Aerial view of Albion’s new water tower rising near Haas Trucking and Fleet Service; in the foreground, the industrial complex houses Challenger Communications, Viking Satcom, and Dadant & Sons, with Knauf Insulation visible in the distance.
By MAGGIE LANOUE
Contributing Writer
As winter approaches, Albion’s Department of Public Works is closing out what Director Jason Kern called the city’s busiest construction season in decades. In a 14-page report to City Council, Kern walked through street reconstructions, underground utility fixes, the rising water tower, and what residents should expect as temperatures drop and asphalt plants wind down for the year.
Along Burr Oak Street, crews have connected new sanitary lines north of the railroad tracks. That section will remain compacted dirt through winter, with final paving planned when asphalt plants reopen in 2026. South of the tracks, underground work continues, and road building is underway. On Berrien Street, water and sewer improvements are complete, and the road base is in; the first asphalt lift is targeted for mid-November if weather and plant schedules cooperate. South Eaton Street is aiming for late-November paving on the same conditions. Kern stressed that some schedules slipped because crews uncovered unsafe or failing infrastructure that needed replacement first, including crumbling sanitary manholes and a collapsed catch basin. The approach, he said, is to do it right the first time rather than pave over weak spots.
The most visible project is the new water tower on North Clark Street, a centerpiece of Albion’s comprehensive water system program. According to the DPW update, the multi-contract Water System Improvements Project is funded at approximately $28 million, comprising combined federal and state grant dollars, as well as bonds. That broader package encompasses the tower, water-treatment upgrades, and distribution improvements aimed at enhancing pressure, storage, and redundancy citywide—particularly on the east side and near the developing East Industrial Park. In Kern’s construction timeline, the tower’s shaft and foundation are complete, and the steel tank assembly is scheduled to proceed through December, weather permitting.
Kern also described how the department is replacing old hand-drawn maps with current data. Field crews now use GIS tablets and save video footage from sewer cameras, allowing the city to pinpoint pipe conditions, plan replacements, and document damage. That record has already been important: the city dealt with a large sinkhole on Chauncey Street that appears tied to be utility poles likely pushed through a 48-inch storm line; a separate break on Austin Avenue forced an emergency main replacement in September; and another sinkhole at Pine and Ionia was traced to a gas main puncturing a concrete storm sewer. With each repair, staff members log coordinates and footage to guide fixes and seek recovery from third parties when warranted.
Leaf season is in full swing, with one important reminder from City Hall: residential leaf collection is handled by Granger using paper yard-waste bags or bins. The city’s role is to keep streets and drains safe. Kern said DPW will perform limited late-season residential cleanup in rights-of-way to address piles that accumulate after Granger’s December cutoff or during freeze-thaw cycles. Residents should keep leaves out of the street to prevent flooding and clogging the drains. He also plans to circulate a simple map or notice to help residents track activity, and council members offered to help get flyers into mailboxes around active work zones.
Kern said the department’s new high-capacity leaf vacuum has already proved its worth, clearing large areas in a fraction of the usual time. During a test at Riverside Cemetery, a cleanup that once took four to six hours was finished in about twenty minutes — “like running a vacuum over the front lawn,” he said.
Council questions centered on notice and access: when paving begins on North Berrien, residents may need to park on side streets. Staff are weighing a low-cost mailer or a targeted newsletter for blocks in active construction. Kern added that his crews will continue posting updates online and that he welcomes help relaying information precinct by precinct when schedules shift due to weather.
Kern closed his report by thanking the entire public works team for their long hours during an unusually heavy construction season—keeping water and sewer systems operating while major upgrades rolled forward and emergency repairs demanded quick turnarounds. Interim City Manager Doug Terry also thanked the department and noted that the full DPW report is available on the city website for residents who want to review project lists, timelines, and funding details.
For drivers and homeowners, the practical takeaways are straightforward: expect some base-course or compacted-dirt surfaces to winter over; watch for posted notices and council updates about paving days and parking; keep leaves out of the street and use Granger yard-waste options; and report drainage or safety issues promptly so crews can respond between storms. With the heaviest work now staged and steel arriving for the water tower, city staff say the goal is to protect what’s been built this fall and return in spring to finish strong.
