Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By PAMELA JANSSON
Ironwood – The Ironwood City Commission received good news on a recent audit of the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2024.
“We had a clean audit,” said Paul Linn, treasurer and finance director, at a Jan. 13 meeting. “We had increases in most of our fund balances.”
The findings by Makela, Pollack and Ahonen PLLC of Ironwood showed no material weaknesses or structural deficiencies, nor any questions relating to major federal award programs.
Commissioner Rick Semo thanked Linn “for another good report,” and commissioners voted to file the report.
The audit is available for review on the city’s website.
In other news, commissioners authorized Chief Andrew DiGiorgio, director of the Ironwood Public Safety Department, to purchase a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 police vehicle from Berger Chevrolet in Grand Rapids for a MiDeal price of $55,625.
“To maintain our fleet, we need to acquire this vehicle as soon as possible,” said DiGiorgio, who added that at least one other older vehicle is expected to be phased out.
DiGiorgio also mentioned the challenge of inflation, reporting that money budgeted for the past two anticipated vehicles actually went for only one vehicle.
The currently approved purchase will be covered, in part. by an insurance settlement of $15,250 for a patrol vehicle that had been “damaged beyond repair,” according to DiGiorgio.
Commissioners also:
—Authorized $24,223 for the purchase of Builders Risk Insurance through the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority for the Phase 2 water treatment plant construction project.
—Authorized the city manager to seek bids for the Phase 5B utility project; the Curry Street curb and gutter replacement; and for 2025 work on crack sealing, pavement markings, and cemetery and parks mowing.
—Approved for C.D. Smith of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, a change order increase of $12,316.16 for the water treatment plant Phase 1 project and a payment of $584,264.88 for the same project.
—Approved for C.D. Smith a change order decrease of $15,318 for the water treatment plant Phase 2 project and a payment of $51,233.50 for the same project.
—Approved a payment of $84,666.85 for Jake’s Excavating and Landscaping LLC in Ironwood for the TMF water service exploration project. TMF stands for community technical, managerial and financial support, as appropriated by the Michigan legislature.
All votes were unanimous with all members present.
City manager Paul Anderson also reported that a new temporary worker will start on Feb. 3 to start organizing and scanning thousands of maps, going back more than a century, from the city’s engineering archives.
“It’s been in disarray for a long time,” said Anderson of the map system. He added that utilities manager Bob Tervonen will direct the new employee.
The commission’s next regular meeting will be on Jan. 27 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chamber of the Ironwood Memorial Building.