Publication select ▼
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — The Macomb Township Board of Trustees gave its blessing to a five-year capital improvement plan for the township’s water and sewer infrastructure put forth by the Department of Public Works on Feb. 25.
According to DPW Director Kevin Johnson, the goal of the plan is to prioritize projects that maintain the system’s proper operation, to ensure the township remains in compliance with state regulations and that it is able to adapt with county road projects.
Passed unanimously, the plan calls for $78.6 million ($85.7 million with estimated inflation) of studies and construction to be performed between the township’s 2026 and 2031 fiscal years.
“This year is the first year post-COVID where we took more of a deep dive on the costs to really capture updated costs related to construction,” Johnson said. “In prior years there was still care and due diligence in this process, but looking at how quotes were coming back on projects compared to what they were budgeted for, we thought it was a good idea to take a deeper dive to make sure we’re capturing more accurate costs for the capital plan.”
That review of the costs saw the plan go up from last year’s estimate of $53.4 million, pushing the figure well past Johnson’s goal of keeping the estimate between $50-60 million.
Johnson said he had spoken with township staff about keeping the five-year capital plan fiscally responsible.
Sign ordinance update
Trustees also approved updates to the township’s sign ordinance. Though the updates are minor, plan review analyst Laruen Marshall said the changes touch on several points that needed to be addressed since the ordinance’s last update three years ago.
“To summarize, it addresses size allowances for temporary signs that will better align with our neighbors as well as many requests that the Building Department receives, and associated penalties for those who fail to comply,” Marshall said. “Additionally, this update tightens up the sign exception process that the (Zoning Board of Appeals) has authority over and better outlines what can be done for maintenance purposes for legal nonconforming signs. Lastly, drive-thru uses are becoming more prevalent, and this update is to better outline signage allowances for drive-thrus.”
Temporary inspectors pay
Trustees established pay rates for temporary inspector positions.
The temporary inspectors, which will be used if the Building Department’s inspectors are not available due to time off or a leave of absence, will be paid $45 for hourly work after hours and $55 for hourly work on weekends.
Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.
