The man heading Flint’s lead pipe replacement program has a new contract.
The council voted 9-0 on a reconsideration vote during a special meeting Thursday. The council deadlocked 4-4 August 14 on extending a personal services contract for Mike McDaniel.
McDaniel has been the program director of the Fast Start program that has replaced more than 3,000 services lines during the past year. However, he’s been working without a contract since April.
The state attorney general's office sent a letter to the city last week saying the lack of a contract put the future of the pipe replacement program in jeopardy.
Councilman Scott Kincaid says the city council relented after assurances from the state.
“The attorney general’s office said they would get with the administration and they would make sure that somebody would work with them from now until October to be able to carry on his work,” says Kincaid.
McDaniel plans to leave his Flint job in October to return full-time to his job at a law school in Lansing.
It’s expected to take until at least 2020 to replace roughly 20,000 lead and galvanized service lines, which have been a primary source of lead in Flint’s drinking water.
