Ortonville – Local officials are grappling with major repair plans to South Street.
Although funding is available from a Michigan Department of Transportation grant, council needs to decide whether spending the 20 percent match to a $400,000 grant to upgrade South Street is prudent at this time.
‘Since I originally applied for the grant two years ago funding issues have changed across the state,? said Village Manager Paul Zelenak.
In addition, the unanticipated drain repairs last month cost the village $25,000.
In October of 2003 the village won approval for an MDOT grant for $400,000 to reconstruct South Street.
Last week the plans for the reconstruction were presented to Zelenak, which would include a total reconstruction of South Street from Church Street to the South Street Bridge.
Engineer Leanne Homberg Panduren, of Rowe Inc. said the project would total nearly $468,000 which would include a $99,000 match from the village.
Zelenak said that a potential source for the village 20 percent match would be state Act 51 gas tax funds which are allocated to the village for major road maintenance and repair.
The plan recommended by Rowe include total reconstruction of the street and replacing and redirecting the ancient storm drain system, which Zelenak says is currently a contributor to the erosion of South Street.
Panduren says the reconstruction would last up to 20 years.
Zelenak questioned, however, weather a modification of just milling the top layer off of the road and repaving might be a more feasible plan to upgrade South Street, but Panduren said re-milling the top surface of the road would not include upgrading the storm drain system, and the asphalt would begin cracking within three years.
‘Is spending a large amount of money the prudent way to go right now?,? said Zelenak, adding that with the state revenue cuts, in the future, perhaps the money could be spent someplace else that would benefit the village.
Before moving forward on the project Zelenak said there are other options the village needs to look at and that the project and funding need to be discussed with council.
‘It’s hard to turn down money but I felt we needed to discuss this at a larger level,? he said.