9/20/13 - The Brighton City Council wants to improve the appearance and health of the cityâs most popular attraction â the Mill Pond â and has taken the first step toward that end. City Manager Dana Foster Thursday night gave a Power Point Presentation, and he and engineer Gary Markstrom of Tetra Tech MPS brought council up to speed on all the fine points of dredging versus other methods of cleaning the downtown pond. Unfortunately, the pond is becoming choked with weeds, sediment and other materials. Dredging was cited as the best way to solve the problem, but estimates of the cost were placed at up to $2.3 million - far above the cityâs ability to pay. Given the realities of a tight budget, council decided to investigate the possibility of harvesting the weeds and other debris while continuing with the regular algae treatments. In the end, council voted to seek proposals from companies that employ specialized equipment to remove such materials from lakes and ponds. City Manager Dana Foster emphasizes that while the sediment at the bottom of the Mill Pond has trace amounts of arsenic and other metals, it is not a safety hazard. However, he says because of those trace elements, the state says the city must have the materials hauled away to a licensed landfill, an additional cost factor. This renders moot an offer by Brighton businessman Mike Corrigan to allow the city to deposit the materials on property he owns at the north end of the pond and later to haul it away at his cost. The pond project is in line with the Mill Pond Master Plan, in which the city hopes to bring such amenities as canoeing and kayaking to the pond in future years. (TT)
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