Bessemer setting interviews for city manager

By PAMELA JANSSON

pjansson@yourdailyglobe.com

Bessemer — In a closed session on Monday evening, Bessemer City Council members discussed applications for the open position of city manager.

According to a Tuesday email from Deputy Clerk Samantha Dorr, the council voted after the session to set upinterviews with four of the candidates.

Names are not being released at this time.

Mandy Lake, the city’s clerk/treasurer, currently also is acting as interim city manager.

In other news, council members voted on Monday evening to deny a request to receive city garbage service by Christine Forslund of Bessemer Township. She was among six township households recently informed that the city no longer will provide them with city utility services.

“I don’t think it’s fair of her to get city of Bessemer services when we can’t provide it to other township esidents,” said council member Linda Nelson.

Councilman Adam Zak and Mayor Pro Tempore Mark Movrich, who was running the meeting in the absence of Mayor Peter Tacconelli, agreed.

Council members also:

—Approved the waiving of a water fee penalty, as requested by Julie Deitz, who reported that a city water meter had broken and that she had set up a payment plan for her overall bill.

—Approve a resolution authorizing the vacation of a portion of Howell Street and a neighboring alley.

—Approved the adoption of a bond ordinance to fund improvements to the city’s water system.

—Voted to develop a memo of understanding with the Michigan Economic Development Commission in relation to retaining the city’s Redevelopment Ready City certification, as granted by the state.

—Appointed Warren Carter Grass to the board of the Bessemer Public Library.

—Approved a drawdown of $77,036.66 from state Drinking Water Asset Management funds and authorized the mayor to sign off on paperwork in relation to a state grant allocation of $458,991, per the request of Kelly Heidbrier, an engineer with C2AE, based in Escanaba.

—Voted to go to bid on 1,500 yards of screened sand.

—Voted to table a decision on the city’s Osmose compost site.

All votes were unanimous with Tacconelli absent.

The council’s next regular meeting will be on Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. in the council chamber of the Bessemer City Hall. Meetings also typically are posted on the city’s Facebook page.