Site work and paving for a mixed-use development in Houghton, Michigan. Completed plans call for site work for a road / highway; for paving for a road / highway; sidewalk / parking lot; and sidewalk / parking lot.

https://www.mininggazette.com/news/front-page/2025/05/balancing-the-budget/ HOUGHTON — The Houghton City Council approved the fiscal year 2025-26 budget of nearly $17.3M at its regular meeting Wednesday. The city’s budget remains based on 15 mills and comes in at $17,295,607. However, City Manager Eric Waara said when the equipment fund and employee benefit fund with interfund transfers are removed, the figure is $13,000,781. The council approved the capital improvement plan and held a public hearing regarding Michigan Community Development Block Grant for water projects. “When you apply for financing assistance for water and sewer, you have to apply for water and you have to apply for sewer,” Waara said. “We were awarded last year financial assistance for sewer system improvements, but not water. We had met the threshold for sewer, but according to the state, we just didn’t meet the threshold for funding for water.” The city held off on the sewer improvements because, according to Waara, it doesn’t make sense to do one and not the other. With the hearing conducted, the city will now apply for the grant. Waara said the city is looking to request about $2 million in financial assistance and pledge half a million dollars of utility money. In his report to the council, Waara said a cruise ship will visit Wednesday and will dock at the city pier. Police Chief John Donnelly said security measures would be met during its stay with training already conducted in anticipation of the ship’s arrival. Donnelly also reported his department has undergone active shooter training, which he said the state has recently mandated. The council accepted a bid for the Sharon Avenue paving project from Bacco Construction of Iron Mountain. Waara said the Bacco bid of $1,484,921 was the only one submitted and exceeded the amount put aside for the project. “So we did the base scope of work. We did have some additive alternates in there that we can take those out as a lump to get it within the money that we had allocated. This resolution is based on making that award with the additive alternate work on Sharon Avenue and Portage to Birch out of it, so that we can get it awarded,” Waara said. This portion was cut back in order for work to begin according to Waara. He said the city has close to enough money to get all of the additive alternate paved, and wants the project awarded then see how things progress. He said the city will later determine where to place a paint line to stop as the project proceeds eastbound on Sharon Ave from Portage Street toward Birch Street. “We’ve already discussed this strategy with the contractor, and they’re fine with it as long as while they’re working there, we just tell them where to stop, so to speak. We certainly want to get that stretch paved to the joint up to where we paved in 2017. We want to see how things shake out in the field and where we’re at in order to do that. So this resolution is based on an award amount of $1,145,327 which is less than the amount of money we have in the project,” Waara said. The council accepted the Bryne grant, which will go to a rural firearm safety, violence prevention and suicide awareness program. Seeking the grant was done in conjunction with the Houghton Police Department and Copper Country Intermediate School District. The grant is in the amount of $170,000 and needs council acceptance because the city will be the fiduciary of the grant. “So when it’s time to pay a bill, we’re going to apply for money on behalf of Copper Shores who, through what used to be called Dial Help is going to work on suicide awareness and prevention and provide a lot of intervention training for people. Copper Country Intermediate School District is going to do a lot of work with the students and families that work with the ISD. What Chief Donnelly was speaking about, Houghton PD is going to provide training for active shooter response and work with school resource officers,” Waara said. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CITY OF HOUGHTON City of Houghton (Owner) is requesting Bids for the construction of the following project: 2025 PAVING PROJECTS: HMA Base Crushing and Shaping, HMA paving and HMA curb, traffic control, pavement markings, and associated restoration at multiple sites. Bids for the construction of the Project will be received at the office of U.P. Engineers & Architects, Inc. located at 100 Portage Street, Houghton, Michigan 49931, until May 21, 2025 at 11:00 A.M. E.S.T.. At that time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read. Contractor please clearly mark "BID ENCLOSED" with on the outside envelope of sealed bid. The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: U.P. Engineers & Architects, Inc. 100 Portage Street, Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 482-4810 Prospective Bidders may obtain or examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office on Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Eastern time and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Issuing Office as described below. Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be available from the Issuing Office. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including addenda, if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing Office. Bidding documents also may be examined at the following Builder Exchanges: Iron Mountain, Marquette, Delta County, McGraw-HillDodge and Construction Association of Michigan. Printed copies of the Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Issuing Office by paying a deposit of $50.00 nonrefundable handling fee for each set of contract documents. Alternatively, bidding documents are available as portable document format (PDF) files for a non-refundable charge of $25.00. Make deposit checks for Bidding Documents payable to U.P. Engineers & Architects, Inc. Bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. The Bid Bond or certified check payable to Owner shall be in an amount no less than 5% of the maximum bid as a guarantee, that if the Bid is accepted, the Bidder will execute and file the Contract, Performance and Payment Bonds, and Insurance Certification, as required by the Contract Documents within (10) days after the Notice of Award and Bid may not be withdrawn for a period of 60 days after the bid deadline. The Owner reserves the right to waive any informality or to reject any or all bids. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS For all further requirements regarding bid submittal, qualifications, procedures, and contract award, refer to the Instructions to Bidders that are included in the Bidding Documents.