Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By TOM LAVENTURE
Bessemer — The Gogebic County Courthouse elevator will soon undergo repairs after breakdowns over the summer left people briefly stuck between floors.
The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on Thursday 7-0 approved a recommendation from the Economic Development and Capital Improvement Committee to authorize a $34,682 bid to Otis Elevator Company. According to meeting minutes, the committee found the repairs to be necessary immediately as it is the only elevator in the building.
County Administrator Juliane Giackino, who has updated the county board on the elevator status over a couple of years, said the proposal approved by the board is modified from the original proposal.
The approved repair includes a new power unit, positive displacement pump, motor, integral four-coil control valve, oil tank and muffler. The original 2019 proposal would have cost $140,000 to include modernizing the cab portion of the elevator and would require an architect, along with additional components that were required by the state elevator inspector.
The action was amended when Commissioner Dan Siirila recommended that a $7,500 cost be included as an add-on to an alleyway chip seal project to include rebuilding a low spot that was allowing water into a county building basement that presented a hazard to electrical components. As a separate project the costs could reach $16,000, he said.
The county board also approved a second Economic Development and Capital Improvement Committee recommendation to seek a cost estimate for a study that identifies the major maintenance repairs and associated estimated costs for county-owned facilities.
According to James Lorenson, county board chair, the plan is to develop five-year capital improvement assessments for county buildings in order to plan repairs in the most efficient and effective manner. The goal is to eliminate the piecemeal spending as repairs are made with no long term prevention.
“The professionals lead us because we can’t lead them,” said Commissioner Joe Bonovetz, regarding long term building maintenance planning.
The action was modified 7-0 to include a recommendation from Bonovetz that the capital improvement bids be paid from the $150,000 reimbursement to the county from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to build the Iron Belle Trail segment between Bessemer and Ramsay.
The board approved a request of the Gogebic County Forestry and Parks Commission to apply for a DNR Recreation Passport grant that would be used to renovate the Lake Gogebic County Park playground.
Greg Ryskey, director of the forestry and parks department, said the grant application guidelines required a county board agenda item listing and an approved resolution of support. The forestry and parks department has matching funds already budgeted for the grant if approved, he said.
The project is part of an effort to increase park and playground use during the day hours, Ryskey said. The park is mostly used by campers and more day use is possible by adding green space in the park along with an improved playground, he said.
The county board approved a request of Lorenson to create a standardized form for all boards, committees and commissions to report member attendance at meetings. He said the need arose after discovering that members who were late for meetings were not being paid a per diem for attendance.
Ramona Collins, clerk of court and register of deeds, said that some boards and committees use an attendance sheet. Others report attendance within the meeting minutes that are submitted to the county, she said.
Bonovetz said the situation is that some meetings last for hours and others last just 15 minutes. If someone comes in late for a brief meeting then they likely have not participated in discussion or taken action on agenda items.
Lorenson said that virtual attendance also complicated the meeting attendance matter.
Collins said the county Forestry and Parks Commission has the most complete meeting form for attendance. The board approved the form to be adopted for use by all boards, committees and commissions.
