The village council voted 6-0 to create two ad-hoc committees and appoint members during its regular meeting on July 12. Council President Pro Tem Jerry Narsh was excused from the meeting.

The council appointed President Ken Van Portfliet and Councilmembers Michael Lamb and Sarah Luchsinger to the Engineering Proposal Review Ad-hoc Committee for a term ending Sept. 30, 2022. Village Manager Joe Young will also serve on the committee.

“If we only have three (councilmembers on the committee), we don’t have to post it as a public meeting,” said village Manager Joe Young in making the recommendation to have three councilmembers on the committee.

If the committee had four councilmembers there would be a quorum and the meeting would have to publicly be posted, per the Open Meetings Act.

The committee will review the 13 firms that applied to provide engineering services to the village. The ad-hoc committee will be authorized to contact consultants and permitting agencies for discussion and question and answers, as needed, and make its recommendation to the council.

The village’s current engineering consulting firm of record is Bloomfield Township-based Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc.

“Hubbell, Roth & Clark is a premier firm with premier pricing,” Young told the council.

Young recommended that the village have three firms of record, possible three smaller firms, as a resource for the village. He said the village may get better rates from smaller firms and a faster turnaround time on proposal and information requests.

For larger engineering projects, the village could still go out for bids, Young said.

Planning Proposal Review Ad-Hoc Committee

The council also created a Planning Proposal Review Ad-Hoc Committee to assist in the selection of planning firm from the four proposals received.

The committee includes Van Portfliet, Lamb, Young and Councilmember Bradley Mathisen.

The Committee is be authorized to contact consultants and permitting agencies for discussion and question and answers as needed, and will have a term ending Sept. 30, 2022.

The committee will review the applications and recommend one planning firm for the village to use.

McKenna planning consultants of Northville is currently the village’s planning consulting firm of record. — By Jim Newell