Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By PAMELA JANSSON
Bessemer — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners took steps last week to streamline income and expenses relating to the county fairgrounds.
The action took place at the board’s July 10 meeting and included a vote that all future rental and storage revenue from the fairgrounds should be collected directly by the county, rather than by the county Fair Board.
Related discussion occurred during the county’s Personnel and Negotiations Committee, which met just prior to the board meeting.
The Western U.P. Convention and Visitors Bureau currently rents office space within the fairground’s multipurpose building and submits rental fees to the Fair Board, which in turn pays from its coffers any expenses relating to the space, including heating, water and internet.
Committee member James Lorenson, who also chairs the county Board of Commissioners and is a member of the Fair Board, said that the income and expenses relating to the bureau should be received strictly by the county.
The Fair Board also has facilitated public storage arrangements within fairground buildings during winter months.
The county now also will manage those transactions.
“There’s always been some confusion,” said Lorenson regarding the Fair Board’s handling of fairground income and expenses.
But he added, “They’re our buildings” and said of the new arrangement, “It makes everything cleaner.”
Lorenson said that the new system will apply to all fairground buildings, not just the multipurpose building.
Committee member Daniel Siirila openly agreed with Lorenson’s stance after having questioned why the Fair Board was handling those responsibilities.
In related news, commissioners also voted not to allow rental of fairground areas for events until the county board is able to hire a fairground administrator, who will assume the duties of interim fair coordinator Juliane Giackino.
Before the vote, Siirila said that, until an administrator is in place, “I personally think we shouldn’t be renting it.”
Lorenson said the rental understanding will pertain to all parties, including county 4-H members.
The exception will be rental agreements already scheduled.
In other news, commissioners also approved plans to prepare a resolution in favor of restoring the normalcy of Black River Lake as soon as possible.
“It was huge for this area,” said Siirila, who suggested the action. “It’s something that is sad to see gone.”
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced early this month that it was closing the boating access site at the lake because of a dam break there and subsequent steps to address the situation.
The MDNR also requested that the public avoid the area due to “soft soils that have been newly exposed due to draining of water from the impoundment.”
Board members also:
—Heard Lorenson request that the county administrator get a copy of the job description for the manager of Ironwood’s Pat O’Donnell Civic Center, in hopes that it may provide guidance in creating a pending new role of administrator for the county fairgrounds. Lorenson will review the Civic Center job description with commissioners George Peterson III and Joseph Bonovetz.
—Approved Larry Grimsby, supervisor of Erwin Township, as a member of the Tax Limitations Advisory Committee.
—Approved Bob Murphy, staff representative at Michigan Council 25 AFSCME, as a member of the board for the Bessemer office of Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services. Murphy’s appointment is to a partial term, ending in 2026, that had been held by the late Bob Sharon.
—Received and filed a note of thanks for the board’s recent monetary donation from the Ironwood Polar Bear Hockey Club. The communication was co-signed by club treasurer Kim Carlson.
—Approved a request for annual support from John Frello, the county’s Veterans Affairs officer.
—Approved a resolution in support of creating a new special revenue fund within the local chart of accounts regarding funds received under continuing professional education distribution guidelines.
Jorge Cruz, the county’s undersheriff, said the education relates to law enforcement training.
—Approved a resolution in support of the U.P. Area Agency on Aging’s 2025 Annual Implementation Plan for the Elderly for the fiscal year of 2025.
—Approved a payment for two weeks of vacation for Giackino, who said she has been unable to take the time off due to responsibilities relating to county projects while also acting as the interim county fair coordinator.
All votes were unanimous with all members present.
The board’s next regular meeting will be on July 24 at 5 p.m. in the Gogebic County Courthouse.
