Southgate City Administrator Dustin Lent
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
SOUTHGATE – With $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act money available, the City Council on Nov. 3 approved courthouse roof repairs, a fire rescue vehicle and city employee hazard pay.
At an earlier council meeting, $1 million was approved for a new roof for the Department of Public Works building.
Half of the allotment was received Sept. 30, with the remaining $1.5 million expected during the next fiscal year.
City Administrator Dustin Lent recommended $260,000 be allocated as premium pay to city employees who worked during the pandemic.
Full-time employees would receive $100 per month for each month that they worked between March 3, 2020 and Oct. 31, 2021, which would total $2,000 for full-time employees who worked every eligible month.
Part-time hourly employee essential workers would receive 50 cents per hour for each hour worked during the same 20-month period, which would equate to about $800 per part-time employee.
“Each employee that worked during the pandemic played an essential role in the city continuing to operate and provide services to the public,” Lent said in an Oct. 28 memo to the council.
A fire rescue vehicle, a 153 LTD type 1 ambulance, which had been approved for purchase in September from the capital projects fund, will have $143,541 earmarked from the ARPA funds.
A section of the 25th District Court roof will be repaired for $134,435 by Royal Roofing of Lake Orion, which is also replacing the DPW roof. Since it will be doing both projects in conjunction, mobilization and setup charges are shared.
The section of the courthouse roof that has been the last to be scheduled for repair is currently leaking.
Lent said that by approving the project now, the city avoids material cost increases that go into effect in January.