Back to Construction Updates

Resources

Important Information

June 1, 2026

By Jim Rinke

At Prein&Newhof, environmental consulting focuses on helping clients understand what’s beneath the surface and what it means for the future of their projects and communities. That work is continuing to grow, and I’m grateful to now be part of a team that approaches complex environmental challenges with both technical expertise and a clear focus on practical solutions.

My path to becoming a geologist and working in environmental consulting didn’t follow a straight line. I actually started out in the engineering program at Grand Valley State University. Although engineering was interesting, I never really felt like I had found my place. I made a trip to see the head of the Geology Department and knew right away that this was where I belonged. Physics applied to chemistry with a bit of camping mixed in.

After graduating from GVSU, I applied to geology jobs all over the country. The call I received was from Detroit, where I started my professional career as an Environmental Geologist with Arcadis. While there, I was exposed to a variety of field work including underground storage tank removals, subsurface vapor sampling, mercury spills, asbestos cleanups, drilling, and monitoring well installations. It was great experience, but I wasn’t ready to call Eastern Michigan home. I wanted to see a little more of the world.

I left environmental geology and headed back to school to work toward a master’s degree in geology at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. Getting back into school was difficult but well worth it, and nothing like I expected. I thought I would end up in structural geology, but a professor who specialized in creating digital models of tectonic activity recruited me for a seismology study in Western Antarctica. Antarctica sounded like the adventure I was looking for despite having no experience in seismology.

Two years later, armed with a degree focused on seismics, it was time to rejoin the workforce. A friend from GVSU had been working for a mining company and helped connect me with a copper mine in Arizona. About a year in the desert of Bagdad, Arizona was enough for me, so I transferred to a molybdenum mine in Climax, Colorado. Living high in the Rocky Mountains brought beautiful seasons, incredible views, and plenty of hiking, camping, skiing, and biking.

I didn’t want to leave Colorado, but I was ready to leave the mine. With few opportunities for geologists nearby, I had to think outside the box. I had been homebrewing since graduate school and was a regular at local breweries when I was invited to spend time in the brewhouse to see what it was like. It was more fun than I’d had in a long time, and they called it work. It blended science and art in a way that immediately clicked for me.

A friend was opening a new brewery, and I joined him to help make it happen. I helped finish construction on the building, install brewing equipment, brew the first batch of beer, and open the doors to the public. Over the next eight years, I brewed hundreds of batches of beer and helped grow the brewery into one of the most popular in the county. After nearly a decade of crafting beverages, it was time to get back to something more sustainable. The physical demands were catching up with me, and I had now been away from home and family for almost 20 years. It was time to come home and return to the career that started it all.

Environmental work often begins with uncertainty. A site may look ready for development, a property may appear unchanged for decades, or a system may seem to be functioning as expected. Below the surface, conditions can tell a very different story. The role of environmental consulting is to identify those unknowns early and provide clarity so informed decisions can be made with confidence.

Our team supports clients through site assessments and investigations, regulatory navigation, and remediation and long-term management strategies. We work alongside clients to evaluate and address environmental conditions in a way that is both responsible and achievable. It’s not about applying a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s about understanding the specific conditions of each site and responding accordingly.

In recent years, one area has become an increasingly important part of that work: PFAS. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of man-made chemicals that have been used for decades in manufacturing and consumer products. Their persistence in the environment means they do not break down easily and can accumulate in soil and water over time. Because of that, understanding where PFAS is present and what it means has become critical for many communities across Michigan.

Our approach to PFAS reflects the broader way we think about environmental challenges. It starts with investigation, identifying potential sources and evaluating the extent of impact. From there, we help clients interpret what the data means and navigate evolving regulations to determine next steps. That work is supported by our Prein&Newhof Laboratory, where certified testing provides reliable data for PFAS and other contaminants. Having that capability in-house allows us to connect field observations with clear results and move more efficiently from questions to answers.

Even with all the technical aspects involved, this work is ultimately about people. Every site we evaluate and every sample we analyze connects back to a larger purpose, whether that’s protecting a drinking water source, supporting a redevelopment project, or helping a community better understand its environment.

For me, PFAS is personal, not just technical. I found out how harmful PFAS could be before I really understood what PFAS were. In 2018, just two weeks after the grand opening of the brewery, I was diagnosed with a type of cancer linked to PFOA exposure. I grew up on well water in an area later identified as a PFAS site. At first, I appeared healthy and cancer free, but it spread and returned four years later. This time surgery wasn’t enough and chemotherapy was prescribed.

Unfortunately, most of us know someone who has faced cancer and understand how difficult it can be, not just for the person going through it but for everyone around them. I was fortunate in many ways and made it through relatively unscathed. I hope to use my experience to help others facing similar challenges. At the very least, I can now help identify areas of PFAS contamination and be part of a team working to prevent it from harming others.

Experiences like that bring the purpose of this work into sharper focus. Environmental consulting is often about identifying risks that aren’t immediately visible and helping others understand them before they become larger problems. It requires careful analysis and a commitment to doing the work thoroughly. That commitment shows up in how we approach each project. We focus on understanding the full picture, communicating findings in a way that is useful and actionable, and developing solutions that support long-term outcomes.

All the changes in direction, the challenges, and the experiences have built me into who I am and prepared me to be here. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to apply all of this with a company that believes in what they do. I look forward to getting reinvested in the community I grew up in and using my knowledge and experience to help create a cleaner environment. It wasn’t the straightest line, but it has been an adventure.

Environmental conditions are not always visible, but their impact is. The work we do helps bring those conditions into focus so communities can decide what comes next. It’s a responsibility I take seriously, and one I’m proud to carry forward as part of this team.

 

April 28, 2026

Water is part of nearly everything we do. It supports our homes, our work, our communities, and the systems we rely on every day. But behind that water is an important question: what’s really in it? At Prein&Newhof, our laboratory exists to help answer that question.

Every day, water samples arrive at our laboratory from across Michigan. Some come from municipal systems working to meet regulatory requirements. Others come from businesses monitoring their operations or homeowners looking to better understand their private wells. Each sample represents a need for clear, reliable information.

Our laboratory is Drinking Water Certified by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and provides testing for a wide range of water quality indicators, including bacteria, metals such as lead and copper, PFAS, and other organic and inorganic compounds.

That level of testing plays an important role in protecting public health and supporting the systems that deliver and manage water. Whether it’s helping a municipality confirm compliance, supporting an industry in meeting discharge requirements, or giving a homeowner confidence in their drinking water, accurate testing is the foundation for making informed decisions.

But the work doesn’t stop at the data. Our team focuses on delivering results with a quick turnaround in a way that is clear and actionable. From sample collection through analysis and reporting, we follow strict protocols designed for accuracy and compliance while helping our clients to understand what their results mean and what steps to take next.

We also recognize that water challenges are always evolving. Emerging contaminants like PFAS and increased regulatory expectations continue to shape how water systems are managed across Michigan. Reliable laboratory testing helps communities and organizations respond to those challenges with confidence and clarity to protect both public health and the environment.

At its core, our laboratory supports something simple but essential: understanding water so it can be reliably managed and protected. Because when we understand what’s in our water, we can make better decisions for the people and places that depend on it.

April 7, 2026

This blog is part of our ongoing Shovel Ready campaign—a Prein&Newhof initiative designed to help communities prepare their infrastructure projects now, so when funding opportunities open, they are ready to move. From prioritizing projects and completing preliminary engineering to understanding how funding programs actually work, getting shovel ready means removing the barriers between a good idea and a funded one.

One of the most common barriers? Believing you are limited to a single funding source. If you’ve ever explored grant funding for an infrastructure or community project, you’ve probably heard some version of this: you can’t apply for multiple grants for the same project. It’s a common belief that also happens to be one of the most limiting. In reality, combining funding sources isn’t just allowed, it’s often expected.

Hear how Scott Post, PE, busts this common myth in our latest “Shovel Ready Mythbusters” video and why rethinking your funding approach could open the door to more flexible and successful project strategies.

 

Why does this myth stick around?

On the surface, it makes sense to assume funding programs want to be the sole contributor to a project. Many applications ask detailed questions about scope, schedule, budget, and need, and it can feel like introducing multiple sources might complicate things or raise red flags. However, most funding programs are designed with a different goal in mind: they want to see projects succeed. Success often requires more than one funding source, and this is expected.

What does “strategic stacking” really mean?

Strategic stacking is the practice of combining multiple funding sources to fully support a project. One grant might cover design. Another might support construction. A third might help to meet matching requirements. Rather than weakening an application, this approach can make it stronger. When done well, it shows reviewers that:

  • The project is well thought out
  • The funding plan is realistic
  • The community is committed to seeing it through

It also helps close funding gaps that might otherwise delay or scale back a project.

What are funding reviewers actually looking for?

One of the most important takeaways from Scott’s advice is about transparency. When multiple funding sources are involved, it’s not something to hide or downplay. It should be clearly explained. Reviewers want to understand how the full picture comes together. That includes:

  • What each funding source is supporting
  • How gaps are being filled
  • How the project will move from concept to completion

Clarity builds confidence in your project plans. If you’re considering multiple funding sources, start by telling the full story early. Be straightforward in your application narrative and show how each piece fits. Help reviewers see not just the project, but the path to making it happen. That clarity can make the difference between a project that feels uncertain and one that feels ready.

Ready to move your project forward?

Funding doesn’t have to be a one-path process. In many cases, the strongest projects are the ones that bring together the right mix of resources. Understanding this can change how you approach your next opportunity.

If you have a project on your list but aren’t sure how to piece the funding together, your Prein&Newhof project manager can help you think through the options from identifying the right programs to building a strategy that makes your application competitive. The goal is to make sure your project is ready to move when the right opportunity opens.

Ready to get started on your project? Reach out to your project manager or contact us to start the conversation.

– Jason Washler, PE

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Stay tuned for more Shovel Ready Mythbusters where we take on the misconceptions that slow projects down and keep funding on the table.

Follow along on our blog and social channels or sign up for our Grants and Loans Guidebook to stay connected to the funding resources that matter most.

March 3, 2026

Think your community is too small to get big bucks for its projects? Check out this story.

Proactive Village gets $2.85 million for New Bridge

You don’t need to tell the Village of Muir residents to “quit slackin’ and make it happen.” In 2012, the village with a population of roughly 600 needed a new bridge over the Twin Rivers for safety, convenience, and economic reasons. The former bridge was over 100 years old but was a vital link to health and safety services for the residents, with alternate routes adding 7-10 miles to a traveler’s trip.

The catch? This project had a $3.5 million price tag. That is a huge cost for a small community. However, nothing would stop them from making it happen.

The Village got to work and engaged its citizens: fundraising efforts included a jellybean sale at the Ionia County Fair, a lemonade stand, and Lions Club lotteries and engraved brick sales. Village leaders volunteered nearly 900 hours of their personal time to raise money for this project. Village President Doug Hyland made multiple presentations to other local stakeholders to find support for the project.

Muir received $2.85 million from a Federal Grant and worked to raise the other funds through grant programs ($200,000), other stakeholders and surrounding communities ($200,000), and the Village of Muir and Friends of the Bridge ($250,000).

In 2015, the Village completed construction of its new bridge. The old bridge was repurposed as a non-motorized crossing connecting the newly opened CIS trail segment through Muir, a facet to the overall project that created more funding opportunities.

“It has been incredible to see a community pull together and achieve this,” Prein&Newhof Project Manager Jason Washler said of the 3-year fundraising effort. “They wouldn’t give up. That’s why they saw this bridge built.”

Ten Years Later: Village Funds New Sensory Park

The small, tight-knit community of Village of Muir has two parks: Douglas Park on the northwest side and Railroad Street Park on the southwest side.

The need for an inclusive play space was identified for the Village’s 2017 Recreation Plan through public surveys, community feedback, and demographic and economic data. The Village planned to develop the Muir Sensory Park next to Railroad Street Park and alongside the Fred Meijer Clinton, Ionia, Shiawassee (CIS) Trail, an MDOT-managed trail that runs between Ionia and Owosso.

The Village of Muir hired Prein&Newhof to sketch out the concept plan, assist with the grant application, and eventually perform design and construction engineering to make this park a reality.

In February 2023, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program opened the 2023 Public Gathering Spaces Initiative competitive funding round. To be considered, a community’s proposed project must provide benefit to at least 51-percent low- and moderate-income populations in the state while increasing usability, accessibility, and seasonality within new or existing community spaces.

The Sensory Park project was awarded a $1.2 million grant in 2024. It is designed to serve all Muir residents and nearby communities, with a particular benefit for individuals with disabilities. According to the Ionia County ISD, about 14.99% of their outreach area includes individuals managing disabilities. The design includes a hillside slide, zipline, several different types of play areas, fireplace, performance area with grass seating, bike repair station, gazebo, ramps, and additional parking.

The Takeaway

These true stories highlight the importance of taking proactive steps: getting your story ready, showing funding initiative, getting the community involved, and getting creative with making connections.

Prein&Newhof can help! We’ve prepared some tools to help with this:

  • Funding Radar Check-in: We flag programs that match your project goals and let you know what’s coming.
  • Shovel-Ready Checklist: A guide and checklist to make sure your project is as ready as it can be for funding.
  • Story-Telling Tools: Filling out forms is the bare minimum. Identifying the story behind your project and telling that story in impactful ways will accelerate your project funding efforts.

Ask us about aligning your project for 2026 funding opportunities now!

 

 

February 26, 2026

By Brian Merk, PE

When I graduated from Michigan State University in the Spring of 2015, I didn’t know what would be in store for me as I began my career in Airport Engineering. I had never encountered it in my studies, and very few colleges even taught it. And yet, there was something that Prein&Newhof Project Manager Jason Washler told me during my interview that hooked me into the aviation industry. He told me that an airport is like a small city; they have their own roadway network, fire department, police department, water, sanitary, and storm systems, and a broad network of airfield pavement that make flight possible. As a civil engineer, maintaining and improving that critical infrastructure is where the real work—and passion—lies.

Airports are more than transportation facilities. They are also social and economic infrastructure. Commercial service airports, like the Gerald R. Ford International Airport and the Cherry Capital Airport, connect their communities to national and international networks. This connectivity not only supports leisure travel to and from their communities, but it also enables businesses to compete on a national or global scale.

Gerald R. Ford International Airport – Deicing and Stormwater Natural Treatment System

 

General aviation (GA) airports are public-use facilities serving non-commercial, business, and recreational flying—think single engine puddle-jumper. GA airports are often less visible and not always financially supported by their communities. However, these airports are a crucial cog in the national airspace system. GA airports provide safe access to aviation for many individuals and businesses. Maybe most notably, they provide a crucial stepping stone for commercial airline pilots to kick off their training. The commercial aviation system depends on GA airports to sustain the pilot pipeline and support regional access. Without healthy GA infrastructure, the broader aviation network can weaken over time. Together, GA and commercial airports form a connected system. GA airports feed regional facilities, regional facilities feed hubs, and hubs connect to the world. GA airports also provide infrastructure for crucial life-safety flights in and out of rural communities; every minute counts in emergency situations, and having access to flight can save lives.

Roscommon County Blodgett Memorial Airport – Reconstruct Runway 9

 

As passengers, we patiently wait for our row to be called over the speaker, walk our way through the boarding bridge, and buckle up while our aircraft taxis to the runway. As we anxiously await our turn to throttle up and take off, we rarely think about what’s beneath the ground. And when you’re seated inside a Boeing 747, whose max takeoff weight is nearly 1 million pounds, you can thank the carefully engineered pavement—with its thickness measured in feet—for supporting its massive load.

Unlike some infrastructure systems, airports must remain operational while under construction. This requires careful planning and phasing and often requires night work. Engineering decisions must balance safety, constructability, cost, and long-term performance. These decisions can be the difference between restricting future growth or supporting reliable service for decades.

Airports are not luxuries. They are essential infrastructure that supports economic vitality, workforce development, and national connectivity. General aviation airports build the foundation. Commercial airports extend that reach to the world. Airport engineering ensures the system functions safely and efficiently. When airports work well, they fade into the background of daily life. But behind that reliability is careful planning and long-term thinking. Airports connect communities to opportunity, and airport engineering makes that connection possible.

Village of Sparta – Runway 7-25
January 26, 2026

“Cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner suggests we are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it has been wrapped in a story. Why? Because stories are memorable. Stories help us grab the gist of an idea quickly…. Injecting hard numbers into your story will raise the stakes and bring your call to action into clearer focus. Bottom line: the combination of data + story – satisfying both left and right brain thinking – is what will ignite your audience to act.”

– Kate Harrison, Forbes, 2015

When you think of applying for a grant, you might picture endless amounts of forms, checkboxes, and spreadsheets. But what we have noticed is that these technical details fall flat without a storytelling component.

Storytelling is powerful because it deeply engages our emotions and imagination, making information more memorable and relatable. Stories connect us with others, build empathy, and can even shape our perceptions and drive action. They tap into our primal instincts for narrative structure and making meaning, helping us understand the world and our place in it.

The long-term impact of telling stories is manifold. It gives you a way to communicate the value of the project to the community, share pride in the progress we make together, and inspire other communities to resolve their own challenges in the future. In short, stories give us the “why” behind what we do. And the “why” is crucial to getting support and funding.

After identifying what the story is, figuring out how to tell it is just as important. For example: imagine a 90-second video showing your project site, outlining the problem, and making it clear what is needed to solve that problem. Imagine being able to send that video out to stakeholders and see what kind of support you get in response.

When applying for grants, the facts are important. But remember to also have the “why” to complement them. Want help extracting your story? Contact us at 616-364-8491!

January 20, 2026

Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS). Earmarks. Are these the same thing? Different programs? And why is this suddenly part of the funding conversation?

The short answer: CDS and earmarks are the same tool, different names. Both refer to funding Congress allocates to specific projects at the request of individual legislators for needs in their own communities.

The longer story explains why this might feel unfamiliar. Congress banned earmarks in 2011 and did not revive them until 2021. A decade is long enough for terminology to fade, for expertise to retire, and for an entire generation of professionals to enter the industry without ever encountering the practice. When CDS returned, it came back quietly—with new transparency rules, spending caps, and disclosure requirements—but without the institutional knowledge that once surrounded it.

Today, CDS directs billions of dollars annually to specific projects, with significant allocations flowing through HUD, Transportation, and Defense. Since returning in 2021, the program has grown quickly—from roughly $9 billion and 5,000 projects in FY2022 to nearly $17 billion and 9,000 projects in FY2023. But this is not a predictable or guaranteed funding stream. Annual amounts fluctuate based on budget negotiations and spending caps. And a critical distinction: appearing on a CDS award list is not the same as receiving funds. Projects can be announced, even published, without money ever being delivered.

What Makes CDS Different from Most Federal Funding?

The opportunity is real. So is the complexity. Most programs require competitive applications— you write the proposal, wait months for review, and hope your project scores high enough. CDS works differently. This is funding your congressional delegation secures directly for specific projects in their district or state, outside the normal competitive process.

Michigan communities are already using it. But the process has rules, timelines, and realities that can trip up first-timers.

How It Works

CDS requests go through individual congressional offices—your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. House Representative. Each office sets its own submission process, priorities, and deadlines. There is no universal template; what works for one office may not apply to another.

Typically, offices open their request windows in late winter or early spring, with deadlines often falling in March. The member’s staff reviews submissions, vets projects for eligibility and alignment with the member’s priorities and selects which requests to champion through the appropriations process.

If your project is selected and survives the appropriations process, funding is included in the relevant spending bill—usually signed into law the following fiscal year. But selection is not a guarantee. Projects can be awarded funding on paper and never see a dollar delivered. The appropriations process has multiple points where things can stall, shift, or fall out entirely.

The Timeline Reality: CDS is not fast money.

The FY2024 appropriations bills were signed in March 2024. Projects funded through those bills are just now seeing money flow. That means a request submitted in March 2023 resulted in funding available in spring 2024—a minimum 12-18 month lag, and that assumes the appropriations process runs smoothly (which it often does not).

If you are hoping to fund a project that breaks ground next summer, CDS is not your path. But if you are planning two, three, or five years out, earmark funding can be a powerful piece of your capital strategy.

What Makes a Good Candidate?

Congressional offices receive far more requests than can be funded. Projects that rise to the top typically share these characteristics:

  • Clear public benefit: Infrastructure, public safety, environmental protection, community facilities. Private benefit projects rarely make the cut.
  • Shovel-ready or nearly so: Projects with engineering complete, permits in hand, and local match committed demonstrate readiness.
  • Local investment: Requests that show significant local match not just the minimum required signal community commitment.
  • Reasonable scope: Requests in the $500K-$3M range are more likely to succeed than $20M requests.
  • Alignment with member priorities—and values: Each congressional office has focus areas, but the label does not tell the whole story. A member on an environmental subcommittee could prioritize conservation. Another could prioritize energy production. Both fall under “environment”—but a project emphasizing one approach may not resonate with a member who champions the other. Do the homework. Review the member’s public statements, past CDS requests they have supported, and legislation they have sponsored. Then look at the other members of the subcommittee or caucus. If your project runs counter to the prevailing values of the group, it faces an uphill battle regardless of how well it fits the topic category.

Example: A treatment plant upgrade could be framed as a local infrastructure need. But if the committee includes members with stakes in Great Lakes water quality, the smarter play is to frame it as regional stewardship—one community doing its part to protect a shared resource that spans multiple states. Same project. Different narrative. Different outcome.

Nonsupplanting: What Is It?

Federal funds must supplement, not replace, existing funding. If local dollars have been budgeted for a project, federal money cannot be swapped out and local funds redirected elsewhere. CDS funding needs to enable something that would not otherwise happen—an expanded scope, an accelerated timeline, or a project that was unfunded entirely.

Michigan’s Funding Landscape

Michigan’s transportation funding picture just got more complicated. The Citizens Research Council recently noted that 70 percent of the state’s new road revenue streams face uncertainty—marijuana tax revenue is being challenged in court, and corporate income tax threshold changes remain unsettled.

In this environment, communities need every funding tool available. CDS will not solve the infrastructure backlog on its own, but a well-timed earmark for a signature project can move something off the wish list and into construction.

Communities that win are those that have their projects documented, their engineering advanced, and their requests ready when the submission window opens.

Thinking Beyond the Obvious Category

CDS funding flows through multiple federal agencies—Transportation, HUD, Defense, and others. A single project can often be framed to fit more than one. The category you choose affects which funding stream you tap, and which congressional subcommittee reviews it.

Example: A road upgrade in a small community might struggle to compete as a standalone transportation project. But that same road, reframed as access infrastructure for a senior housing development, could find traction under HUD—where the narrative shifts from “road maintenance” to “community development serving vulnerable populations.”

Before defaulting to the obvious fit, ask: Is there another door that might open more easily?

Getting Started

  1. Identify candidate projects: What is on your capital plan that has clear public benefit and could use a federal boost?
  2. Advance your engineering: Preliminary design, cost estimates, and environmental review make your request credible.
  3. Build your case: Document community need, economic impact, and alignment with regional or state priorities.
  4. Watch the calendar: Congressional offices announce their CDS request windows—typically late winter. Miss the deadline, wait another year.
  5. Cultivate relationships: The communities that get funded are often the ones that have built ongoing relationships with their congressional delegation, not just showing up when they need money.

Bottom Line

This is not a funding source reserved for those with inside knowledge or decades of experience—because that expertise largely does not exist anymore. Everyone is learning. Everyone is rebuilding. The difference will come down to who prepares, who builds the relationships, and who shows up ready. Readiness wins.

Every community has projects waiting for the right funding opportunity. If you want to explore how CDS funding could work for yours, reach out to your Prein&Newhof project manager or contact Jason Washler at 616-364-8491. We can help you identify which programs align with your goals and navigate the application process. The best funding strategies start long before any shovels break ground.

 

January 16, 2026

In recent years, Michigan communities experienced a wave of major infrastructure funding opportunities from temporary programs like the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

As these funding opportunities end, budgets will tighten, application timelines will get shorter, and competition will increase.

As the funding playing field shifts, so should our perspective. Instead of grant hunting, or reacting to the newest opportunities, we should position ourselves to be ready and to hit the ground running as soon as funding is available.

What Does Grant Positioning Look Like?

  • Being shovel-ready for future opportunities
  • Packaging projects to meet multiple eligibility categories
  • Securing matching funds through creative, layered approaches
  • Building public support and telling the story of projects needing funding
  • Navigating changing deadlines and program shifts with confidence

Prein&Newhof can help! We’ve prepared some tools to help with this:

  1. Funding Radar Check-in: We flag programs that match your project goals and let you know what’s coming.
  2. Shovel-Ready Checklist: A guide and checklist to make sure your project is as ready as it can be for funding.
  3. Story-Telling Tools: Filling out forms is the bare minimum. Identifying the story behind your project and telling that story in impactful ways will accelerate your project funding efforts.

 

Want a readiness review? Talk with your Prein&Newhof project manager today! Give us a call at 616-364-8491 to get started.

 

 

November 24, 2025

By Stephanie Potoka

As early as middle school, I knew that math came easily for me. Around that time, my dad showed me an issue of National Geographic pertaining to a rising environmental issue that a relative was studying. This was also in the days of only three TV channels out in the country (four, if we rotated the antennae). So when I was home sick from school, watching the kid-appropriate daytime channel, I discovered a career plan. The show I found, hosted by Jaime Escalante of calculus teaching fame, was about using math in environmental applications. Given my math abilities and growing environmental knowledge, this added up to a concrete and comfortable plan. Was civil engineering on my radar at this point? Not even close. Numbers were too beautiful with their patterns and connections, as evidenced by another lovely TV show of that era, Square One, making the Fibonacci series, tessellations, and code-making both memorable and comprehendible.

As a result, I decided to pursue an undergrad degree in mathematics at Calvin University where some of my classmates were, of course, engineers. I was, however, not pulled into the field yet. My next life choice was grad school for a master’s in industrial and applied mathematics at the University of Minnesota, an introduction to the field of math modeling. Finding this not to be practical enough, I decided to pursue another master’s, this time in civil engineering. Nine years after undergrad, I was the proud holder of two master’s degrees and mom to three. Given the pressures of life, the added constraint of an autoimmune disease, and addition of two more kids, the solution was to spend the next 12 years at home watching construction work in our Chicago and then Grand Rapids neighborhoods with two machine-loving youngsters, while also making time for classroom involvement relating to environmental issues.

Thanks to a civil engineering friend, I started part time at Prein&Newhof as an engineer on the first day that my youngest started full-time school. At the time, I really had no idea what civil engineers did day-to-day, but I happened to land in what P&N considers a “support service,” specifically that of hydraulics and hydrology. To me this is essentially the civil engineering version of industrial and applied modelling all about water, including both water on the landscape and contained within a system of pipes (think drinking water as well as wastewater). There was still a firehose of information, a steep learning curve, and so many questions which my co-workers graciously answered (and continue to answer).

A useful way for me to dive into work was involvement in Water System Reliability Studies. Unbeknownst to the vast population of Michigan residents, communities do this overview examination of their drinking water system every five years. This data-heavy report includes a map of the entire system of watermain, details of storage tanks, pumps, wells, and treatment plants, as well as water-usage related data like total pumping and billing. The other component of the study is flowing hydrants throughout the system, recording the changing pressures and flows, and then bringing the field data back to the office to calibrate the hydraulic model of the system.

To use any computer model, we must trust the reality of its abstraction: that the model does not 100% predict the system, but it gets close enough to be useful. Initial computer models began as text only, simply a list of pipes and associated connections with the program performing all the equation computations of water flow that, for decades, people had done by hand (or slide rule!). Given its ease of use now, with graphics and all, it’s tempting to use the model as a black box with magical answers. Given the iterations of these models that senior professionals have seen, though, we always ask the question “Do the results make sense?” Because sometimes they don’t, and if not, we must find out why. The purpose of the model is to aid in identifying areas of the water distribution system that could use improvement, often with larger diameter pipe or increased pumping capacity. The whole reliability study involves not just the model, spreadsheets, and numbers, but also the fluidity of patterns and connections.

In addition to enjoying the technical components of my job, coming to the profession so late in life has elevated my appreciation of municipal Department of Public Works employees and managers, as well as surveyors, GIS specialists, construction contractors, and all others involved in the work of infrastructure. I always knew that the fundamental building blocks of our first-world luxuries (clean drinking water, treated sanitary sewer systems, roads, bridges, and rainwater management) were taken for granted but had no idea how extensive the work behind them truly is. These building blocks are not perfect, though, as anyone with knowledge of PASER ratings, groundwater contamination, storm water quality, and aging infrastructure would know. There are still uncountably many environmental issues to approach from different angles, but I derive great satisfaction in being part of the integral behind-the-scenes work to maintain and improve infrastructure for local communities. While I now am fully converted to engineer, I am thankful to still be immersed in the beauty of numbers.

October 29, 2025

By John VerPlank, PE

When people come to us with a vision, whether it be a new building, park, or parking lot, they often have a clear idea of what they want to create. What they may not realize is that before any ground can be broken, a lot of invisible groundwork has to happen first. Site design starts long before the first shovel hits the dirt. It begins with understanding the history, limitations, and potential of the land itself.

That early process, often called due diligence or feasibility, is where we help clients turn ideas into informed plans. Whether we’re working with a private business, an architect, or a local township, we start by asking the same questions: Is this site suitable for what you want to build? What challenges might we run into? How can we plan around them before they become costly surprises?

Laying the Groundwork

We understand that many owners want to minimize financial risk early in the project’s process until they’re confident their site is viable. To make the most of that early phase and build an initial understanding of site conditions, we often begin the feasibility study using readily available online resources like wetland, environmental, and soils mapping tools. From there, we request a MISS DIG/One Call design ticket to obtain utility maps and confirm what exists in the project area.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Remediation Information Data Exchange (RIDE) website may provide insight into the property’s history, whether it once hosted a gas station, industrial facility, or landfill that could leave contamination behind. This kind of research, paired with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Survey maps, may help provide initial insight into the existing site conditions. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and ArcGIS mapping are also useful tools to understand the soil type, slopes, and drainage characteristics of the site. These details can help to determine where a building can go, how stormwater will be managed, and how utilities can be routed efficiently.

At the same time, we also verify important regulatory factors. We check zoning and setbacks to confirm that the project fits within local ordinances. We confirm whether public utilities are available and have enough capacity to serve the new development. A complete topographic survey, Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, wetland evaluation, and geotechnical investigation can also be completed during the initial feasibility study. However, these more detailed studies are often reserved until the preliminary results of the feasibility study give us confidence that the site is likely to work for its intended use.

From Information to Imagination

Once we understand the existing conditions, we can start conceptual planning. This is where the fun begins for clients: they get to see their ideas take shape. We develop conceptual layouts that show how a building, parking, access drives, and green space might fit on the property. We also prepare engineer’s probable costs of construction, helping clients understand the investment required. This phase helps us set realistic schedules and coordinate with local agencies for approvals and entitlements.

The process that follows can look a little different depending on the type of client and project. Private developments often move through schematic design, then design development, and finally construction documents, with each step adding more detail and refinement. For municipal clients, the path may be shorter or adjusted depending on funding sources, but the goal is always the same: to design responsibly and efficiently from the start.

One of the most valuable roles of a civil site engineer is assembling the right team to answer every question along the way. No single person has all the expertise required for a complex site. On many projects, we collaborate closely with architects, surveyors, geotechnical engineers, environmental scientists, and construction managers. Everyone brings a different perspective, and together we help clients make well-informed decisions.

A good example of why this early coordination matters happened on a recent project where we discovered groundwater only three feet below the surface during initial investigation. The client had already envisioned a new facility on that site, but the shallow water table created major complications for construction. If not addressed early, it would have caused costly delays and design changes later. Because we were involved from the start, we helped the client bring in the right specialists (environmental consultants, geotechnical engineers, and dewatering experts) to manage the issue effectively. We adjusted the design and construction plan so the project could move forward safely and successfully. That experience reinforced why due diligence isn’t just a box to check but is a safeguard for your vision.

Turning Complexity into Clarity

For many first-time developers or organizations expanding for the first time, this process can seem intimidating. My goal as a site design engineer is to make that process approachable. We take the technical details and translate them into clear options and next steps. Whether we’re preparing a feasibility report or final construction drawings, the heart of our work is partnership. Every successful project I’ve worked on has started with good information and open communication. When we understand the site, respect its limitations, and plan for the unexpected, we set the stage for a smoother construction phase and a better end result. At Prein&Newhof, we believe that engineering isn’t just about solving problems; it’s about anticipating them before they happen. The due diligence process may not be the most visible part of a project, but it’s what makes everything else possible.

If you’re considering a new development or wondering whether your property can support your vision, the best place to start is with a conversation. Every project can benefit from a little time spent understanding the site now to save a lot of time and cost later.