Ontonagon approves budget for fiscal year

ONTONAGON — The Ontonagon Village Council approved the 2019-2020 budget which is approximately $1 million less than last year.

Total revenues and expenses in the new budget balance are at $3,266,245. The budget is significantly less than the previous one because of the number of grants and projects that were completed in the 2018-19 term. The grants and Ontonagon pass-through projects completed were a SAW grant, water telemetry project and other planned work.

Ontonagon Village Manager Joe Erickson said one street project is on tap in the new budget. That will be construction work on Pebble Beach Drive. He expects the cost of that project to be about $75,000.

The village council approved setting the millage rate at 11 mills, which is the same as the previous budget. Another motion, approved by the council is to adopt the line item budget and “directs the staff” to be “prudent in spending public funds.”

In other action, the council:

— Signed a contract with the Ontonagon Area School to provide the school with a lease to the bus garage at the old Greenland School, now owned by the village. The school will pay the village $250 per month on a month-to-month basis continuing indefinitely.

— Reappointed Maureen Guzek to the Ontonagon Village Housing Commission.

— And passed a resolution to establish a policy and create rules for recording public meetings.

— And also heard praise of the village DPW and their work on snow removal during the heavy snow storms in the area this winter.

—Jan Tucker