The city of Flint is facing more than $1 million in repair costs after a stolen backhoe was used to damage several structures last year, including a sewage lift station that now needs to be replaced.
City officials say the incident caused more than $1.2 million in damage. Flint City Council members are being asked to approve a contract to rebuild the damaged lift station near Bassett Park, which helps pump wastewater to the city’s treatment plant.
According to officials, the backhoe operator rammed the building so severely that it was pushed off its foundation and cannot be repaired. The structure, built in the 1950s, has continued operating temporarily with support braces but must now be replaced and updated to meet modern building codes.
Insurance will cover only about $200,000 of the cost, leaving the city responsible for most of the expense. The total project cost could reach about $1.3 million when including construction contingencies.
The damage occurred June 4 after the backhoe was stolen from a construction site near North Dort Highway and East Pierson Road. Police say the suspect damaged equipment at the site before driving the machine through a fence and traveling along Pierson Road.
During the rampage, the backhoe also damaged the lift station, the former Swanson Funeral Home and a nearby market before being abandoned on East Rankin Avenue.
Flint police say they submitted a felony request for a suspect after investigators found blood on the backhoe windshield that matched the suspect’s DNA. However, the Genesee County prosecutor said the blood was found on the outside of the machine and there is no evidence the suspect actually drove it.
City leaders say the incident also exposed gaps in Flint’s insurance coverage. Officials have since hired a company to evaluate more than 100 city-owned buildings to ensure they are properly insured.
The Flint City Council is expected to vote on the lift station funding at its March 9 meeting.