BY SCOTT SULLIVAN
EDITOR
Douglas City Council planned to explore engineering firm Prein & Newhof’s assessments of road and water infrastructure needs.
City manager Lisa Nocerini said doing so would help budget planning for fiscal year 2024-25.
Because Monday was Presidents Day, the meeting was postponed till Tuesday.
On the Roads Prein reported 43 percent of the city’s 16 miles of asphalt-paved streets were in “good” condition, 19 percent “fair” and 38 percent “poor.”
The firm based assessments on standardized Pavement Surface Evaluation (PASER) Ratings ranging from 1 (failed) to 10 (new construction/excellent).
The nearby map itemizes them, with blue signifying 8-10 ratings (good); green, 5-7 (fair); and red, 4 and lower; “poor.”
Noteworthy among the latter were most of Center, Water and Ferry streets, Wiley Road, Schultz Park Drive and several subdivision spur roads east of Lakeshore Drive.
Engineers advise mill and overlay (rebuilding of) roads rated 1-3. Douglas has 5.7 miles of these, which demand the most urgent and costly treatment.
Recommended for streets rated 4-6 (10.7 miles) is less-costly chip and fog seal treatment. For roads rated 7-9 (1.5 miles), preventive crack sealing as needed is advised. Douglas streets in 2023 had no “excellent” ratings of 9 or 10. Prein outlined six 2024-25 road plan options, ranging from doing nothing ($0) to the current year’s $100,000 worth of treatment, to $200,000 optimal fixes, which would cost more up front but less down the road, so to speak.
“Given the critical role, that road infrastructure plays in ensuring the safety and accessibility of our community, said Nocerini, “it is imperative that we carefully consider (Prein’s) recommendations.
“When we prioritize funding for these critical needs, we are taking a necessary step forward in addressing these pressing issues and paving the way for a more resilient and efficient transportation network,” she said.
Down the Drink Prein’s water review, the manager continued, is another crucial opportunity to address a system “fundamental to the health, safety and of our community.”
State-mandated lead line replacements have not gone completely unfunded here. A $349,500 Michigan Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) Drinking Water Asset Management grant will enable creating capital improvement and asset management plans, plus distribution system material inventories.
Council Dec. 4 added an MEU (Michigan Equivalent Unit) capital improvement charge to taxpayers’ monthly water bills. More state grant opportunities may avail themselves and be sought.
Not the least of the challenges here are old and uncharted “spaghetti” lines — side-yard water connections not linked to mains — which require exploratory excavations and replacing.
Prein suggests continuing to chip away at Michigan’s 20-year full-replacement deadline, this coming year spending $604,000 — $500,000 to conduct a lead water service inventory, plus $104,000 for actual replacements.
The firm estimates total costs — based on current expenses and annual 4- percent inflation — will amount to $12.57 million by 2033 completion.
Bigger bites would come in FY ‘25-26 ($2.49 million) and ’26-27 ($1.676 million).
To view both reports, go to the city’s website, douglasmi.gov, then City Government/Agendas & Minutes. Click next on Agendas and Minutes from Oct. 14, 2022 and later, then on Feb. 20, 2024 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda. Scroll down after that to wherever you want to be.