Kalamazoo City Commission approves contracts, grants, and bond resolutions

*A screenshot of Public Media Network’s livestream of Monday’s Kalamazoo City Commission meeting. You can find the link to PMN’s livestream at the bottom of this article.*

At its Monday, March 3 meeting, the Kalamazoo City Commission approved a series of contracts, financial allocations, and resolutions aimed at infrastructure improvements and city operations.

On the regular agenda, the commission adopted three key resolutions for upcoming bond issuances. A Notice of Intent was approved for issuing 2025 Wastewater System Revenue Bonds of up to $11.5 million, alongside a similar resolution for Capital Improvement Bonds of up to $12.2 million. The largest financial measure was the approval of a Notice of Intent resolution for 2025 Water Supply System Revenue Bonds, totaling up to $130 million. These funding measures aim to support critical infrastructure projects across the city.

Among Monday’s board approvals was a $42,000 consulting contract with Main & Meridian, LLC, owned by City of Kalamazoo retiree Jeff Chamberlain, to provide expertise on city operations. The commission also approved a contract supplement and change order with Trace Analytical Laboratories, Inc. for water testing services, totaling $113,721.60, along with a budget amendment of $36,495. Additionally, the commission authorized a $116,975.99 contract supplement with RK Davis Inc. for modifications to the Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant’s Tertiary Disc Filtration Process Facility.

Further approvals included a $118,500 contract with Olsen Contracting for restroom remodeling at 415 Stockbridge and a one-year extension of the custodial services contract with Blu Cleaning for $191,131.65. The commission also awarded a $255,000 contract to Falcon Demolition LLC for asbestos abatement and demolition at 322 E. Stockbridge Ave.

Infrastructure improvements were a key focus, with $316,300 allocated to A1 Asphalt, Inc. for the city’s 2025 asphalt patch repair project. Additionally, the commission adopted a resolution setting salaries for the City Manager, City Clerk, City Attorney, and Internal Auditor, as well as approved a Brownfield Plan for a redevelopment project at 447 W. North St. and 707 N. Westnedge Ave.

The commission also accepted a $50,000 grant from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation in support of the 2025 Downtown Ambassadors Program, and appointed Jeff Chamberlain to the Utility Policy Committee as an outside consultant. Reappointments to the Zoning Board of Appeals were also confirmed, with Beth van den Hombergh and Remi Harrington extending their terms through March 31, 2028.

For more details, the full agenda and meeting proceedings are available online.

Najifa Farhat is a staff reporter for Watershed Voice.