Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
city assessor Melissa Prisbe addresses the Bessemer City Council Monday evening regarding the errors and omissions from the Board of Review before the scheduled city council meeting.
By IAN MINIELLY
Bessemer - The Bessemer city council agreed to table the discussion on ordinances regarding the regulation of medical marijuana under the 2016 law until the next meeting so an ordinance regarding odor could be added to the proposed ordinances. The room was full but anyone looking for a decision on marijuana will have to wait.
In other notable news, as discussed at a prior meeting, the city council provided a live stream through Facebook of the meeting.
The council agreed to a $37, 489 change to the water and sewer improvement project based on the necessity to repair whole road in the Yale area of Bessemer and not just where the water and sewer lines run. According to C2AE, the contractor for the work the project is on schedule and on budget and should finish up the work on the south side of U.S. 2 by Sept. 25, which is expected to allow work on the north side of U.S. 2 to commence.
The city council established Oct. 4 as the date for a public hearing on the Master Plan, but the council will be addressed on the plan Aug. 21. Al Gaiss said, "The Master Plan provides a vision of the future."
The council agreed to catch up the retirement fund with an additional $1,400 payment now, which, according to city manager Charly Loper would pay off in the long run with additional interest and small payments in the future.
The city also agreed to accept the bid of Upper Peninsula Abatement for $2,650 to remove lead and asbestos from some city owned properties before the city demolishes them.
Loper informed the council there is a problem with the sub-contracted paver for the cities roads. The state has not reimbursed the city, which has therefore been unable to make a $21,000 payment to Snow Country Contracting, who has therefore not paid the paver the $7,000 that is owed them for prior work done. The council submitted the paperwork last September; but the state, according to Loper, is slow-rolling many municipalities across the state and throwing many cities into upheaval regarding the inability to pay for contracted work.
Loper suggested the city take $7,000 from the water fund to pay Snow Country so they can pay the sub-contractor. When the state finally repays the city the water fund would be made whole. The council agreed as the city is nearing the end of the work season and there are areas in Bessemer desperately in need of the paving this would allow.
Residents can expect their water and sewer rates to climb in the future to pay for the replacement of the lines under U.S. 2. The city wants to make the swap during the MDOT scheduled repaving in 2021 and the city needs to raise money to pay their portion of the replacement. This money will come in the shape of an additional dollar on the sewer portion of the bill and an additional five dollars on the water portion, starting in 2021.
