Ironwood approves funding Phase 5B holes

By PAMELA JANSSON

pjansson@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood — The Ironwood City Commission voted on Monday evening to approve road, curb and sidewalk cost options in relation to the city’s Phase 5B project, for which bids are expected during the winter of 2025.

According to city manager Paul Anderson, the project encompasses a broad section of the city, including major utility work — along with resulting reconstruction of roads — on portions of multiple streets.

Those streets will include Lowell, Lawrence, Coolidge, Harding and Michigan, with intersections of additional streets also to be affected.

Anderson said the voting by commissioners was in response to restrictions relating to project funding from an $11 million 100% grant from the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and a $4.8 million package from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Prosperity office.

Anderson said the USDA funds are roughly 70% grant and 30% loan.

As he explained, the restrictions involve funds covering only partial costs relating to paving, curbing and sidewalks, with only the specific areas of project work covered by the issued funds.

The problem, he said, is that the remainder of the surrounding area — i.e., pavement, curbing and sidewalks directly outside of the targeted work areas — will be ruined or vastly compromised in the process and so also will need replacement, but necessarily from city coffers.

Hence, the Monday vote included the following options, which will allow the city to fund the remaining areas not financed by the grant and loan packages: $210,000 to repave unfinanced roadway lanes that are disturbed by waterline work; $462,000 to replace sidewalks on both sides of the street, but only where sidewalks are “in bad condition”; and $40,000 to replace old concrete curbing with new asphalt curbs.

The curbing option included consideration of an additional option to verify costs of replacing such curbing with concrete instead of asphalt, an expense now listed as $325,000 due to concrete’s reputation for greater longevity.

In related public comment, several Ironwood residents offered comments.

“To me, safety is the most paramount issue here, in addition to the community development issue,” said Will Andresen of Erwin Township. He said he had grandchildren living in the project area and so encouraged the city to retain sidewalks on both sides of the street.

Ongoing discussion had included consideration of saving city funds by reconstructing sidewalk on only one side of the streets.

In other news, commissioners also:

— Approved the scheduling of Nov. 11 public hearings in relation to 10 properties recorded as having various blight issues. Commissioner Rick Semo requested a blight report in relation to work done by the Ironwood Public Safety Department in the past year, and IPSD chief Andrew DiGiorgio said he would supply it.

— Approved the purchase of a new Chevy Tahoe by the IPSD. “We have not purchased a squad car since 2020,” said DiGiorgio.

— Approved permission for Anderson and other authorized staff to continue pursuing grants and loans via EGLE.

The commission’s next meeting will be on Nov. 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the Ironwood Memorial Building.