Last night, Lowell City Council met for 40 minutes on the Zoom teleconferencing platform in lieu of a regular meeting at City Hall. About a half dozen residents logged into the open meeting as well.
The major agenda items included the approval of roadwork near schools, an update from the Arbor Board and a discussion about what to do with a monetary gift left to the city.
Summer Roadwork Planned for Howard, Suffolk and Elizabeth Streets
Last fall, the city began planning a road project for Howard and Suffolk Streets to be funded through the city’s major streets fund. A portion of Elizabeth Street, which is a local road, is also part of the project. Earlier in the month, the job – which includes a portion of Riverside Drive – went out for bid, and city councilmembers approved the contract last night.
Ten bids were received, ranging from $378,771.20 to $527,857.90. Since Howard, Suffolk and Elizabeth Streets are used to access Bushnell Elementary School and Lowell Middle School, the city wanted work completed by August 15. However, the lowest bidder, CL Trucking LLC in Ionia, was unable to commit to having the work done prior to September 30.
Therefore, the contract went to the second lowest bidder, USA Earthworks from Martin. Lowell City Council unanimously approved their contract for $386,149.75 to complete the work this summer. The Council also unanimously approved a $37,900 contract with engineering firm Williams & Works to oversee the project.
Tree Plan and Arbor Day Proclamation
Dr. Jim Reagan, chair of the Lowell Arbor Board, presented the 2020-2021 Comprehensive Tree Plan. It calls for replacing trees in Recreation Park that were taken down by high winds last year. The Arbor Board would also like to plant trees on the parcel of land next to the library that is being acquired by the city. Lowell City Council approved the plan as presented.
A proclamation was also read to declare April 20, 2020 as Arbor Day. Local residents are encouraged to plant and care for trees as a way to “promote the well-being of this and future generations.”
Estate Gift to City of Lowell
When Cheryl Ann Staal passed away last year, a portion of her estate was left to the City of Lowell. With the sale of her home, the city is scheduled to receive $78,749.
There are no restrictions on the use of this money, and City Manager Mike Burns recommended using $3,000-$5,000 for a memorial bench to honor Cheryl Ann Staal’s parents, George and Esther, who were active members of the Lowell community for many years. He suggested putting the remaining money into a fund for retiree health insurance payments.
“That’s not real glamorous, but it’s practical,” Councilmember Cliff Yankovich said.
After some discussion, councilmembers decided it would be best to wait before earmarking the money for a specific fund. “I’d like to see Saturday what happens with our budget,” Mayor Pro Tem Jim Salzwedel said. This Saturday, Lowell City Council will hold a virtual work session to hear budget recommendation for Fiscal Year 2021.
The council will revisit the matter at their next meeting. “They were kind enough to share this windfall with us,” Councilmember Greg Canfield said. “I would like to have it designated somehow.”
Council and City Manager Reports
Yankovich reported on the recent Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce meeting. He noted that the chamber has pushed back the first three summer concerts for the year. “Frankly, they’re not sure what’s going to happen with Riverwalk [Festival],” he added.
In his city manager report, Burns reminded councilmembers of the Saturday budget work session. “This is the most difficult budget I’ve had to prepare in 14 years of city management,” he said. With the current stay-at-home order in place and an economic recession underway, Burns said no one knows what sort of revenue the city will have, but he tried to use low estimates.
Burns also said the city had begun labor negotiations with workers, and Groundhog Excavating had completed sidewalk work in the city. The manager is addressing some issues related to the land swap with RiverView Flats and High Street vacation, and those matters would be coming before the council at a future meeting.
During his comments at the close of the meeting, Councilmember Marty Chambers suggested restaurants be allowed to set up tables in three or four parking spots in their adjoining parking lots to provide more space for diners once they reopen. The additional tables could provide more revenue to those establishments. Burns and Police Chief Steve Bukala said they could do some research to see if the idea was viable.
The next regular meeting of Lowell City Council will be May 4, 2020 at 7pm. It is unknown at this time whether the meeting will take place via Zoom or at City Hall.
This article was updated at 2:30pm on April 21 to clarify Councilmember Chamber’s proposal for allowing restaurants to set up tables in parking lots.
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