The Hastings City Council Monday approved Burr Engineering drilling six monitoring wells in city rights-of-way adjacent to the Viking Corporation on Industrial Drive.
Viking is continuing to work with the MDEQ to bring environmental closure from soil and groundwater contamination from past releases of hazardous materials, City Manager Jeff Mansfield said. The wells, 15 to 25 feet deep, are expected to be required for two to three years, depending on Michigan Department of Environmental Quality approval.
With MDEQ approval, the wells will be abandoned by Viking, the pipe pulled and the holes filled from the bottom up and the sites restored to their original condition. The wells will be 10 to 15 feet away from the sewer lines in the city’s rights of way
“It works well for the both the city and Viking,” Mansfield said.
In other business, the council:
* approved the City of Hastings Barry County Airport Commission’s recommendation for a three-year contract extension for Manager Mark Noteboom at $65,000 a year. Because of a joint operating agreement, the city and county both have to approve the request. The Barry County Board of Commissioners approved the contract Nov. 8.
* approved spending $30,380 for an estimated 700 tons for road salt through an agreement with the State of Michigan Acquisition Services that guarantees salt to last the winter and up to 30 percent additional above the requested supply, DPS Director Lee Hays said. The unit price is $43.40 per ton. The benefit to the city in going with a state contract is that the requested quantity of salt is guaranteed, which helps alleviate supply headaches later in the winter, he said.
* approved buying 75 trees for 2016-2017 from low bidder Landmark Skid Steer and Trucking from Dowling for $17,850. The company has done excellent work in the past, and the cost is reasonable and within the budgeted amount, Hays said. County Line Nurseries, Bangor, bid $21,875 and Twin Lakes Nursery bid $36,750.
* awarded a contract to Prein & Newhof for $9,050 to develop a geographic information system (GIS) for mapping cemetery graves locations as recommended by the Riverside Cemetery Preservation Advisory Board.
