Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By TOM STANKARD
Bessemer — Ther Bessemer City Council agreed on Monday to offer the city manager position to Charly Loper, of Anaconda, Mont.
Over the course of several weeks, the city council has conducted numerous interviews.
“We are very pleased with the individuals that did apply, “Mayor Kathy Whitburn said. “We had really great quality applicants.”
After evaluating their options, the council agreed Loper is the right person for the job, Whitburn said. Loper has tentatively accepted the position, pending review of the contract.
With that, the council approved the final version of the contract and will submit it to Loper so she can make her final decision.
“We’re really excited to have Loper join our team,” Whitburn said.
C2AE Project Manager Chuck Lawson said six bids were received for the Bessemer Gogebic Range Water Authority Water and Wastewater System Improvements project. The two lowest bids were from Ruotsala Construction, with a bid of $3,832,286, and Snow Country Contracting, with a bid of $4,520,792.
After reviewing their bids, Lawson said C2AE found there were a number of irregularities. However, Lawson said C2AE is very familiar with Snow Country Contracting and believes they are fully capable of completing the project and recommended the council waive the irregularities of SCC’s bid. With that, the council awarded the project to Snow Country Contracting, of Bessemer.
Moving forward, the council requested the Gogebic Range Water Authority award the balance of the work to Snow Country Contracting as well. Council member Al Gaiss thanked C2AE for analyzing the bids.
With regret, the city council accepted Sue Mitchem’s resignation as chairperson of the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee.
In a letter to the council, Mitchem said it’s very difficult to have any kind of impact when, at most, the committee is given $1,000 annually.
“My volunteers over the years have given freely of their time in hauling materials, donating plants, clearing brush and doing what they could for very little,” she said.
Whitburn thanked Mitchem for all her work. Council Member John Frello recommended Marlene Zaleski take her place and the council agreed.
City Attorney Michael Korpela urged the council via letter to review the Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act recently signed by Governor Rick Snyder.
In the letter, he said the council will have to consider and make a decision on a number of issues related to the control of commercial facilities by local governments, including:
—Whether the city should have any commercial facilities described by the law.
—What grade or type of facility the city shall have.
—The number of facilities the city shall have.
—Where the facilities will be located, as determined by zoning.
After much discussion, the council voted against advertising to fill the vacant city water operator position.
In other action, the council:
—Approved the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency’s request to be considered on the city’s 2016-17 general fund in the amount of $1,200.