Design engineering has been authorized for a large reconstruction project in the City of Howell.

Staff and Council have been discussing the possibility of securing funding for the reconstruction of East Clinton Street and National Street for the last few years. Council approved design engineering for the project at a recent meeting in the amount of approximately $280,000, which will begin this fall. A work session was held prior to the meeting where Council discussed how to support the project and get creative as the City is still grappling with budget challenges and limited revenues. It was one of multiple discussions held on the topic and staff has been working on a project scope to better meeting the City’s funding capacity so as to not turn down the significant grant funding that was awarded.

The total project cost is $4.3 (m) million. The City received approximately $1.7 (m) in federal grant funds toward construction costs and roughly $1 (m) million of the cost for the water portion of the project would be funded through a low interest state loan that was received. Interim City Manager Erv Suida tells WHMI the City was left with around $652,000 that needed to be funded through the Major Street Fund and will be making a pre-funding contribution to that so they will be able to fund the project and get it going in 2021. Suida noted that one of the things helping out towards funding the project is that it can essentially be spread out over three fiscal years. The engineering work authorized would go into the next fiscal year and then construction would span two fiscal years. Prior commitments have also been made throughout the budgeting process.

The project would involve total reconstruction of East Clinton from State Street to National Street and also National Street from Clinton all the way to Grand River, with water and sewer work. Suida says it’s a good project that’s needed as Clinton Street is in bad shape and the utilities and underground infrastructure are in really bad shape. Based on the proposed schedule, the project will be let out to bid in November 2020. (JM)