KINGSFORD — Kingsford City Council heard a wrap-up report from City Manager Mike Stelmaszek on the first Heights water main and access line project, which is substantially complete with only some street striping and landscaping to finish in the spring.

The proposed $8 million project had a final cost of $9.2 million, slightly lower than the bid of $9.284 million from Payne and Dolan of Gladstone, Stelmaszek reported Tuesday.

The city received a $2,049,740 low-interest loan from the state and added another $1.284 million loan on the open market, from which the city earned $83,989 in interest while waiting to use the loan. The remaining $5.95 million was paid from a federal grant through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

The project replaced 13,000 feet of water main, 260 access lines and affected roads, sidewalks and curbing. The water main diameters went from 3 inches to 6 inches and the access lines from 5/8-inch diameter to 1-inch diameter.

The city is now midway through a three-year process for the second water project in the Heights/Ford Addition area, which will start this spring and be completed over two years. The $13.5 million project will replace 26,000 feet of old water mains, 336 access lines and affected roads, sidewalks and curbing. Some rehabilitation work will also be completed on the city’s well and well pumps No. 6 and No. 7. The DWSRF program has funded $11.5 million of the project and the remainder will be funded by a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program.

In other business, the council:

— Heard a presentation on the 2024-25 audit by Scott Sternhagen of CliftonLarsonAllen. Sternhagen explained that for the first time in a number of years, the city had to have a federal awards audit, which is required if a municipality receives more than $750,000 in federal funds. “With the Heights project, there’s a lot of federal dollars out there,” he said. The city’s general fund balance, which is at about $4.3 million, is well about the recommended 15% to 20% of general fund operating expenditures cities should have available, he said. The city’s water fund had a balance of $573,597 and the sewer fund was at $29,754. “The city is in great financial shape,” he said.

— Discussed petitioning the state to install a light at the junction of Hamilton and Carpenter avenues because of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s decision to raise the speed limit from 35 to 40 miles per hour. Councilman Dennis Baldinelli is in favor of a light, but Michael Flaminio thought it would cause more problems. Mayor Joe Groeneveld recommended more police presence during busy times, such as before school, lunchtime and after school. The Kingsford High School and Middle School is on Hamilton Avenue.