Township board approves COVID-19 resolution

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Ironwood Township — With its members all dialing in remotely to a conference call to prevent the need for an in-person gathering, the Ironwood Township Board of Trustees approved a resolution in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic Monday.

The measure temporarily allows township officials to take steps to comply with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order, such as limiting access to the township office building and providing necessary township services through other means. It also included board approval for the township to continue paying regular budgeted expenditures, such as payroll and utility bills.

The order — which was based on examples on the Michigan Township Association’s website — had also proposed canceling township meetings through May, but several board members expressed a desire to continue having meetings remotely rather than cancelling them outright.

“I think it’s really good to keep everybody up to date on what’s happening and what’s going on,” Trustee Marlene Saari-Mieloszyk said.

The resolution does give township officials the ability to cancel meetings if the situation changes further.

Based on the discussion around the resolution, the planned township planning commission meeting scheduled for today is canceled.

In other action:

—The board approved placing the 2019 Gogebic Range Water Authority water quality report and the 2019 city of Ironwood drinking water report on file. The documents are also expected to be posted on the township website.

—Treasurer Maria Graser said the remaining fire numbers had been ordered. Roughly 535 numbers were ordered, according to Graser, at a cost of just under $14,000 as the price of both the signs and the posts they attach to had gone up since the last order was placed. The timeline for installation is somewhat unclear as MISS DIG has limited its operations in response to the pandemic.

—The board authorized the township’s fire department to drive by children’s birthday parties in the township upon request as long as proper social distancing guidelines are being followed. Several other local agencies have begun performing this service during the pandemic as social distancing requirements make it difficult for kids to have normal birthday parties.

—The board also authorized township officials to waive all late fees on utility bills for the months of March, April and May.