Northville Township Board Approves Additional $20,000 for Walkway Project

At its meeting Thursday night, the Board of Trustees approved an additional $20,000 allocation to the Sheldon Road walkway, also called the .

will connect the city and the township and will be paid for by the two municipalities, as well as by Wayne County. It was previously approved after bids were reviewed from various engineering and construction companies. In total, it’s estimated to cost $1.13 million.

The engineering firm, Spalding DeDecker, sent two employee representatives to the meeting to ask the township board for the extra money. Their request generated a lot of discussion and discontent.

Don Weaver, township director of public services, explained to the board prior to the vote that the money would be needed to move forward with the project for foundational work and that not approving it could jeopardize its completion.

He urged the board to vote for the allocation but said that Spalding DeDecker should have presented the amount in its initial proposal. In total, Weaver told the board, Spalding DeDecker will receive about $133,000 from the project, with the new allocation included.

“This work would have been authorized by us anyway,” he said. “The timing is unfortunate.”

He added, “I know we’re not happy about it but I recommend the board passes it.”

The company’s representatives apologized for the oversight but were adamant that because it should have been included in the initial estimate, that it should be paid. They also said that they reduced the amount as much as they possibly could.

No explanation was given for why the amount wasn’t included in the initial proposal other than that it was an oversight.

Township Supervisor Mark Abbo expressed his disappointment, saying that if they had been given the information earlier it “would’ve affected the bid and the entire project.”

Trustee Mindy Herrmann asked the company’s representatives to consider reducing the amount, explaining that $20,000 is a lot for the government in such tight financial times.

“We’re a municipality. We’re not Exxon,” she said.

Township manager Chip Snider also cautioned against approving the added expenditure.

“I am not persuaded this cost should be incurred by the township,” he said. “I believe, in my mind, that it should be incurred by Spalding DeDecker.”

Ultimately, the board approved the allocation by a vote of 4-2, with Mark Abbo and Richard Henningsen voting against it.