The water tower in the Village of Schoolcraft will be getting a new paint job this spring. The Village Council February 16 voted to award the painting contract to a Hastings, Michigan, firm, Fedewa Inc., in the amount of $134,699, a price which includes some repairs to the tower.
There’s also an additional engineering fee of $35,800, of which $10,000 has already been paid, as reported by Dan Lewis, water system operator for the Village. Dixon Engineering & Inspection Services of Lake Odessa did the engineering work.
The Village had received six bids for the project ranging from the low bid by Fedewa to $500,000 from an out-of-state company, according to Lewis.
Dixon Engineering reviewed the six bids and recommended the low bid from Fedewa. A letter to the Village from Dixon noted that Fedewa is a “pre-qualified contractor with Dixon and has successfully completed many similar projects.”
The project will take about a month to complete, Lewis said. It expects to start the job in mid-April.
Responding to questions from the Council, Lewis said there would be no down time and explained how pumps will keep the water running even though there is no water in the tower.
Some touch up paint jobs will be done inside the tower but the spots will be sufficiently dry before the tower is refilled, he said.
Lewis also clarified that the fire hydrants will be flushed before painting starts on the tower.
In other business, the Council approved a $3,100 donation to South County Community Services (SCCS).
A letter sent to the Village from Drew Johnson, executive director of SCCS, outlined the various programs sponsored by the organization. That includes assisting with food, housing, transportation, and medication emergencies. The agency also continues to work with Pavilion Estates to repair tornado-damaged homes.
Other decisions made by the Council include amending the 2025-26 budget and setting a public hearing for February 23 for the 2026-27 budget.
The budget amendments allow funds to be transferred to ensure the Village has a balanced budget for the year, reported Village Manager Cheri Lutz. A balanced budget is required by the State of Michigan.
A public hearing on the budget is required to give residents the opportunity to comment on the proposed budget.
Lutz explained various items in the proposed budget.
“A budget is not set in stone,” she said. “It’s our best guess.”
Council President Michael Rochholz complimented the Council and others who worked on the proposed budget, citing their collegiality and their shared expertise.
During administrator report time, Lutz said she doesn’t think the Village newsletter is effective anymore. She suggested sending postcards to notify residents of upcoming events.
“I don’t think the newsletter is being read,” she said. “We need a different way to communicate.”
Trustee Joe Beck noted that if they have additional staff, they could do more Facebook posts on the Village’s Facebook page.
Rochholz said they need to remind people of what the Village offers in case they have forgotten.
No action was taken on the newsletter issue.
Rob Coffman, public works superintendent, reported that the furnace in the police department had failed due to a crack in the manifold.
The cost of repairs would have been $3,500 for the 18-year old furnace. They decided instead to purchase a new furnace for $6,300 from Vredevoodg Plumbing and Heating.
“We dealt with this company because they respond quickly,” he said.
The Village is seeking applications for a front-desk person on a part-time basis, Lutz reported. Resumes are being accepted until March 30. More information about the job can be found on the Village’s website: villageofschoolcraft.com.
The Council approved minutes from the February 2 meeting which included the goals which have been set for the village manager for the year. The three goals are to increase staffing for the Department of Public Works and the administrative office, work on the water project including the USDA funding, and increase transparency regarding Village issues.
