Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
BESSEMER — The City Council of Bessemer is reaching out to encourage membership in three of its sub-groups that help to keep the town running effectively.
A total of five vacancies now exist on two of the city’s commissions and on its Downtown Development Authority.
The situation has become serious enough for the Planning Commission that council members voted at their Monday evening meeting to approve a resolution that will allow members of that commission to conduct meetings even when they cannot meet a standard quorum.
City Manager Jennifer Adams told The Globe last week that the Planning Commission sometimes has been unable to gather due to not meeting the quorum of three of its five members.
The resolution created by City Attorney Ray O’Dea states that any time the commission now meets with fewer than three members, “the rules of the quorum shall be suspended” and that in such instances, “a quorum of the Planning Commission shall consist of those members present and serving.”
However, the resolution also includes the following stipulation: “This resolution does not modify in any way any other portions of the zoning ordinance.”
This means that, during any suspension, members will not be able to adopt or amend zoning or planning ordinances, which is an ongoing part of their responsibility.
“We can’t do some things like modifying portions of the zoning ordinance,” said Adams during the meeting, “but we can do some minor things.”
Mayor Adam Zak asked whether additional council representation could be appointed to the board until new members are found. Adams said she will ask O’Dea whether that action is possible.
Councilman Terry Kryshak, who serves as a council representative on the Planning Commission, used the opportunity to make a public appeal for interest in the city’s sub-groups.
“We have opportunities for people, and it’s not a big commitment,” he said. “This is your opportunity to help local government.”
He invites civic-minded persons to check the city’s website for more details, or call the Bessemer City Hall at 906-663-4311.
During the same meeting, the council voted to reappoint George Beninghaus to the commission for another 3-year term. “George has done a great job for us,” said Zak.
Besides Kryshak and Beninghaus, the third member on the Planning Commission is Dominic Fabbri. That commission meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m.
The three remaining city vacancies relate to two slots on the 9-member Downtown Development Authority and one slot on the 5-member Parks & Recreation Commission.
The DDA meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. Its current members include Chairman Dave Osier, Brandon Bromley, Stephanie Matonich, Kady Meinke, Harry Swanson, Dan Whitburn and the mayor as the City Council representative.
The Parks & Recreation Commission meets on each Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. Its current members include Chairwoman Cheryl Olsen, Eric Longhini, Trevor Jackovich and Rob Coleman as the City Council representative.
In other news, council members also:
—Voted to post a code enforcement officer position at a salary of $20 per hour with an annual budget of $10,000, which includes salary, mileage reimbursement, etc. for the part-time, seasonal job that addresses issuing citations in relation to blight.
—Voted to purchase a 10.5-foot SnowDogg v-plow for $9,600 from Bessemer Small Engine, or if not available, a 10-foot BOSS plow from Rick’s Auto in Ironwood for $10,931.
—Voted to request bids for a new loader. “This is a continuation of us trying to upgrade our equipment,” said Kryshak.
All of Monday’s votes were unanimous.
At the end of Monday’s meeting, council members entered a closed session to discuss union negotiations. According to a Tuesday email from Adams, “The council then authorized signatures on a Letter of Agreement between the City of Bessemer and AFSCME Local 992.07 City of Bessemer Employees. This was to align the current union contract’s wording with our established past practices.”
The council’s next regular meeting will be on Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers of the Bessemer City Hall.
