Effort ends to reduce Water Authority board size

By TOM LAVENTURE

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Ramsay — An effort to reduce the size of the Gogebic Range Water Authority Board ended after opposition from municipality members led to removing the action from consideration at its regular meeting Thursday.

The municipalities represented on the water authority include the charter township of Ironwood, and the townships of Bessemer and Wakefield, and the cities of Bessemer and Wakefield. Each municipality has two or three members plus alternates and the Water Authority proposed a five-member board with a representative from each municipality as a more efficient way of conducting business.

In order to reduce the Water Authority board all member municipalities must support the change through their city or town councils. One municipality not in support is enough to stop the action.

The city councils of Bessemer and Wakefield sent letters and meeting minutes reflecting opposition to the board reduction. A third communication from Bessemer Township said the council was in support of the change.

Water Authority Administrator G. Jean Verbos, said the work to incorporate a board reduction size would not move forward. She said work will continue to revise the board bylaws to assist in board operation and efficiency. 

The Water Authority 10-0 approved the Blackjack water main emergency repair contract to Hebert Construction for $83,768. Hebert Construction was on the site conducting a bridge replacement when workers driving sheet pilings struck a water main in late June. 

The Water Authority was not the owner of the water line when it was constructed in 1983. The consulting engineer said at a previous meeting that the water main was at least 13 feet off from the original installation drawings where it crossed the stream at the bridge which is why it was struck by the pilings.

Answering questions of the board, Verbos said there was no time for a project bid process. The Water Authority was satisfied that the necessity for an emergency repair and having Hebert Construction equipment already on site would be the least expensive and timely course of action, she said.

“If we could do this ourselves then we would but we don’t have the equipment,” Verbos said. “This will be cheaper and quicker.”

Verbos said all permits but one have been approved and the third Inland Lakes and Streams permit to cross the river is being reviewed by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Hebert Construction will hire a third party to conduct the boring under the stream. The line crossing distance is approximately 330 feet.

In other business, the water authority tabled a request from Verbos to transfer 20 customers from the Blackjack Water System to the Bessemer Township system. The customer properties exist within Bessemer Township and the transfer would create less administrative and maintenance work for customers representing about $2,300 in quarterly revenue. It would also help to adjust the sampling size requirements for water testing, she said.

Bessemer city manager Charly Loper, who was present as an alternate water authority member, said the board should have more information on the details of what will occur with the transition before making the decision. The board approved tabling the action 10-0.