By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The City of Niles and Niles Charter Township are considering an agreement to provide city water to a developer on Niles-Buchanan Road.
James Lehmkuhl, Niles Utilities Department manager, said Tenney and Associates, the group developing Longmeadow Condominiums, The Village at Longmeadow Commercial Condominiums, Courtyard at Lexington and a 20-acre parcel owned by Selge Construction Co., wants access to city water. Starting the project is contingent upon a flow study, Lehmkuhl said.
"Tenney and Associates is paying for the water system," including the system infrastructure to extend the water and cost of flow study, Lehmkuhl said.
He added he did not know the cost of the project to Tenney and Associates.
Niles will supply the water, Lehmkuhl said, but Niles Township will maintain the infrastructure that will run along Niles-Buchanan Road west from Philip Road.
On Dec. 4, Niles Township approved a resolution backing the project, but Jim Ringler, the township's treasurer, said the details of the plan still needed to be negotiated.
Other items addressed at Monday's meeting of the board of public utilities included approving a recommendation from Lehmkuhl to employ Linda Lipinski of Chicago to search for an assistant utilities manager for Niles. Approval from Niles City Council is still needed and Lehmkuhl said he will present the option at the next council meeting Jan. 8.
The board of public utilities also reviewed literature concerning electric restructuring in Michigan after the de-regulation in 2000 of Public Act 141.