Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Bessemer — The Bessemer city council voted Monday evening to pass an ordinance to prohibit zoning in relation to the enterprise of recreational marijuana.
The unanimous vote followed the second reading of Ordinance No. 372, as well as a public hearing in which no comments were offered.
The council already had voted previously to prohibit marijuana enterprise, but city manager Charly Loper then had recommended also passing a separate, related zoning ordinance on the basis of legal opinion.
In another unanimous vote, the council also funded a three-year contract for assessor Melissa Prisbe in the amount of $23,256 per year, which is based on a rate of $14 per parcel, along with $1,500 for data processing, etc.
“All of the neighborhoods and land value tables need to be redone as the current ones are problematic and hard to analyze,” noted Prisbe in a written statement to the city.
Prisbe added that other materials, such as record cards, also need updating, and she said the parcel rate is in line with regional assessing fees.
“Melissa has done an incredible job with our community, and I can’t be more pleased,” stated Loper in recommending the new contract, which amounts to an annual raise of $4,266.
In other news, Loper reported that the city received a mini-marketing grant of $8,000 from the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region, thanks to $2,000 in matching funds from the downtown development authority.
Loper said the funds will cover six marketing videos designed to attract urban residents here. She said some of the funds also will fund the creation of signs to explain the city’s pop-up shop program, as well as updates to business and tourism sections on the city’s website and other social media needs.
Loper thanked members of the Be Bessemer committee, formerly known as the branding committee, for helping to write the WUPPDR grant and for related “brainstorming.”
The council also:
—Voted to accept an offer of $1 from Keith Clements to purchase an abandoned property at 1807 Palms Road with the stipulation that the existing structure there be removed by July of 2020. Clements, who lives at 1805 Palms Road, said he is aiming for demolition this summer.
—Determined that a committee consisting of mayor Adam Zak, council member Terry Kryshak and Loper will review candidates for the newly advertised part-time position of code enforcement officer after the application due date on April 26.
—Voted to pass resolution No. 2017-28, which designates Zak, mayor pro tempore Allen Archie and Loper, respectively, to sign agreements regarding the Municipal Employees Retirement System.
The council will meet next on April 29 at 6 p.m. in the second-floor council room of the Bessemer City Hall.