Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
Ironwood — On a split vote, the Ironwood City Commission approved an ordinance Monday designed to keep heavy truck traffic off McLeod Avenue and Ayer Street.
The ordinance passed on 3-1 vote, with commissioner David Sim opposed and Rick Semo absent.
It was supported by Mayor Kim Corcoran and commissioners Brandon Tauer and Joseph Cayer Jr.
The ordinance was opposed by several business owners and the Ironwood Industrial Development Corporation.
Keith Johnson, president of the IIDC, said both McLeod and Ayer were designed as Class A roads, built to accommodate larger vehicles. He said the ordinance is too restrictive and “...will negatively impact residents of the industrial park and the long-term expansion of the park.”
But Ironwood Public Safety Department Director Andrew DiGiorgio said the big trucks should use U.S. 2 and there are two entrance points to the industrial park. He said there have been many citizen complaints in recent years about the trucks driving through town on McLeod and Ayer, including residential neighborhoods.
The damage that the big rigs cause to the road surface was also a key factor in the vote.
City manager Scott Erickson said about 90 percent of city streets are now in good condition and the ordinance is “one tool” to keep them that way.
Tauer said truck routes through a city are nothing new and said the ordinance is balanced.
David McDonald, an attorney, called it a “half-baked” ordinance and suggested the commission delay taking action on it until the U.S. 2 reconstruction is completed.
Sim said he’d like to see a plan that everyone could support.
Tauer said the ordinance isn’t set in stone and could be tweaked.
About 20 people attended the meeting specifically for the ordinance issue.
In other business Monday, the city commission:
—Awarded a bid to Midwest Instrumentation LLC for five sewer flow meters for $16.405, to be covered by a grant.
—Approved a final payment for playground equipment to Penchura, Superior Play, for $2,630 for Longyear Park playground equipment.
—Approved a final payment of $1,152 to Ross Peterson Construction, of Hurley, for construction at the Art Park.
—Approved final payment of $8,328 to Lindquist Electric, of Ironwood, for the City Centre electrical improvements, with funding to be provided by the City Centre Building Improvement Fund.
—Agreed to pay Fahrner Asphalt Sealers, of Ironwood, a final payment of $20,021 for 2015 pavement markings.
