Council votes on path forward for parking deck removal, public electronic meeting attendance
Houghton City Council, Feb. 9, 2022
Meeting Highlights
City Manager Eric Waara attended this meeting electronically via Zoom/conference call.
Winter Fun Day Waterfront Relay plans put in place
A citizen volunteer updated the council on a Winter Fun Day she has been organizing, and the council gave a nod of approval for the event to move forward on Feb. 26 in Kestner Park.
The event will feature teams of three skiing, skating, and snowshoeing along the Houghton waterfront. The event is open to all ages and free of charge, but preregistration is required.
For more information call or text 906-482-2422.
Pier project held up by AT&T cables
During his administrative report, City Manager Eric Waara told the council that the delays caused by AT&T’s reluctance to locate underwater cables amid the pier project are now costing the city time and money as contractors have had to delay work. He suggested the city would be seeking ways of recouping that cost, including the potential for an appeal to the Michigan Public Service Commission.
Two new Sergeants in Houghton City Police Department
The city police department has promoted two long-time officers to the position of sergeant, Chief John Donnelly reported.
Life After The Deck report from Pat Coleman
Along with the written report that was in the meeting documents (begins on page 11), Pat Coleman gave the council a summary of the public engagement sessions that he facilitated.
Manager’s bond-financed deck removal plan approved by council
After Pat Coleman’s summary, City Manager Eric Waara proposed a plan by which the city would apply for a bond which could potentially be leveraged to gain grant funds that would fund both the removal of the old deck, and some minimal improvements to the site to facilitate surface parking, pedestrian accessibility, green space, and local business redevelopment. The council unanimously approved this plan, which will also prepare the city for the future redevelopment of the site.
Electronic meetings access discussion initiated
Councilor Brian Irizarry moved that the council make all of their meetings and planning commission meetings available for interaction via electronic means such as Zoom. During the discussion, other council members suggested they take some time to give the city administration a chance to explore the options and present something that might work better than the Zoom-based system they were using last year, which proved susceptible to “Zoom-bombing”. Concern for the cost was also expressed.
Councilor Irizarry agreed to spend more time on the process, including the possibility of a special meeting focused on the topic but stipulated that a decision be reached by the end of June when the new fiscal year begins. The rest of the council agreed unanimously.
Public comment shifted to mid-meeting
After being prompted by a motion from Councilor Brian Irizarry, the council had a brief discussion about adding another public comment session to their meeting agendas. The council compromised by moving the single existing comment session to later in the meeting, between reports and the consent agenda, so that late arrivals to the meeting can still comment, and people can respond to the administration reports. The vote was unanimous in approval.
Red and yellow sign leads to the blues, officers get hairy for charity, rules of order reviewed
Houghton City Council, Jan. 12, 2022
Meeting Highlights
Council candidate hopeful makes comments to the board
During the public comment session, Craig Waddell stood to address the council. Waddell put his name forward for the council seat vacated last year by Dan Salo and intends to run in the May election for the seat, too.
Among the items Waddell spoke on was what he felt was an unwillingness on the council to address suggestions from the public.
At the end of the meeting, Councilor Mike Needham addressed some of Waddell’s comments. He said comments and suggestions from the public are not ignored, but not all of them are accepted after consideration.
Editor’s Note: Councilor Joan Suits also addressed Waddell’s statements, but is unable to be heard clearly on the recording. This is due in part to an inadvertently changed setting on the recording microphone.
AT&T line location hangs up pier project
Due to “fuzzy” rules on easements for utility cables, the city hasn’t been able to get AT&T to locate the lines that run under the construction area for the new city pier. The city is now considering the possibility of altering the construction design to work around the unlocated lines to avoid breaking them.
Councilor Mike Needham asks some follow-up questions on the situation later in the meeting.
City update on Fire Station Co sign on Sharon Ave
I recommend either watching the video or reading this quite thorough write-up from the Detroit Metro Times which includes interviews with both the owners and City Manager Eric Waara.
Houghton officers grow beards for Project Lifesaver
If you were stopped by a hairy Houghton City police officer late last year, it was part of a fundraiser they did for “No Shave November”. The fun activity raised $180 for the local Project Lifesaver fund to help families enroll in the project to find lost wanderers quickly.
“From here on out, they need to shave,” Chief John Donnelly said.
Administrative subcommittee presents on suggested rules change
Councilor Mike Needham, as chairperson of the Administrative Subcommittee, presented their opinions on rules of order changes that have been suggested to them. He mostly defended how the council currently operates but did accept three suggestions, at least in part. One of them he said a slight wording change. Another confirms that the mayor has the power to call other councilors to order. The council also now plans to formalize how correspondence to the council is limited when read aloud.
The council took no immediate action on the rules changes but intends to take the matter up after the next November election.
Capitalization limit raised to $5,000
The council, under advice forwarded from their auditor, raised the capitalization limit from $500 to a more standard $5,000 limit. This limit is the monetary dividing line between an expense and an asset when something is purchased by the city.
No councilor chosen, decision goes to the public in May
Houghton City Council, Nov. 18, 2021
Meeting highlights
Resolution opposing state-level “Airbnb” legislation
City Manager Eric Waara said that after extensive conversations with other interested parties, he calls House Bill 4722 “just bad legislation”. The bill would override most local regulations of short-term rental units, often referred to as Airbnbs. Houghton and Hancock both recently passed ordinances that would be wiped out by the legislation.
“We’ve got to do everything within our power to make sure that this hopefully never gets to the governor’s desk,” Waara said.
He said there are “forces at work in Lansing that just want to ram this through”. The bill is moving forward despite widespread opposition among municipalities across the state.
Waara said Sen. Ed McBroom hadn’t returned his phone calls on the issue, and Rep. Greg Markkanen has already voted in favor of the bill.
The council voted in favor of the resolution opposing HB 4722.
New councilmember Q&A and selection process
The process started with a brief explanation from the city manager followed by some discussion and comments from a couple of the interested candidates. The candidates’ letters of interest and other information can be found in the meeting documents link above.
Nomination process review
City Manager Waara explained the nomination and voting process. Any number of nominations can be made by the councilors, and each required a supporting vote to be advanced to the voting rounds. Once nominations were closed, each nominated candidate is voted on in the order they are nominated. Councilors can vote for as many candidates as they want. If no winner is found, the vote can be repeated up to two more times.
Brad Baltensperger, Philip Buck Foltz, Robyn Johnson, Jennifer Rachels, Michael Salmi, Sally Ann Snyder, Norma Veurink and Craig Waddell all submitted letters of interest in the position.
Of the eight interested candidates, six received initial nominations, and five received support and advanced to the vote. Waddell, Rachels, Johnson, Baltensperger and Veurink were the candidates who moved forward.
Initial vote
All five candidates tied with three supporting votes.
During the discussion that followed the first vote, Councilors Joan Suits and Robert Megowen, whose votes countered each other, both highlighted what they were looking for in the candidates. Megowen specifically supported the candidacy of Baltensperger.
Councilor Brian Irizarry noted that Johnson was the only candidate that had votes outside the 3-person blocks that voted for and against the other candidates.
Councilor Jan Cole spoke in favor of Rachels.
Rachels, Baltensperger, Johnson, and Waddell rose and advocated for themselves as candidates.
The second vote
The second vote furnished the same results. Several councilors expressed that they would not be altering their votes for a third round.
Some of the councilors offered comments, including about the risk of operating for six months with only six members on the council and how they may deadlock on other issues.
Baltensperger returned to the floor and expressed interest in why three of the councilors voted so adamantly against him based on the limited—if any—conversation they had with him. He also pointed out the uniqueness of the voting pattern for Johnson, and that perhaps they should give that greater consideration considering the deadlocked position of the board.
Waddell confirmed with Clerk Ann Vollrath that the cost to taxpayers to run a special election would be about $7,000. He suggested he’d be willing to withdraw his nomination but didn’t. As the councilors can vote yes for any number of candidates, it would not benefit another candidate to withdraw.
Johnson echoed Waddell’s sentiments about possibly withdrawing in favor of the other qualified candidates but settled instead for simply endorsing Baltensperger.
Councilor Needham made some comments about why he favored Baltensperger and expressed frustration with the format of the selection process.
Rachels rose and briefly spoke about the local housing crisis and her desire to bring her knowledge and experience about the issue to the council.
The third vote
Once again, the council offered the same vote, tying all the candidates with three supporting and three against.
The council then quickly adjourned.
A city election will be held on May 3, 2022, to choose a new councilor. Clerk Vollrath will be preparing nominating petitions that should be ready by January.
Other notes
A family-friendly winter triathlon event is in development, possibly to be in Kestner Park. Details are to be determined.
The enforcement hearing for 915 College Avenue proceeded uneventfully. The city will act to demolish the building in 30 days if the owner doesn’t take action before then. Costs of the demolition will be recouped through an insurance escrow and possibly a tax lien on the property.
DPW employees have been taking advantage of the mild start to winter to hang Christmas decorations and take their leave to go hunting.
Kevin Maki is retiring as the manager of the Dee Stadium.
The Firestation sign at the corner of Sharon Avenue and M-26 has an MDOT billboard permit but is still in violation of the city sign ordinance. City Manager Eric Waara continues to work on addressing the issue.
The police department is investigating options for eliminating unnecessary access points to M-26 in the commercial district. It’s an effort to reduce injury-causing accidents that happen at intersections not controlled by signal lights on that stretch of road.
Editor’s note: I’d like to make a motion that the council get new, quieter chairs.
Councilor Dan Salo resigns, code enforcement proceeds, new grant opportunity on the horizon
Houghton City Council, Oct. 27, 2021
Meeting Highlights
Councilor Dan Salo resigns position to be a ‘snowbird’
In a letter read aloud by City Clerk Ann Vollrath, City Councilor Dan Salo announced his immediate resignation from the board. Salo has served on the council since 2011.
He intends to be a “snowbird” (someone who only lives in the area during warmer weather, and moves south during winter) beginning this year, and as a part-time resident does not feel it appropriate to continue as a councilor.
The council has 30 days to appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of Salo’s term (about one year), or city statute would require a special election in May to choose a successor. City Manager Eric Waara said they would immediately begin advertising for applicants so that a new councilor could be appointed at the November meeting of the council.
Dangerous building enforcement hearing set for November meeting
The council agreed to have a hearing for the owner of the property at 915 College Avenue at their Nov. 17 meeting. The property suffered a fire recently and is currently considered a dangerous building under city code. The hearing gives the owner, who does not live at that address, the chance to explain how they will bring the building back into code before the city takes action of its own.
The matter has already come before a judge for a hearing at which the property owner did not appear to defend or explain their inaction on the building.
According to City Manager Waara, if things continue this way, the city public works department will likely end up demolishing the building and the cost of the work will be added to the property’s taxes.
City to pursue neighborhood enhancement grant
Manager Waara recommended the city apply to a grant program run by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority that, if awarded, would allow the city the chance to grant up to $15,000 to property owners inside a designated neighborhood for improvements like reroofing, residing, or driveway repairs.
A portion of the grant might also be used for sidewalks.
Other notes:
Public restrooms operated by the city have been closed for the season.
Most road work in the city is either finished or halted for the season.
City Manager Waara said he would approach Michigan Tech and the National Park Service about refinishing the seawall that collapsed into Portage Lake last month.
The city is pursuing action against The Fire Station Cannabis Company for the new sign off of M-26, which the city manager said violates the city sign ordinance and has generated several complaints.
The police department is starting to alert people to, and enforce, winter parking restrictions in the city.
Trick-or-treat hours are 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday night. Fire department volunteers will assist Houghton Police Department in patrolling the streets.
The council approved the purchase of a new police vehicle through a 50/50 grant match from the USDA.
The council approved the selling of a police department snowmobile through a sealed-bid system.
The council approved paying half of the cost for ten new bulletproof vests for the police department at a cost of $4,400.
Police department seeks accreditation, annexation principle approved, and remaining meetings rescheduled
Houghton City Council, Oct. 13, 2021
Meeting Highlights
Click the headline to see the video clip
Police department receives grant to seek state accreditation
During his report, Chief John Donnelly told the board that the police department has been awarded a $38,000 grant to pursue accreditation for the police department. They would be only the second police department in the Upper Peninsula, after Marquette, to achieve accreditation.
According to the Standards Manual from the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, the agency that offers the accreditation in question, achieving it “acknowledges the implementation of written directives, policies and procedures that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.”
Chief Donnelly said it means “your department is doing what your policies say and your policies say what your department is doing.”
Among the things the Standards Manual lays out, the department must develop and swear officers to a code of ethics, have a clear and enforced policy for controlling records in accordance with Michigan statute, adhere to annual in-service retraining procedures, and a lot more. (And I don’t usually use that kind of emphasis.)
Auditors confirm that the policies are in place and being practiced. Chief Donnelly said they have two years to complete the process, and much of the work will be done by Lt. Nick Roberts and Office Manager Polly Salmi, who he also gave much of the credit to for acquiring the grant.
Council gives go-ahead on annexation plan ‘principle’
City councilors gave general support to pursue the annexation plan for the proposed county jail site discussed at Tuesday night’s county commissioners meeting. More detailed agreements will come before the council for final approval.
Because of holidays and the second public engagement night, the council moved the November meeting to Nov. 17, and December’s to Dec. 1 and 15.
Other notes:
The Dee Stadium is open, and public skating times will be re-established soon.
The next public engagement session for the future of the lakeshore parking deck area is being scheduled for Nov. 10.
Road construction on Michigan Tech’s campus should be wrapping up soon, until after graduation.
Councilor Mike Needham plugged the Copper Country Ski Tigers’ Gear Swap coming up this Saturday.
Details of parking deck engagement night announced in short Houghton City Council meeting
Houghton City Council, Sept. 22, 2021
Meeting Highlights
Pushback against dog park construction
A resident who lives on Donmar Drive addressed the council about the new city dog park that is being constructed now. She expressed that she was shocked to find out that a dog park was even under consideration for the site, and that she and some of her neighbors were concerned with potential noise and traffic disturbances. She was also worried it might lower her property value.
Public hearing for Dodge Charger police vehicle grant
A public hearing for a rural development grant ended with no comments from the public. The council approved the application, which is a 55% match on a roughly $50,000 vehicle. The rest of the cost will come from the city’s equipment fund.
City Manager’s update
City Manager Eric Waara was not in attendance at this meeting but did provide this printed update to the board and public (highlighting added):
Parking deck public engagement night details
The public engagement work starts next Wednesday (Sept. 29), at the Bonfire conference room, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Pat Coleman will be facilitating the activities. City Clerk Ann Vollrath said they are encouraging people to wear masks because of the number of people they are expecting in attendance, and that people should expect to be there for the entire time, as there is active engagement rather than an open house-style event.
Continued training for Houghton PD
Police Chief John Donnelly reported that officers within the department had retrained this week on how to handle traffic accidents, another program called ‘Hope Not Handcuffs’ from former judge Linda Davis(this is her 2019 TEDx Talk), and also a talk from David Bartley, a professional speaker and suicide survivor, about his experiences with first responder services.
The consent agenda passed with very little fanfare.
The items under new business also passed uneventfully.
Rezoning issued, permit for fourth cannabis retailer approved, and ordinances updated
Houghton City Council, Aug. 25, 2021
Meeting Highlights
A citizen got up during the public comment session to express her appreciation of the city police department, for responding to a vehicle-pedestrian accident on their non-emergency line faster than 911. Police Chief John Donnelly said he was looking into what took the 911 operator so long during his report. The citizen said it took 15 rings for 911 to answer, while HPD picked up before the first ring finished.
The council had a public hearing on proposed changes to the zoning ordinance, which were recommended by the Houghton planning commission. One commercial property owner stood to support the changes, saying that they were long overdue. The council later passed the changes unanimously.
The council had another public hearing for an ordinance to rezone four plots of land from R3 to R4 to accommodate redevelopment into student housing with more limited, but indoor, parking.
From the board packet documents.
Some other rental property owners objected to the change, because of the reduced parking requirements in R4, and their concerns that students without dedicated parking would instead park cars on streets and in commercial parking lots nearby, congesting traffic.
Others, including one property owner and a member of the planning commission, supported the rezoning as a step toward new development and supported limited or remote parking and expanding public transit for students, in part to limit traffic on the roads overall.
Several board members made comments before the vote supporting and explaining the possible benefits of approving the change.
The board passed the rezoning unanimously.
City Manager Eric Waara updated the council on a water leak, preparation for paving projects, and other work going on in the city, including the construction of the new pier which is in full swing now.
Excavators and water pump on-site near the library on Aug. 26.
Waara reported that MDOT is nearing the completion of one part of the work on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge and that the lanes should be wider for the next part, which will hopefully alleviate more traffic issues.
Waara also thanked everyone who participated in the census. Houghton grew by over 8%, and Houghton County was the only county in the UP to show any growth.
There’s no news on the development of the new Meijer store.
The council also honored the departing President of the Housing Commission, who served in various capacities for more than four decades.
Finally, the council approved a permit application for the Nirvana Center, which is planning to develop the former Bambu restaurant into a cannabis retailer.
From the board information packet.
The board approved the request unanimously, after some discussion of how many retailers would be allowed. City Manager Waara said the market and limited geographical area that zoning allows them in would dictate how many retailers exist in Houghton.
Sharon Avenue reopens, PLLB work continues to snarl traffic, councilor comments on social media posts
Houghton City Council, Aug. 11, 2021
Meeting Highlights
During public comment, the organizer of the Verna Mize Triathlon gave a wrap-up report and said that support was still growing for next year’s event.
During City Manager Eric Waara’s report, he updated the board on a variety of happenings in the city. Repaving activity is ramping up, and Sharon Avenue should be reopened as of today. The bridge in NARA park is all but open. However, the lift bridge maintenance work is dragging on and traffic continues to lag and snarl. Waara and Police Chief John Donnelly have been trying different things to keep traffic flowing through the city.
A Community Night Out event is now officially happening on Sept. 4 between Hancock and Houghton, which will include live music, fireworks, and more. Public works employees and some other residents have donated shrubs that are being placed around the city, too.
Chief Donnelly reported that they’re still fielding a lot of calls from people about traffic resulting from the bridge work. They’ve had some limited success limiting leisure vessel crossings under the lift bridge, but not enough to prevent long rush-hour backups.
After the payment of bills—including some change orders for ongoing and completed projects—and the approval of a bid for environmental engineering of an infrastructure grant paid for by the MEDC, Waara shared some thoughts on the parking deck redevelopment and public engagement. He recapped the situation before saying he would be happy to talk to individuals about realities, numbers, and possibilities, particularly for funding other than city tax dollars. He said despite all the commentary online he’s been shown, nobody has called him or visited his office to ask questions or offer ideas.
Following Waara’s comments, the council approved up to $10,000 toward hiring a consultant to begin the public engagement process. Waara said he hopes to start that process as soon as reasonably possible.
During closing comments, Councilor Mike Needham addressed some comments he’d seen on social media. He said he was particularly concerned because the people commenting were downtown business owners, and it didn’t seem like they were very well informed on the situation, and that their negativity was unreasonable. Commissioner Dan Salo added that they’re doing the best they can for the city.
Houghton's parking deck is coming down, only question is when
Houghton City Council, July 29, 2021
Houghton City Council, July 29, 2021
(I was able to get a hard copy of the documents for this meeting, but they weren’t digitized. Normally, I believe City Clerk Ann Vollrath usually posts the already digitized version, but she was absent this week. Let me know if there’s anything you want to see. I don’t have a scanner, so digitizing them myself is a bit of a process that I don’t want to undertake unless it will be helpful for someone. Alternatively, you can request them from the city.)
Meeting Highlights
During public comment, another update on the Verna Mize Triathlon was given to the board, including businesses who have signed on as promoters, changes in start times, and other new developments.
During the city manager’s report, Eric Waara updated the board on Department of Public Works projects and other ongoing and upcoming construction, redevelopment, and maintenance in the city. The city center will likely be listed on the real estate market soon.
Police Chief John Donnelly updated the council on the number of calls and crashes the department responded to, and ongoing talks to address the congested traffic crossing the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. The road over the bridge (and the bridge itself) is managed by the state of Michigan, but the water underneath is a federal waterway, which creates jurisdictional problems for both Hancock and Houghton when it comes to controlling traffic over and under the bridge.
There was some extensive discussion surrounding the decision to take the downtown parking deck down. While there was no timetable (or any other details) included with the decision, the council voted 6-1 to commence the planning to tear down the deck. Councilor Jan Cole voted against the decision after requesting two weeks to speak with constituents and hear from the public. Councilor Mike Needham said the public had plenty of chances to comment during the planning commission’s meetings, and that waiting wouldn’t change the decision.
Rezoning on Canal Road, construction and triathlon updates, and the saving of a tortoise
Houghton City Council, July 14, 2021
Houghton City Council, July 14, 2021
Meeting Highlights
During City Manager Eric Waara’s report, he highlighted ditching, beach cleanup, and other work done by the Department of Public Works. The work on the water plant’s roof has begun, as has trimming of some low-hanging tree branches. A grant proposal through MEDC is moving forward. Work on the lift bridge is going to resume next week. The box culvert for Huron Creek, under Sharon Avenue, has been placed, now the work to rebuild the grade and road on top of it can start. Waara said the material that has been falling off of the downtown parking deck is almost entirely from patches done 5-6 years ago, and that an inspection of what remains would be done, for safety. The dog park planning is continuing, looking at a phased development. There is also some planning for an end-of-summer event hosted cooperatively between Hancock and Houghton, likely to include fireworks.
(The sounds of incredible flatulence in the video are from the council’s leather chairs. Not much I can do about it, but the timing is sometimes hilarious.)
During Police Chief John Donnelly’s report, he covered arrests and accidents, and the story of a stray tortoise, saved by a passerby on U.S. 41 and whose owners Lt. Nick Roberts found (you should really hear it for yourself). He said calls to the department are back to about what they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Proposed Rezoning Ordinance 2021-321
By U.P. Engineers and Architects
The zoning ordinance came up twice during the meeting, first during the public hearing, and again when the council took it up to vote.
During the public hearing, two people spoke in favor of the rezoning, and none were against it. One of those who spoke was the attorney for Derek Bradway, the developer applying for the rezoning. She highlighted the work the developer had done with the neighbors and his plan’s compatibility with the city’s master plan.
During the council’s discussion, Waara reminded the council of the 17 factors the council is supposed to consider in the case of a rezoning ordinance. Councilor Brian Irizarry recognized the potential for increased traffic because of the development but expressed his belief the city could adapt in the future if that occurs. The council voted unanimously in favor of the rezoning.
During public comment, the board got a brief update on the organization of the triathlon to honor Verna Mize. Businesses are signing up as sponsors, and information is being distributed to racers at the Canal Run.