Gogebic County board notes retiring members

By PAMELA JANSSON

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Bessemer — The final meeting of the year for the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners also was the final meeting in general for four men on the seven-member board and for the retiring county clerk and county sheriff.

At the Dec. 18 session, Board Chairman James Lorenson expressed appreciation to all of them while also presenting certificates to everyone except Sheriff Ross Solberg, who will receive his at a later event.

Commissioners leaving the board and the respective years in which they began service were Joseph Bonovetz of Bessemer, 2007; Robert Orlich of Wakefield, 2013; and Thomas Laabs, 2014, and James Byrns, 2019, both of Ironwood.

“We certainly haven’t always agreed,” said Lorenson in addressing them all, but he added that they each provided “great work for our county and residents, and you will be missed.”

Retiring county clerk Ramona Collins — who was training her replacement, Eric Bunt, during the meeting — also was recognized for her dedication.

Regarding his employment in the sheriff’s office, Solberg said, “I’ve worked almost 32 years — 31 years and eight months. It was a privilege to get to know all the employees in the courthouse.”

Solberg thanked the board for authorizing himself and former Sheriff Pete Matonich “to do what we need to do.”

“Congratulations from all of us on your retirement,” said Lorenson. “You clearly performed your duty in the best interests of the county.”

In other news, the board voted to authorize the county Fair Board to approve expenditures beyond the traditional $5,000 limit without requesting county board approval as long as the Fair Board has the available cash assets.

During a prior meeting of the board’s Finance, Budgeting and Auditing Committee, which recommended the action, board chairman James Lorenson also supported the permission.

When Fair Board members must consult the county board on every financial decision, he said, “That just delays everything they do and prevents them from doing anything in a timely manner.”

The board also:

— At the recommendation of the board’s Ambulance Committee, approved an agreement for 24-hour, seven-day, advanced life support ambulance services between the county and MedEvac of Aspirus Wausau Hospital in Wisconsin.

— Authorized gift cards of $50 each for county employees to use at Z’s Hometown Market in Wakefield.

— Approved Mike Stafford, Bates County supervisor, as a member of the Materials Management Planning Committee, which will serve the western U.P.’s new collective waste management operation.

— Approved the cost of replacing carpeting in the Circuit Courtroom, even if the expenditure surpasses the traditional $5,000 spending limit.

— Approved writing a letter of support from the county board to the board of the Gogebic County Transit Authority in relation to a citizen’s request for “blue bus” transportation of his son, who is disabled, from Gogebic County to the Highline Corporation in Hurley.

All votes were unanimous with all members present.