The July 20th agenda had seven separate water-related contracts and purchases on it. Seven.

That’s not counting the discussion item on a potential data center moratorium or the conversation about whether Kalamazoo residents can still call in to comment at meetings. A lot was on the table.

🔦 The 3 items that were up for a vote

Treatment Plant No. 25 gets a $11.2M electrical overhaul (H-4). The biggest single item on the agenda was a construction contract with LD Docsa Associates, Inc. to replace electrical infrastructure at Water Treatment Plant No. 25. The motor control center and controls there are original 1978 equipment. Two bids came in; LD Docsa was the lower of the two.

Why, per the city: The project will also relocate equipment to a dedicated building, replace failed wiring, install a natural gas generator to replace a failed diesel generator, and upgrade treatment equipment.

Burdick Street water main replacement, Emerson to Stockbridge (H-2). A contract with SWT Excavating, Inc. for $2.6M was up for a vote to replace aging water mains along that corridor. Only one bid came in. SWT was the lone responsive bidder.

Why, per the city: The project targets a 10-inch water main with a history of multiple breaks.

Property purchase at 1517 South Park Street (G-9). This was a first reading of a buy/sell agreement with Parktowne, LLC to acquire the property for $605K. A second reading is still required before anything is finalized. Two appraisals told very different stories: one came in at $470,000 in October 2024, and another at $620,000 in December 2025. The proposed price splits the difference.

Why, per the city: Acquiring this property will support source water protection and help consolidate the Central and No. 3 Treatment Plants.

🏗️ Roads & property

• A utility easement with Kalamazoo Community Courtyard was on the agenda to formalize city access to a water main installed as part of the Duke Street Apartments Project. Public water mains must sit in a dedicated easement or public right-of-way. (G-7)

• Data center moratorium: Commissioners were set to discuss whether to temporarily halt new data center development in the city while the commission evaluates land use, utility demand, and broader impacts. No vote scheduled, just the conversation. (L-1)

💰 Where the money went

• G-1: Contract extension, actuarial services, Gabriel Roeder Smith & Company. $129,500. Covers pension and OPEB system reviews. Funded from Pension Fund 731 and OPEB Fund 737.

• G-2: Professional services agreement, HDR Michigan Inc., condition assessment of the Water Reclamation Plant’s raw sewage force main. $135,100. The 54-inch pipe has been in continuous service since the early 1980s. Funded from Wastewater Fund 590-536-00.000-801.000.

• G-3: Change order, Monoform LLC, manhole rehabilitation. $301,405. Additional manholes flagged through a risk assessment update to the wastewater collections asset management plan. Split across two Wastewater CIP accounts.

• G-4: Contract extension, Blu Cleaning, custodial services at city facilities (not City Hall), 17 months. $379,650.88. Plus a budget amendment of $17,800 for Crosstown Suite B, funded from General Fund balance.

• G-5: New contract, L D Docsa Associates Inc., secondary clarifier catwalk rehabilitation at the Water Reclamation Plant. $457,900. A 2025 structural analysis by OHM Advisors found significant steel section loss from corrosion.

• G-6: Change order, Tetra Tech, Inc., construction engineering for the Water Treatment Plant No. 25 Electrical Reliability Project. $753,400. Based on a single proposal; no competitive bid process for this professional services piece.

• H-1: Professional services agreement, Tetra Tech Inc., design engineering for secondary clarifier rehabilitation at the Water Reclamation Plant. $1,500,000. The clarifiers have been in service since around 1984.

• H-3: Contract, Utility Metering Solutions, LLC, 2026 Water Meter Replacement Project. $3,038,791. Six bids received; UMS was the low responsive bidder. Part of a phased rollout of Neptune Smart Meters citywide that began with a pilot in 2018.

📌 Also on the agenda

• Reappointment of Daniel Kastner to the Historic Preservation Commission, term through March 31, 2028. (G-8)

• Commission discussion on the current policy for call-in public comments, which could affect how residents participate in future meetings. (K-1)

• The city recognized Northside Day with an official proclamation. (B-4)

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