Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By TOM LAVENTURE
Bessemer — A legislative attempt to reimburse Gogebic County’s ballooning liability with a retirement fund is still a priority, according to reports at the Gogebic County Commission meeting Wednesday.
“We’re doing lots of work in Lansing,” said Justin Kasieta, legislative staff of Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock, was present to update the commission on the activity at the state legislature. He said Markkanen will again introduce legislation to reimburse de-funded grant dollars to Gogebic County to cover retirement legacy costs that have been ballooning since the state required rules changes to the Western Upper Peninsula Manpower Consortium in 2015.
The reimbursement to the six western U.P. counties in the consortium would come from the Michigan Enhancement Grant but it was removed from the general government budget by line item in successive sessions. The fund liability has increased from $330,000 in 2015 to $971,000 in early 2020, and is likely more than $1.3 million at present.
“We are trying to put Gogebic County’s pension fund in the state budget for the third time,” Kasieta said. “We hope that it won’t get vetoed again.”
Juliane Giackino, Gogebic County administrator, said after the meeting that the legislation, though widely supported, was line-item vetoed out of the budget by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the past two sessions. The COVID-19 crisis has complicated many budget related items including the pension fund reimbursement, she said.
“We thought we had it and then COVID,” Giackino said.
Giackino had intended to contact Markkanen and Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, who introduced the legislation, for an update on the coming session. Kasieta’s announcement was the first mention of the topic since the recent budget session.
“At least we know that it’s still on their priority list,” Giackino said.
In her report to the commission, Giackino said that retired county employee Jim Loper will return to his role as the county medical examiner investigator. He held the position previously as well as the former Emergency Management and 911 coordinator.
“It’s an as-needed basis,” Giackino said. “If there is a death then he will get called out.”
The investigator role is more essential now that the county medical examiner, Martin Cristanelli, M.D., of the Dickinson County Health System, will be in Alaska part time in his effort to become a forensic pathologist. There will be times when Cristanelli is not available by phone and while he has made arrangements with funeral homes regarding cremation and death certificates there is an essential role for Loper to serve as a go-between with law enforcement and Cristanelli.
If the investigator finds a suspicious situation then Cristanelli would recommend an autopsy, she said. Autopsies for Gogebic County are currently conducted by Fayez Kotob, M.D., in Houghton County.
There are currently no physicians in Gogebic County who have expressed interest in the medical examiner position, she said. Part of the reason is that there are not enough physicians in Gogebic County which is why Cristanelli was contracted for the work.
In other business, the commission 6-0 approved a letter of support for an Army Corps of Engineers permit that is in favor of the Enbridge Line 5 petroleum pipeline including the proposed replacement tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. Commissioner George Peterson was not present.
Copies of the letter of support are to be sent to Embridge and U.S. Rep. John Bergman, R-Traverse City.
The commission also approved a $1,500 Emergency Preparedness Grant. Another agenda regarding a resolution of support for two feasibility studies with the U.S. Department of Agriculture was not acted on as the presenter, Lawrence Dale, was not present.