Macomb Township trustees greenlight salt dome

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — As Macomb Township moves to be more independent with snow removal, the Board of Trustees took a big step closer to its goal by approving a salt dome at the April 26 meeting.

Set to be located at the Department of Public Works headquarters on Card Road, the board awarded the contract for the dome to Clear Heights Construction LLC. The Grandville-based constructor will build the dome for $62,675, while the DPW’s own employees will perform concrete work for about $10,620, with the total costs not to exceed $75,000.

“With the purchase of this, we will be able to house roughly 100 tons of salt,” DPW Director Kevin Johnson said.

According to its website, Clear Heights specializes in tension fabric storage facilities. The DPW will make a 40-by-20-foot concrete pad while Clear Heights will build the fabric and trusses for the dome. Johnson told the board the covering will have a 25-year lifespan.

The contract for the dome is the result of an analysis made by the township last fall comparing in-house snowplowing to contracted snowplowing, according to Township Supervisor Frank Viviano.

 

Recreation center additions
Care was given to upgrading the recreation center’s fitness offerings, with township trusses approving the purchase of new equipment for the upper workout center. The purchase of 14 new pieces of strength equipment — two flat incline/decline benches, two adjustable decline benches, a pulldown row, glute extension machine, a biceps/triceps curl machine and other pieces of Precor equipment — was approved at a cost of $35,659.

“These 14 pieces will replace original pieces purchased in 2004,” Macomb Township Parks and Recreation Director Salvatore DiCaro said.

New rubber flooring for the upstairs workout center was purchased as well for about $28,780, also replacing the original floors from 2004.

Both the flooring and equipment were purchased through Direct Fitness Solutions.

 

Fire engine repair
The board approved a nearly $11,000 repair to Macomb Township Fire Department Engine 1. An oil leak was noticed on the 2007 Sutphen truck, and it was sent to a Cummins dealership in Mount Clemens for repairs. Though funds for the sudden repair were not included in the budget, the repairs were approved without question or a budget amendment.

 

Budget hearings scheduled
Two public hearings for the township’s fiscal year 2023-24 budget were scheduled to take place over the next month.

The first hearing will take place on May 25 at 1 p.m., and the second will take place during the board meeting on June 14 at 6:30 p.m.