Fourth St. is operating ahead of schedule

The sewer pipeline project could be completed by mid-June

IMLAY CITY – There was good news to share at Tuesday night’s Imlay City Commission meeting.

City Manager Craig Horton reported to the commission that he was told the Fourth St. construction project was progressing well and ahead of schedule.

“I spoke with the engineer (Spicer) and our DPW supervisor Ed Priehs and both were confident the project could be completed ahead of schedule,” Horton said. “With the weather we had, they were able to keep moving forward despite the rain. They worked through all the rain unless it was a big storm or something.”

A piece of an old, original wooden water pipe was discovered by crews working on the Fourth St. project.

Horton said the storm sewer project went smoothly and provided a glimpse into the water mains installed in Imlay City in the late 1800s.

“As the men dug, they came across what appeared to be remnants of wooden water pipes used in the city's first water supply.” The city manager said the water “flowed quite well through the wooden pipes as long as they were kept wet.” When the water did not Any more flowed, the pipes dried out and deteriorated quickly.”

Priehs was able to confirm this by providing a history of the water system in Imlay City.

The city’s first water system was built in 1890, and many of the distribution pipes were wooden pipes,” Priehs said in an email to Horton.

Priehs sent a photo of an original 1914 water distribution map that hangs in his office. In the late 1930s to 1950s, cast iron pipes would have replaced wooden pipes.

According to Priehs, a water pipe made of asbestos cement was installed between the 1950s and 1970s. After that, only a water pipe made of nodular cast iron and PVC was installed.

Apart from wood, the other main water materials are still in use today. Priehs said the portion of the water main currently being replaced with PVC on E. Fourth St. is made of cast iron and asbestos cement.

Once the storm sewer project is complete, Horton said workers will continue work on the water main. This work is expected to only take two days.

In other commission news, Horton told the board the city had received from King & King on S. Almont Ave. received feedback regarding a project to improve the parking lot.

The accounting firm has offered to contribute to the cost of a paving project. The company's employees use the property as do customers and offered to contribute to the costs of the work.

The project area is nearly 4,800 square feet and is located adjacent to a public alley east of N. Almont Ave and west of Bancroft St., south of Fourth St and north of Third St. King and King is located at 148 N. Almont Ave .

It was discovered that several vehicles were using the parking lot on Sundays to attend services at a nearby church. The city and the company will share the nearly $16,000 cost to complete the work.

TG Priehs from Imlay City was awarded the contract. There was only one other bidder who only returned a partial proposal.

Looking ahead to the upcoming fall election, City Clerk/Treasurer Dawn Sawicki-Franz told the Tri-City Times that anyone who wants to run for city council has until July 23 to file a nomination petition.

Mayor Joi Kempf and Ted Sadler's terms will be extended due to term limits, while two other seats, one two-year and one four-year, will also be extended. According to Sawicki-Franz, only two people have accepted nomination petitions so far. Those who apply advance to the November general election.