Lowell City Council met for a little more than an hour on Monday night. A large contingent was present in the audience to see the city’s new police chief and a new part-time officer sworn in. All councilmembers were present for the meeting.
New Police Chief and Officer Sworn In
Chris Hurst is retiring after a long career in law enforcement, and Dennis Albert is taking over his position as Chief of Police for the Lowell Police Department. Albert most recently served as a lieutenant with the Kent County Sherriff’s Office.
Before being sworn in, Albert made some brief remarks, saying he was humbled to be chosen as the new police chief and vowing that laws will be enforced equally and fairly. “Rest easy, Lowell, Michigan, you are in good hands tonight,” he concluded.
City Clerk Sue Ullery then led Albert in the oath of office, and after being sworn in, the new police chief’s wife and father affixed pins to his uniform.
After Albert, the newest officer for the Lowell Police Department was sworn in. Officer Irma Francisco-Vargas is a recent graduate of the Grand Rapids Community College Police Academy and will work in the city as a part-time officer.
At the end of the meeting, City Manager Mike Burns and councilmembers thanked Hurst for his service, with many noting they are saving their best stories and memories for a retirement celebration scheduled for next Friday, Feb. 28, on the Showboat. The public is invited to attend.
Avery Street Water Line Discussion
Under old business, Lowell City Council continued a discussion from last month about whether to run a water main down Avery Street from Division to Grove.
The situation on Avery mirrors that of the 900 block on Riverside Drive. In both cases, there is not a water main on the street in front of residences so lateral service lines run under neighboring properties to reach water mains on other streets. However, while Riverside Drive residents have specifically asked for a water main, neighbors on Avery aren’t the ones spurring the discussion there.
Instead, a planned development at the site of the former RollAway Fun Center has led Lowell City Council to add this section of Avery Street as a 2025 road project. While the road is torn up, some argue now is the time to place a water main down the street. But the question of who will cover the approximately $206,000 cost has yet to be answered.
Assistant City Manager Rich LaBombard said his recommendation would be to add the water main. “Some of these (service lines) run for 100-plus feet, and that’s not an ideal situation,” he said.
He added that a water main on Avery would also provide a back-up to the current water main on Main Street. As currently configured, should there be a water main break in the 700 block of E. Main Street, all properties to the east would be without service. However, a water main on Avery could be used as a bypass in this situation.
Burns said that in the past, new water mains have been paid through special assessments. These assessments are added to property tax bills and may be paid over several years. In his memo to councilmembers, LaBombard noted the last special water assessment on record occurred on Hunt Street in 2011. There are currently no active water assessments in the city.
It appears there are six properties on Avery Street that could hook into a water main if added. If the expected cost were split amongst all those properties, the new water main would result in an assessment of approximately $34,333 each. However, two properties currently have well water, and if they decline to be added to the city water system, the assessment amount would increase to $51,500 for the remaining four properties.
Councilmember Eric Bartkus noted that previous special assessments were applied when properties were being hooked up for new service. He felt that since the Avery Street residents already have water service, they should not be assessed for the water main. Bartkus also felt that if the city was going to pay for a water main on Avery Street, it should do the same on Riverside Drive.
The Riverside Drive project has a price tag of $190,000, and Bartkus said that both projects could be paid for out of water fund reserves which are currently about $1.5 million. However, Burns was concerned about spending so much of the fund balance.
Councilmember Marty Chambers said he would like to see the water main added to provide a redundancy in the system should something happen to the line on Main Street.
Susan Stevens, who does not live on Avery Street, rose to provide public comment on the matter and said she would be angry to be assessed for a new water main if she already had city service. “If a new line needs to be run to improve a deficiency in the system, that’s not their fault,” she said of residents.
Stevens also asked if road construction on Avery was premature given the impending project at the RollAway property. She noted that construction vehicles would likely be staged on Avery Street and wondered if it would be better to reconstruct the road after construction was complete.
The project in question is contingent on the developer being given Horatio Street. However, neighboring residents have challenged the vacation of the road in court. There is no expected timeline for when a decision will be made in that case.
“Should we ask the people (on Avery) what they want to do?” asked Mayor Mike DeVore.
“That’s probably a good idea,” Burns replied.
After some further discussion, the matter was tabled by consensus.
Other Meeting Items
Other votes from the meeting include the following:
Exmark mowers and accessories: Councilmembers voted unanimously to approve the purchase of two Exmark mowers and a mulch kit at a cost of $24,701. LaBombard said the mowers will be used to cut grass on 30-40 acres near the water treatment plants plus the cemetery. He estimated the machinery to have a lifespan of 5-6 years.
Foreman Street construction: Councilmembers voted unanimously to pass a resolution needed to accept $385,000 from the state’s Small Urban Program. The money will be used to repave Foreman Street from Gee to Beech. The grant requires the city to cover the remaining $77,020 of the total project cost, which is estimated at $424,350. Foreman is one of only four streets in the city eligible for funding through this program.
The meeting adjourned at 8:09pm, and the next regular meeting of Lowell City Council will take place on Monday, March 3, at 7pm in Lowell City Hall. There will also be an opportunity to meet with councilmembers informally at Coffee with Council next Monday night from 5:30-7:30pm in the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce building on the Riverwalk.
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