Bessemer council hears complaints

By CHARITY SMITH

csmith@yourdailyglobe.com

Bessemer — A hotel owner complained at the Bessemer City Council meeting Monday night about the Michigan Department of Transportation and the city’s “incredible lack of communication” with residents and businesses that will be affected by the upcoming U.S. 2 and water and sewer projects.

Robert Avery, owner of Bluff’s Inn, located at 707 W. Lead St. (U.S. 2), told the council that while he was aware the project would affect his business, he was unaware of the gravity of it until Monday afternoon. He said an MDOT official came to his door and informed him that starting Tuesday a temporary lane will be put in on U.S. 2 to allow for construction on the westbound lanes, which will make the highway 11 feet closer to his building, meaning the highway will run through his parking lot.

“Putting the highway closer to us had never been mentioned,” Avery said. “With a project of this size, more effort should have been put forth to work with and keep informed those most affected by all that will be taking place.”

Avery said he had spoken with city manager Charly Loper prior to the meeting and found out that she was unaware of how the easements would specifically affect his businesses and now believes the council wasn’t either.

“These are things we were totally unaware of and MDOT obviously — I think — dropped the ball a little bit,” said councilman Rob Coleman.

Mayor Adam Zak said MDOT “does their own thing.” He said they do all their own door knocking and sending of letters.

“As far as lane configuration, and right of ways, and how they’re going to do it and how they’re going to do traffic flow, they (MDOT) have not told us anything,” Zak said. “As far as road configuration and how that’s going to work, that is all MDOT and what they want to do ... . I hate to say it, but that’s just how they operate.”

Loper told Avery that she will be attending weekly MDOT meetings regarding the project and will be able to address these concerns.

Avery also expressed concerns with the effects of the water and sewer project on his property.

Darren Pionk, project manager with C2AE told the Daily Globe that he had spoken with Avery and that his concerns were with a water main that runs underneath the hotel. Pionk said they were looking to put the line into an easement away from the building, but Avery has concerns about his trees and landscaping.

Pionk said that they are looking at options to save Avery’s trees and landscaping.

Jim Whittinghill a representative of Republic Services, the city’s waste disposal company, came to the meeting to address an issue with residents being unable to receive trash cans. The trash receptacles were free last year briefly after the city renewed its contract and all residents became mandated to pay for garbage services.

Whittinghill said that he will make sure Phil Sala — who complained at the last meeting about not getting his cans for free — will get his cans for free. However, when Sala asked for a credit for the billed garbage service when he didn’t have the cans, he was told that was not possible by both the city and Republic. The city said if Sala had come sooner to them, the situation might have been able to have been resolved a year ago. Sala said that was because he does not have internet and the city was meeting online only, so he was unable to come sooner.

The council also approved a noise ordinance exception for Jake’s Excavating to allow them to start fueling at 6 a.m. and working between 6:30 and 7 a.m.