In Brief: Racetrack Funds Spent, Reallocated by Northville City Council

Racetrack breakage funds

Northville's city council approved, at its meeting Monday night, $67,500 in budget allocations and expenditures for racetrack breakage funds, made from .

Breakage funds are the rounded down by cents to the dime, from winnings resulting from bets, Wiktorowski explained. For example, if a winning bet were $5.19, the city would receive the 9 cents from the winnings.

The city has $192,100 left in racetrak breakage funds to spend. Of that amount, the city approved use of $67,500.

The approved amounts include, according to city documents:

• $60,000 for police and fire department equipment reserves for the 2013 fiscal year
• $5,000 toward the replacement of the city roof. About $30,000 had previously been allocated by the city for the replacement of the roof, the majority of which is more than 20 years old
• $2,500 toward replacing city signs

Water leak detection survey approved

The city council approved a detection survey in an effort to further reduce its water loss, which city manager Pat Sullivan explained, is basically any water that goes unmetered.

“The water loss remains relatively low at 10.2 percent with a five-year average of 8.95 percent. That rate of water loss is considered to be excellent given the age of the City’s infrastructure. City Staff continues to closely monitor the water loss. In addition, a leak detection survey is planned for the current fiscal year,” said city finance director Sandi Wiktorowski.

If the water loss study amount is over $5,000, it will have to go through the bid process, she said after the meeting.

According to findings from the annual city audit, also presented Monday night, there was a 13 percent increase from 2010 to 2011 in water and sewage costs.

“Water and sewer operating expenditures increased due to an 11.5 percent increase in water costs by the City of Detroit and a 39 percent increase in sewage disposal costs by Wayne County,” the report said.

Network switches bid approved

The city council also approved the purchase of network switches.

“Switches process and route data through the entire network system. The current switches are approximately eight years old. The City’s network support firm, Gracon Services, Inc., strongly recommends that the current switches be replaced,” Wiktorowski said. “The current hardware has reached its maximum capacity.”

The city received three bids and went with the lowest, Sehi Computers, for $4,996.