Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
NEWLY ELECTED Gogebic County Clerk Erin Bunt, center, swears in new and continuing members of the county Board of Commissioners at a Jan. 3 reorganizational meeting. From left are George R. Peterson III, James Lorenson, Daniel Siirila, Joseph Cayer, Erin Bunt, Daniel Wood, Michael Yon and Peter Matonich. Cayer, Wood, Yon and Matonich were newly elected on Nov. 5 Lorenson, Siirila and Peterson were re-elected.
By PAMELA JANSSON
Bessemer - During a Jan. 3 reorganizational meeting, newly elected Gogebic County Clerk Erin Bunt swore in the seven members of the county Board of Commissioners, and there were four new faces among them.
New members are Joseph Cayer (District 2), Daniel Wood (District 3), Peter Matonich (District 5) and Michael Yon (District 6). They were all elected on Nov. 5.
Continuing members are Daniel Siirila (District 1), James Lorenson (District 4) and George R. Peterson III (District 7). Siirila was re-elected on Nov. 5, and Lorenson and Peterson were unopposed.
Although some districts include slight overlaps into other territory, the main geographical designations are as follows, as determined by population numbers: Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4, Ironwood city and township; District 5, Bessemer city and township; District 6, Wakefield city and township; and District 7, Watersmeet and Marenisco townships.
Current member terms run for four years from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2028.
Siirila also was elected as the new board chairman. He was nominated by Lorenson, who previously served as chairman and began leading the meeting.
Although Wood also had nominated Yon as chairman, Yon immediately said, "I would like to decline, being a new member."
Matonich was elected as vice-chair after Lorenson also nominated him.
Siirila then led the remainder of the meeting.
The board then adopted its parliamentary procedures and voted to reappoint county prosecutor Nicholas Jacobs as parliamentarian.
The board also voted to continue the present schedule of meeting every second and fourth Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Siirila said commissioners will be expected to participate in various committee responsibilities. "We'll have to work that out," he said.
At Matonich's request, county administrator Julianne Giackino said she will supply a list of said committees to members.
In other news, the board also approved credit cards with a $2,000 limit for the new commissioners, the new clerk and for Jessie Yesney, the newly named county undersheriff.
In addition, commissioners voted to approve the appointment of three applicants to the county Fair Board.
Previous Fair Board member Melinda Kostac and new applicant Stephanie Matonich both were nominated by Lorenson and were approved by other board members unanimously. Peter Matonich abstained from the vote on Stephanie Matonich.
Yon nominated previous Fair Board member Linda Nelson, who was approved by five commissioners, with Lorenson and Siirila voting no.
The reinstatement of Kostac and Nelson followed the board's Nov. 20 action in not supporting a motion by then commissioner James Byrns to approve their applications, as well as that of former Fair Board member Quinlan ("Tom") Hampston, to continue serving on the Fair Board.
Since then, Kostac and Nelson had reapplied, whereas Hampston did not.
Existing Fair Board members also include Lorenson, as well as Holly Ramme and Shelley Suckow.
Because the Fair Board now has six members, Siirila said that a second county board member will need to join Lorenson on the Fair Board in order to result with an uneven number to avoid tie votes.
In related Fair Board news, Giackino resigned her role as substitute fair coordinator, which she has held during the past year.
Giackino said that, after the Jan. 13 Fair Board meeting, she no longer can continue the added responsibilities in her schedule.
She also noted that the position had been advertised twice with nobody showing interest.
Commissioners agreed to discuss the fair coordinator status at their next Personnel and Negotiations Committee meeting.
Nelson also agreed to a request by Peter Matonich to discuss with other Fair Board members how to proceed without Giackino.
Board members also voted to approve, at Hewitt's request:
- A resolution authorizing deposit and investment of county funds and an investment policy and
- A depository resolution.
With the exception of the Fair Board votes, all other votes were unanimous.
Because of the Jan. 3 meeting, the board will not meet on Jan. 8, which is the second Wednesday of the month.
The board's next regular meeting will be on Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. in the Gogebic County Courthouse in Bessemer.
