Monday night’s Port Huron City Council Meeting included approvals of some big expenditures for the city. The City accepted bids for nearly $300,000 worth of equipment from TNT Equipment for use by the Utilities Division. The equipment includes a tractor with a price tag around $200,000 and a vacuum/slurry tank for holding biosolids which are a byproduct of the Wastewater Treatment Plant that will cost approximately $100,000. Currently, the biosolids are treated and available for farmers to use to fertilize their fields. Councilmember Ken Harris broached the subject of sending the biosolids to the Smiths Creek landfill for use as power generation through their septage bioreactor process. City Manager James Freed explained that it would be cost-prohibitive to do so. The council also approved bids for pavement striping, maintenance equipment, and dredging of the canal near Lakeside Beach. Some of the excess sand will be deposited to help with erosion at residential lakefront properties. The dredging is contingent upon weather conditions. The council approved a recommendation from MDOT to put Hancock Street on a “road diet” and change it from four lanes to three lanes at the intersection between I94/I69 and Pine Grove Avenue. This change came from safety concerns and citizen complaints and is intended to make driving safer in that area.
