Ironwood water plant set to go online

By PAMELA JANSSON

pjansson@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood — Members of the Ironwood City Commission learned at their Dec. 23 meeting that the city’s new water plant is expected to go online as of next Tuesday.

“This will likely be the substantial completion date for the majority of the plant,” wrote city manager Paul Anderson in his agenda report.

C.D. Smith Construction of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, continues toward completion of the $11 million Phase 1 water plant project.

“There will be a few issues left to finish up in the spring, such as the fence and some roadway construction, that will have a separate substantial completion date of May 31, 2025,” wrote Anderson.

He added that the water plant’s separate Phase 2 also is underway and that a 5B water and sewer project design is in progress.

In other news, commissioners delayed action on accepting an estimated proposal of $19,809 from Angelo Luppino Inc. in Iron Belt, Wisconsin, to construct and install security walls within designated office areas of the Ironwood Memorial Building.

Commissioners requested that the city manager collect additional information regarding what other municipalities are doing to keep their employees as safe as possible.

The action followed public comment by Ironwood resident Steve Frank, who said that other facilities such as local banks, convenience stores, and the Gogebic County Courthouse do not have bullet-proof glass.

Frank added that installing security walls also could threaten the historical integrity of the Memorial Building and asked whether the Ironwood Area Historical Society had been consulted about the proposal.

A related agenda report by the city manager explained the city’s interest in exploring the possibility of installing security walls.

“In recent years, we have had several situations where aggressive members of the public made our staff feel threatened and uncomfortable in both the clerk’s office and the assessor’s office,” wrote Anderson. “Unfortunately, there have also even been a couple of situations where the public made sexually inappropriate comments or gestures towards our employees that made our staff feel unsafe.”

Anderson stated that, in 2017, bulletproof glass replaced what until then had been regular glass at the utility billing window in the Memorial Building.

According to city clerk Jennifer Jacobson, commissioners also:

— Met Matt Igl, the city’s recently hired assistant finance director/treasurer. Igl, who said he is excited about his new role, will work with Paul Linn, finance director/treasurer.

— Approved a $16,000 contract with Coleman Engineering Company of Ironwood regarding state and federal funding applications for a pending water project in Newport Heights.

— Approved a $2.50 per hour raise for Jay Kivisto, Civic Center manager, retroactive to Sept. 1, 2024.

— Approved an amendment to the Solid Waste Services and Disposal Agreement with Republic Services Environmental Solutions III, LLC, to include a six-yard recycling dumpster at the Memorial Building.

— Approved a payment of $107,107.66 to Jake’s Excavating and Landscaping in Ironwood for the Phase 5A Water Project and also approved a change order decrease of $12,363.17 for the same project.

— Approved a payment of $80,694.88 to Jake’s Excavating and Landscaping in Ironwood for the Lead Service Line Replacement Project and also approved a change order increase of $13,520.75 for the same project.

— Approved Mayor Kim Corcoran’s reappointments of the following persons to respective committees and terms: Planning Commission: John Spence, three years; Ironwood Carnegie Library Board: Amber Hurkmans, five years; and Board of Review: Anne Davey, Gemma Lamb and Karen Gullan, three years.

All action was unanimous with Lauren Korpi absent.