Grant to cover most of eyesore demolition costs

By RALPH ANSAMI

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Ironwood — Around 80 percent of the funding for five demolition projects approved Monday night by the Ironwood City Commission will come from a grant.

The commission approved Snow Country Contracting for all of the eyesore removal projects, as follows: 142 Rowe St., $15,049; 340 E. Pine St., $26,083; 249 E. Ash St., $20,883; 433 Shale Road, $21,819; 431 Shale Road, $32,146.

Snow Country knocked off $6,300 from the 431 Shale Rd. demolition because it received both Shale Road bids and the work will be in the same vicinity.

Of the five projects, $96,549 will be covered by a Hardest Hit grant, with the city to foot the bill for the other approximate 20 percent of the costs.

City building inspector Dennis Hewitt outlined the project costs and savings for commissioners.

In other business Monday, the commission set a Monday, Aug. 28, 5:25 p.m. public hearing on blight at 122 Luxmore St.

City code enforcement officer Jason Alonen said the blight situation has been getting worse there this summer.

City Manager Scott Erickson told commissioners the city saved quite a bit of money when the department of public works recently razed structures that had burned on Hemlock Street and South Range Road.

Erickson said because the city has been improving its infrastructure, the DPW employees now have more time to tackle extra projects, such as razing the burned-out structures.

Commissioners approved a request to seek bids to rehabilitate Well 202 at the city’s pump station. It’s the third well there to be rehabilitated, according to city utilities director Bob Tervonen.

Bob Richards, who heads the DPW, said two wells were struck by lightning recently and Well 204 had to receive emergency repairs from Binz Brothers Well Drilling for $11,921, as the electrical component was fried.

The commission approved that payment.