By: Ann Dwyer
AnnArbor.com Staff
Posted: Dec 25, 2009 at 2:18 PM [Dec 25, 2009]
More than $9 million in loans is being sent to Washtenaw County for water systems improvements in Ann Arbor and Dexter.
Ann Arbor received more than $7.6 million to replace water mains and make upgrades to its water treatment plant. Dexter received more than $2.1 million for new well and water system improvements.
The Ann Arbor Wastewater Treatment Plant is shown in this file photo.
The changes will improve water quality, while also creating local jobs and stimulating economic development, according to an announcement posted on State Representative Pam Byrnes' Web site.
The funds were made available through the state Department of Environmental Quality.
Both Ann Arbor and Dexter also received nearly $4 million in principal loan forgiveness through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
"Providing a safe water supply to our residents should remain a top priority," Byrnes said on her site. "We can't afford to let more time go by without fixing the infrastructure that makes our state and communities run every day."
Officials in Ann Arbor and Dexter couldn't be reached Thursday to discuss the improvements.
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adameichner
Posted Dec 25 2009
Excellent. Now, hopefully, both of these municipalities will do the right thing: If local businesses that are licensed to do this work exist -- hire them! If they meet the level of professional competency to complete the job effectively, hiring local companies and workers will keep many more of these dollars circulating through our community. Hiring out-of-area companies to do this work will only bring this money in to kiss it goodbye.
Obviously the work needs to be done either way, and the bids by the local companies have to be COMPETITIVE, it would be great to see as many of these dollar and jobs stay as local as possible!
H.
Posted Dec 25 2009
Your concept makes sense but that is not possible for state/federal grants. Any contractor meeting certain qualifications can bid. The bid is then awarded to the lowest bidder.
yohan
Posted Dec 25 2009
Were not the Ann Arbor water rates recently raised for the expressed purpose of making capital improvements to the system? I don't see any work being done. Maybe now they'll start.
Ypsidweller
Posted Dec 26 2009
Yohan: Millons were spent on a new water main down the middle of Washtenaw Ave. this summer and fall. You diodn't see that?
yohan
Posted Dec 26 2009
No,I diodn't see the construction. I don't travel that area often.
Ypsidweller
Posted Dec 26 2009
Maybe people haven't noticed as the work is done efficiently without much disruption. Several years ago there were breaks all winter long. Those are very costly to repair and are temporary if the entire line is aging. A couple minutes researching the city web contains many examples of water main improvements...
http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/project_management/projectsunderconst/Pages/StadiumIroquoisWaterMainReplacementProject.aspx
http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/project_management/Pages/WashtenawWaterMainReplacement.aspx
http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/project_management/Pages/WashtenawWaterMainReplacement.aspx
oldblueypsi
Posted Dec 26 2009
Great for Ann Arbor and Dexter. But it seems that the City of Ypsilanti has been forgotten again. Ypsilanti City property is serviced (dual meaning of the word to be inferred) by YCUA. After joining YCUA, we were subjected to a 2% surcharge for "infrastructure repairs and improvements" (probably fair enough, since some city water and sewer service infrastructure was installed around the turn of the 20th century).
But in the mid to late 1990's, it was determined that all of the infrastructure should be replaced. Streets were torn up; dust was prevalent. Parts of the city road network resembled Baghdad after a US bombing raid.
Our reward for this "inconvenience" is now an 80% surcharge for our water and sewer services (to repay the indebtedness incurred during the "improvements").
City residents need relief now. How about principal loan forgiveness for the City of Ypsilanti????