Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By TOM LAVENTURE
Bessemer — The Gogebic County Commission members elected Jim Lorenson as board chair during an annual reorganizational meeting on Monday.
The commissioners approved Lorenson as chair 6-1. He was the sole nominee by fellow commissioner George Peterson. Commissioner Tom Laabs was the lone no vote.
Lorenson replaces previous commission chair Dan Siirila, who continues to serve as the District 1 county commissioner.
“Thank you for your support,” Lorenson said to his fellow commissioners. “I will do the best that I can.”
Lorenson won his first election as a commissioner in November. He was first appointed to the District 4 seat in February 2019 to fill the vacancy of Joann Balduc, who resigned for health reasons and passed away that April.
Lorenson nominated commissioner James Byrns to continue serving as board vice-chair. There were no other nominations and Byrns was approved 7-0.
The commission approved correspondence to include a reply from Nicholas Jacobs, Gogebic County prosecutor and corporate counsel, regarding a legal review of the county commission’s action at the previous meeting to approve an Interlocal Agreement between the county and Equalization Director Kathy Jo Koval, for additional services as the designated assessor. The letter said the state required action of the board was appropriate and that the commission chair could sign the agreement.
A second correspondence from Jacobs stated that the Gogebic County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority could legally reduce its membership from nine to seven. The review noted that authority bylaws state that the board membership shall consist of no fewer than five nor more than nine members.
Lorenson suggested contacting the redevelopment authority to notify them that county commission action is not required for that body to reduce its board size. However, the legal review indicated that redevelopment authority action is required to reduce its board size, and to provide notice of board vacancies that will renew after expiring current terms to the personnel committee.
Commissioner Joe Bonovetz presented his fellow commissioners with a list of suggestions to consider accomplishing over the next two years.
“We go through items and we don’t always see a conclusion on them,” Bonovetz said.
The list included a lawsuit with five other member counties that was an alternative approach to recouping a growing legacy cost liability with the 2015 transition from the Western Upper Peninsula Manpower Consortium to Michigan Works!. The Michigan Legislature recently approved funding to cover the shortfall in the county retirement fund.
Other matters he said need to be resolved include wage scale irregularities within some county departments; a 10% medical insurance share cost burden for county employees; the ambulance millage to meet escalating cost increases, and ensuring the future availability of the Delinquent Tax Revolving Fund.
“I think those five things are just hints that we should keep in mind over the next two years,” Bonovetz said.
In other business, the county commission approved:
—Adopting Robert’s Rules of Order as parliamentary procedure and appointing Nicholas Jacobs as the county commission parliamentarian.
—Adopting a voting location policy for the board.
—The regular meeting schedule of the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m., and the county commission finance meeting on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 4:30 p.m.
—Receiving communications from Tracy Lektzian, office manager of the Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress in Escanaba, requesting that the county commission appoint a representative to the Upper Peninsula State Fair Authority for a two year appointment by Jan. 15; and to appoint a representative to the Upper Peninsula 911 Authority Board for a three year appointment by Jan. 10.
—An investment and deposit policy resolution required by the state of Michigan, which authorizes Lisa Hewitt, county treasurer, to deposit all public funds that flow through the office of county treasurer. The resolution also requires all deposits to be made into a legal depository that is permitted under state laws.
