Wakefield city, township officials address waning populations

By P.J. GLISSON

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Wakefield - While discussing a draft of their pending master plan on Tuesday evening, Wakefield Township officials learned that the population of Gogebic County is projected to drop by 12.3% between 2020 and 2045.

Jerry Wuorenmaa, executive director of the Western U.P. Planning and Development Region, presented the statistics from the state of Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.

Wuorenmaa stated in his report that the county population already dropped 9.3% from 15,342 in 2017 to a projected 13,914 in 2020, mostly due to the closing of Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco a year ago.

During the next quarter century, that drop is expected to continue here with a loss of 200-300 people every five years. The projected county population for 2045 is 12,199.

Wuorenmaa was addressing a joint meeting of the Wakefield Township Board of Trustees and the Wakefield Township Planning Commission.

In summarizing the master plan that WUPPDR has drafted for the township, Wuorenmaa suggested three goals for the township:

1. Mitigate the shrinking population, which includes a higher than average percentage of elderly citizens. Wuorenmaa suggested attracting new residents with home-based entrepreneurship or homeownership advantages.

2. Pursue new economic opportunity, such as a hotel/casino combination, which has been discussed for Big Snow Resort's Indianhead Mountain, or via solar industry, etc.

3. Enhance public services and neighborhoods, such as by reducing blight, improving roads, and collaborating with the city of Wakefield.

Meanwhile, in the city limits several miles away, the Wakefield Planning Commission was discussing the same issues in relation to its own pending master plan.

"There're communities that have turned themselves around," said City Manager Rob Brown, citing a town in Massachusetts that doubled its population in 10 years with the help of home-based employment.

"We need to identify what we want to look for," he said, adding that the "city proper" already has the advantage of high-speed internet.

Moreover, he said, "I've had three people approach me wanting to open up a business, and the first question is 'What can you do for me?" and the answer is 'Nothing'" because the city now has no economic incentives to offer new businesses.

Mayor Dale White added that it is difficult for people to purchase fast-food franchises due to the exorbitant expense. He said one such system demands liquid assets of $300,000 to set up shop.

"I don't foresee it in the near future," he said.

On the other hand, said Brown, creating a downtown development group could help to get the ball rolling on various new business.

At the township meeting, Wuorenmaa emphasized the power of collaboration among city and township officials. He suggested occasional joint meetings and perhaps a combined "brand."

"We've got a really good relationship," said township Chairman John Cox, who said the city is "moving forward" and commended Brown for already having attended several township meetings in the past year.

Trustees Jim Spencer and Jerry Niemi also recommended promoting area bike trails and "water trails" as a means of attracting additional tourists.

Wuorenmaa concluded that tourism itself should be respected for representing more potential than the visitors who support local restaurants and hotels in passing. "Tourism isn't just about tourism," he said. "It's also about picking off some of those people and getting them to come live here."