Bessemer to pursue hiring new city manager

By TOM STANKARD

[email protected]

Bessemer — Following a closed session, Ray O’Dea, an area attorney, announced the city of Bessemer will begin seeking a new city manger and will discuss the personnel matters with all attorneys involved in the issue.

At the Dec. 7 meeting, the council voted to buy out former City Manger Michael Uskiewicz’s contract and appointed former Wakefield City Manager Margot Anderson as his replacement, pending Anderson’s acceptance of the position. It was also agreed the council would interview Anderson on Dec. 17.

Since then, city attorney Michael Korpela said Uskiewicz has signed a contract for his severance package and submitted a letter of resignation. Also, he said Anderson has since signed a contract accepting the position as interim city manager. Because Uskiewicz has not received his full severance package, Korpela said at a special meeting Thursday, Dec. 17 that he is still a city employee. Once the council buys out what’s left of his severance package, Korpela said he will no longer be a city employee.

A number of council members think the contracts drawn up are not valid. Since then, the council has held several closed sessions to resolve the issue

At Monday’s meeting, O’Dea said he is going to openly discuss the personnel matters with all of the attorneys involved and the city is going to begin the process of hiring a new city manager.

Moving forward on the agenda, the council agreed to pay the Gogebic Range Solid Waste Authority approximately $6,000 of the $88,811 in bond payments Bessemer allegedly owes the authority.

Linda Nelson, council member, said the authority took out a bond when there were six members on the authority, including Bessemer.

“Sometime” after that, Nelson said the city “switched over” to Eagle Waste and Recycling, of Eagle River, Wis., ultimately leaving the authority.

Nelson said she didn’t know why the city left the authority and doesn’t understand why the city left halfway through a bond.

She said the authority is suing Bessemer because the authority believes Bessemer “can’t get out of the bond” and owes them $88,811.

“We were paying roughly $6,000 a year on this bond,” Nelson said.

Nelson said the authority treats Bessemer like the city is still a member.

“There’s still a seat there at the meetings for the city of Bessemer,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with this, but I think we need to make good on our payment to the authority.”

Robert Coleman, council member, said he agrees.

In other action, the council:

—Tabled to appoint members to the council’s social media team.

—Tabled to hire 90-day employees.

—Approved an ariel map proposal for the Stormwater, Asset Management and Wastewater Grant from Aerocon Photogrammetric Services, Inc. for $44,800.

—Approved to reschedule the Monday, April 4 council meeting to Wednesday, April 6