Gelman Agrees To Foot Bill For Water Main Construction

Gelman agrees to foot bill for water main construction

By BONNIE DeSIMONE

CITY GOVERNMENT REPORTER

Gelman Sciences Inc. has agreed to spring for the entire cost of water main construction in an area of Scio Township afflicted by ground-water pollution.

The actual agreement between the city of Ann Arbor and Gelman for construction was delayed for another two weeks at Monday night's Ann Arbor City Council meeting at the request of township residents.

The delay means residents of the Westover subdivision east of Wagner Road whose wells have been found to be contaminated by the solvent dioxane probably will not have water service until Sept. 15, rather than Sept. 1 as originally scheduled.

But Priscilla Cheever, an attorney and one of several residents on an informal neighborhood steering committee, said residents asked for the delay because they are continuing to "gather information" on their options.

The Westover residents are unhappy about the prospect of being annexed into the city, which is normally triggered by the city's provision of water service.  The city has a higher tax rate than the township.

The contract, the language of which is still being revised by a council subcommittee and Gelman representatives, differs significantly from Gelman's first proposal.  Gelman originally wanted to loan the city the money and be reimbursed if it was found not to be the source of the groundwater polution.

Gelman attorney Robert Harris said the firm changed its mind after cost estimates for water main construction, engineering services and hookups to individual households went down from a total of $315,000 to $215,000.

"It's a gift this time," Harris said.  "Gelman is trying to be a good citizen."

City Councilwoman Doris Preston, D-Fifth Ward, who heads to council subcommittee working on the agreement, said bids from construction firms came in far below the city's estimates when they were opened last week.

Two matters remain to be worked out: the thorny issue of annexation and the rate that Westover residents will pay for water once the water main is in service.

Preston said some council members believe the Westover area should be annexed immediately, while some would prefer to see some sort of grace period.

Normally, when township properties are receiving city water service but have not yet been annexed, residents pay double the city water rate as an incentive to be annexed.  Mayor Pro Tem Lowell Peterson, D-First Ward, said he hoped an alternate arrangement could be worked out.

City Administrator Godfrey Collins has also asked his assistant, Leigh Chizek, to obtain information from the Washtenaw County Health Department on the total extent of the groundwater pollution.