Rochester City Council Meeting - Feb. 25, 2019

The Rochester City Council’s regular meeting of February 25, 2019, included a presentation by Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner representatives on stormwater financing, basement-flooding liability, and lead-service-line rules. The discussion covered proposed state legislation and infrastructure planning, not a council procurement approval. Representatives estimated statewide lead-line replacement costs at about $2.5 billion and discussed asset-management approaches; they also described Great Lakes Water Authority work to evaluate system capacity and potentially repurpose a water-treatment plant as a booster station to reduce operating costs.

Procurement and budget items included the consent agenda’s Gypsy Moth annual contract, which failed after a 3–3 roll-call vote. The council also previewed the Downtown Public Service District (PSD) budget and renewal: its current assessment revenue was reported as $244,825, with a proposed three-cent-per-square-foot increase to help fund a possible return of the New Horizons downtown maintenance service. A five-year assessment term was also proposed, with budget details scheduled for March 11; no renewal or service contract was approved at this meeting. Separately, officials reported that a Paint Creek Trail bridge replacement was expected to begin in May and remain closed until Labor Day, but no contractor or project cost was identified.