County to receive funds for retirement shortfall

By TOM LAVENTURE

tlaventure@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood — Gogebic County has completed all the steps to receive funding for a retirement fund shortfall with the former Western Upper Peninsula Manpower Consortium, according to reports at the Gogebic County Board meeting on Wednesday.

In her report to the board, Juliane Giackino, county administrator, said the process to reimburse the county shortfall funding in the transition from the consortium to Michigan Works! in 2013 that has since increased to $1,101,926 as of the most recent 2019 valuation. The Governor included $1,102,000 in the budget to reimburse the funds in the form of an enhancement grant through the Michigan Economic Development Commission.

The board acted to continue litigation on the 2018 civil case against the consortium member counties to recover additional funds on Wednesday. The $1,102,000 will go toward reducing the county’s exposure but will not eliminate it, Giackino said.

In a second executive session item the commissioners emerged to accept a $19,713.33 settlement offer in the Markovic vs Gogebic County case. The county will still continue litigation in the matter with the state of Michigan.

In a second executive session item the commissioners emerged to accept a $19,713.33 settlement offer in the Markovic vs. Gogebic County case. The county will still continue litigation in the matter with the state of Michigan.

The commissioners approved a post-project document for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.The document acknowledges that the county has control of an MDNR easement for the Iron Belle Trail segment between Bessemer and Ramsay, on lands owned by the city of Bessemer and Bessemer Township. 

The declaration states that the county developed the property, in part, with grant funds from the MDNR Trust Fund, and as a condition of the grant, agrees to impose certain restrictions to ensure the long term conservation of of the property, including MDNR consent prior to conveyance of rights or interest in the property to another entity.

Paul Anderson, a project manager with Coleman Engineering Company, said the action is redundant in that the board already made a similar action when the process began, but that this formality was required to conclude the process for the state to reimburse the county the $150,000 that was spent on the trail project.

The board approved the 2021 committee appointments for commissioners James Lorenson, James Byrns, Dan Siirila, Tom Laabs, Joe Bonovetz, Bob Orlich and George Peterson, and other county officials.

—Gogebic-Iron County Airport Board: Byrns, Siirila, Lorenson

—Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Region: Bonovetz, Lorenson 

—Western Upper Peninsula Health Department: Byrns, Siirila,

—UPCAP Area Agency on Aging: Bonovetz

—UPWARD Talent Council: Bonovetz

—Land Bank Authority: Laabs, Orlich

—Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency: Bonovetz

—Continuum of Care: Bonovetz

—Soil Conservation District: Byrns

—Northcare Network Board: Bonovetz

—Liaison to the Gogebic Chapter of the Michigan Township Association: Lorenson

—Section 32 Wastewater Authority: Bonovetz, Orlich, Siirila

—Gogebic County Transit Board: Bonovetz, Orlich

—L.E.P.C .: Lorenson

—H.O.P.E. Board: Laabs

—F.E.M.A .: Lorenson

—U.P. Fair Authority: Lorenson

—911 Committee: Byrns

—Gogebic Range Broadband Committee: Bonovetz

—U.P. Resource Conservation and Development Council: Byrns

—Committee for Technology: Heidi DeRosso, Juliane Giackino, Brandon Tower, Siirila

—Economic Development and Capital Improvements: Byrns, Siirila, Lorenson

—Dr. Stephen Fortunato Dal Pra and Colleen Dal Pro Education Award Committee: Bonovetz

—Personnel and Negotiations/Committee of the Whole: Siirila, Bonovetz

—Ambulance Committee: Burns, Lorenson, Peterson

—Forestry and Parks Commission: Peterson, Lorenson

—Finance, Budgeting and Auditing Board: Peterson

—Gogebic County Fair Board: Lorenson, Byrns

—Forestry and Parks, Siirila, Orlich

—911 Authority: Heidi DeRosso