GRWA readies for Wakefield decision

RAMSAY — As the city of Wakefield prepares for a decision on assuming control of the Indianhead Water system, the board of the current operator, Gogebic Range Water Authority, sought to learn more about the option at its virtual meeting on March 11.

G Jean Verbos, water authority administrator, presented details of the Indianhead Water system to the board. This included a description of the customer base by meter size, commodity rate, readiness to serve rate, debt retirement and a profit and loss statement.

There will be a more in depth discussion at the April meeting that will now be in person at the Bessemer Township Hall in Ramsay, Verbos said. The members will discuss what the changes would mean for the water authority, Verbos said, and that she will discuss the necessity of reducing the number of bonds, customers and water systems for more efficient management of the water authority.

“My goal is to simplify the GRWA administrator position by reducing the workload for the person that takes over when I retire,” Verbos said.

The information was requested by Dale White, the water authority vice chair who is also mayor of the city of Wakefield. He said the information at the March 11 meeting will assist the city council in making an informed decision regarding the water system.

The city will make its decision before the water authority meeting in April, White said.

In other business, the water authority approved an agreement with Bessemer Township to transfer 20 water customers in the Blackjack Mountain resort area over to the township. The water authority and the township have both now approved the agreement to finalize the process.

The water authority approved the water utility construction project final settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, C2AE, the city of Bessemer and Snow Country Contracting, Inc. The agreement, which is contingent upon approval of the other parties, would leave the water authority liable for $201,421 to the contractor, which is also the amount remaining in the UDSA bond.

In a related action the water authority approved a $26,980 change order for the utility construction project that was described as an adjustment to reflect field conditions. The change order constitutes the final resolution and indemnification of claims in the agreement and the board approved the certificate of substantial completion.

The water authority also approved:

—Payment of $17,427 in claims and $57,910 toward USDA Loan 91-31 for the city of Bessemer Revenue Bond principal and interest payment.

—Adding the practice of using a coin toss to settle a tie vote, if agreed by nominees, for election of board officers to the GRWA bylaws.