City approves fencing bids

By TOM LAVENTURE

[email protected]

Ironwood — The city commission approved authorizing bids for fencing in Miners Memorial Heritage Park at its regular meeting on Monday.

The fencing will also include the Jessieville elevated water storage tank — the one with the smiley face, said Scott Erickson, city manager. The project has been in the capital improvement plan for a few years, he said.

Commissioner Rick Semo, who is also president of the Friends of the Miners Park, said the funding for the fencing was generated from previous easement agreements to establish the park.

The commissioners 4-1 approved authorizing a 2021 pavement chip seal project to be included with the Gogebic County Road Commission chip seal project bids. Commissioner Joseph Cayer voted against authorizing the $60,000 bid process.

The commissioners 5-0 approved authorizing bids for the 2021 pavement mill and overlay project on McLeod Avenue from Silver Street to Lowell Street to include some 2020 areas that were delayed due to the pandemic. 

The $400,000 project is budgeted to include some available general funds, Erickson said. The work will include areas of Ayer Street that were not completed in 2020, along with Liberty Street in the industrial park. 

A work session prior to the regular meeting on the topic of COVID-19 sick time policy for city employees resulted in the commissioners asking city staff to form a draft proposal with criteria based on workshop discussion. The purpose was to update the current sick time policy for COVID-19 that was approved after the city’s declaration of an essential worker exemption from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act last spring. 

Commissioner Kim Corcoran, mayor pro tem, recommended that the draft policy include time frames, potential hours to be utilized, criteria or qualifications to be considered, and a clause of alternatives to continue working through the pandemic. 

In other business, the commissioners approved:

—The city’s six-year Capital Improvement Plan. The plan is available for review at cityofironwood.org/community-development.

—The mayor’s appointment of Michael Meyer to the Ironwood Economic Development Corporation for a six year term expiring Oct. 31, 2027.

—Contractors payment No. 6 ($4,890.07) for work performed on the Downtown City Square Project. Funds remain for final items to be completed in the spring.

—Second loan payment extension for the Historic Ironwood Theatre as a pandemic impact request from the HIT Board.

—Authorizing bids for the installation of a children’s play structure at the Lowell and Midland street intersection on property donated by Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church.

—Taking no action on a request to waive a $35.89 property tax late fee from a South Curry Street resident.