Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Wakefield — After a public hearing Monday, the Wakefield City Council unanimously passed its 2018-2019 fiscal budget, which totals nearly $5 million.
The brief hearing specifically allowed commentary on a millage increase of 0.3114, which the council passed to facilitate coverage of about $462,149 in the general fund and $46,862 in the Wakefield Public Library fund, for a total of $509,011.
The projected budget includes $1,155,965 for the general fund; $1,480,425 for the electric fund; and $1,256,286 for the sewer, water and garbage funds.
It also includes $516,300 for local and major highways and streets; $304,200 for the motor pool fund; $99,617 for the library; and $34,397 for Lakeside Cemetery.
City assessor Melissa Prisbe shared details on the millage, and city treasurer Sherry Ravelli also was available for questions.
During the hearing, Wakefield resident Bob Blaskowski asked whether deferred management costs were included in the budget. “I haven’t seen any budget where that’s factored in,” he said.
Blaskowski warned of the “inverse square law,” which can result in catch-up costs being much more expensive than when problems are corrected early.
City manager Richard Brackney said the budget is available for inspection through the office of city clerk Sue Ahonen in the municipal building.
In other business, the council rejected a request from the electric department to contract out the replacement of about 50 utility poles (including all line transfers) at a cost of $1,500 to $2,000 per pole as estimated by Hooper Construction in Madison.
Mayor John Granato said contracting out electrical work should be done “only in an emergency.”
Council member Kay Wiita strongly agreed and added that she’d been questioning for several years why the city even needs three employees in the electric department when only were two were employed in previous times.
“Where is this in our budget?” asked council member Pat Mann, who also frowned upon any prospective contract work.
The council unanimously passed Mann’s motion to ask electrical workers to install six poles on their own before the next council meeting on June 25.
In a Tuesday phone call with the Globe, Brackney said he did not know why the number six was chosen.
He said he will aim to have the electric department install the poles, which he already possesses, but he said progress will depend upon weather and other city needs.
Brackney said he also did not understand why council members were taking such a decision into their own hands. “They are supposed to be establishing policies, not directing the work force,” he said.
Mann also reminded the council of her March 12 request for Brackney to submit priorities regarding the city’s five-year capital improvement plan.
“I’d like to see the council establish some priorities,” said Brackney, who previously had distributed an informal list of city needs.
“We need input from you,” said Mann, who added he knows more than council members about the issues.
“I respectfully disagree,” said Brackney. “You should know what your community wants.”
“We have to ink something down on paper,” said Granato, who stressed such details must be in writing in order to apply for grants.
Mann’s motion for the city manager to produce a plan by the council’s first meeting in July passed unanimously.
After the meeting, Brackney said he might suggest a city workshop on the matter.
The council also:
— Heard Mann’s concerns about progress on the new storage room in the municipal building. Brackney said related asbestos abatement is moving forward, but agreed with Mann’s request to schedule the room as “unfinished business” on future agendas until the work is complete.
— Voted to forgive past year totals of delinquent utilities from 17 accounts ($11,138) considered “uncollectable.”
— Voted to file an Olson Road waterline replacement that runs into Wakefield township. Granato said the city has “more critical” issues than this proposed $125,000 cost and suggested a spreadsheet of collective needs to apply toward related grant applications.
— Heard concerns from Brackney that residents are placing inappropriate decorations such as rocks, glass containers, shepherd hooks and plantings on cemetery grounds, posing obstacles and safety issues for workers maintaining the property. He said residents should review cemetery rules because “it’s getting a little out of control.”
— Voted to authorize the energy collective in which the city is a member to seek prices to meet energy capacity requirements as dictated by the state’s public service commission. Brackney said the aim is to cover energy capacity through the city’s current contract with AEP through the mid-2020s.
— Voted to grant a request by Marcia Jurakovich to close Hancock Street between Brotherton and Smith streets on July 3 for a block party, and to approve a related traffic control order.
— Voted to purchase an additional raft at a cost of $1,200 for use on Eddy Park’s Sunday Lake.
The next meeting of the city council will take place on June 25 in council chambers in the municipal building. It will begin with a closeout public hearing on Michigan Community Development Block Grant funding for the city.
