 2, along with the new well. Additional upgrades included in the project are: • About 17,000 feet of aging asbestos water mains will be replaced with new, larger lines for better flow, fire protection, water quality and water flushing capabilities. • Replace 163 outdated residential and 61 commercial water meters with new meters that provide radio remote reading capabilities. • Replace service lines to alleviate concerns over lead and to meet the State of Michigan’s EGLE requirement that communities replace a minimum of 5 percent of lead service lines annually, ahead of the state-mandated 2040 deadline, protecting the health and safety of village residents. • Interior and exterior improvements to the elevated water storage tank, including new paint, and other repairs and maintenance such as replacing discharge screens and the roof vent. “We’re excited to assist the village in this ‘once-in-a-generation’ scale project,” said Jon Moxey, Fleis & VandenBrink’s engineer and project manager. “The water improvement project will address all high-priority areas of need in the village.”
Shelby Village receives updates on Wesco expansion, Getty Field By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor
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SHELBY - Monday, the Village of Shelby had its first meeting since the departure of former Village Administrator Brady Selner. Jae Guetschow of Gregg Guidance, LLC, of Charlotte, Mich., will serve as interim village manager until a permanent replacement can be found.
In his administrator’s report, Guetschow brought an update regarding the Wesco reconstruction project taking place on the corner of North State and Elm Streets. Demolition was halted when the company discovered they would not be able to save two walls of the former convenience store they had intended to save. Guetschow had contacted the building inspector to find out how to proceed. “He requires revised, stamped plans to include this change, which are in process. Since the footprint for the new building remains unchanged, it doesn’t impact the previously approved setback variances,” he said. Guetschow reported that the company is waiting for the heavy equipment needed to demolish both brick buildings and that the current canopy, gas pumps and all surrounding cement are expected to remain. The company relayed to Guetschow that by being able to completely remove the old store, they will actually be able to save money on the project. At the March 11 village council meeting, the council was presented with a
quote from TruGreen for its annual Getty Field turf applications. This came on the heels of ongoing conversations between Shelby Public Schools and the Village of Shelby regarding amendments to the current IGA (Inter-Governmental Agreement) between the entities about the care and maintenance of Getty Field. Based on discussions with the school in October, it was hoped that Shelby Public Schools could take over maintenance of the Getty Field, with the village contributing 50 percent of the cost. However, at a school board meeting this past November, the board was not comfortable moving forward with amending the Getty Field IGA until the field was in better condition. “We’re relying on TruGreen to help the field look better, but it’s not working. I’d ask if there is another company that can help,” Selner said. “My hope is that when the interim manager gets on board, he will have a fresh perspective for going forward. We’re already short-staffed on the DPW side, and as we move into warmer weather, construction will take priority.”
Other discussion included that busy school sports schedules, in relation to Michigan growing seasons, have not helped. Soccer practices had started as of Monday, March 11, and any spring seeding done now would most likely not take hold. “Ideally, it needs to be shut down from spring to fall. I’ve done everything we can do—black soil, straw, seed—but as soon as they start practicing, it gets torn up,” DPW Supervisor Jeremiah Helenhouse said. “It’s a (village) park; we treat it the same as any other village park. It doesn’t necessarily get extra care just because they play soccer on it.” Councilor Mike Termer asked what the phrase “better condition” actually meant and what the timing is for getting the field in “better condition.” He also asked if the village could pay the school to get the field up to their standard; however, the superintendent reported that the school is facing its own staffing challenges. “It doesn’t seem fair that the school tears it up and the village is responsible for remediating it,” Termer said. In the meantime, the
school district and Shelby Township have been working out an arrangement for the school to use the new township community park for regular soccer games and finals, as well as Rec Club play once the park is complete. Getty Field would then become the school’s practice field only. Selner is hopeful the school and village will implement common-sense ideas. “It doesn’t need to be overly complicated. But trust needs to be rebuilt,” he said. School representatives and the village Parks & Recreation Committee were to have had a meeting soon after the March 11 village council meeting. In the meantime, Shelby Public Schools Superintendent Mark Olmstead had said he would see about moving the goals closer together to give the turf a little more time to grow. Guetschow reported at the March 26 council meeting that he was scheduled to meet with Olmstead in person Thursday, March 28, and hopefully begin working out the details on this matter. In other business Monday night, Kim Merten of
the Shelby Chamber of Commerce brought an update to council, letting them know that the chamber is not dissolving. They are currently working on their calendar of events for the year, and by the first of April, they plan to have an E-Newsletter ready to distribute to all stakeholders. Their next scheduled event will be the “Oceana County Book Walk” on April 20 from noon to 3 p.m., starting at the Shelby Pocket Park and moving to the Rail Trail between West Third and Fourth Streets. The next chamber meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 2, at 4 p.m. at the Shelby Area District Library. All Shelby businesses and stakeholders are welcome and encouraged to attend. The village will be updating their DPW position posting and reposting it as soon as possible. The police department is still short one officer. They had to repost the previous posting, which had expired. Police Chief Dean Roesler reported that, thanks to his current staff’s flexibility and creativity, they have been able to cover shifts fairly well in the interim.