Hancock City Council discusses letter, approves bids, adjourns early
Meeting Highlights
Editor’s Note: Changing the style a bit this week to more closely reflect the style of Aggregated News. I realized some sub-heads might be more helpful than the flashy buttons, so just click on the underlined subhead to be taken to the corresponding portion of the video.
Communication from the Office of the Governor
The council briefly reviewed a letter from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office placing a deadline on charter amendments and revisions. The letter was controversial because the deadline is not part of the law, so its enforceability is questionable.
Excerpt from the governor’s letter. The entire letter is viewable in the Agenda and Documents link above.
Councilor John Haeussler voted against accepting the communication.
Public comment on the corner of Ingot and Elevation Streets
One Hancock resident stood to request that the council address the rough pavement at the corner of Elevation Street and Ingot Street. City Manager Mary Babcock said they would look into the corner and see if it needed to be placed in the work queue and update the council. Councilor Haeussler, who lives near the corner, agreed the pavement there was very rough.
New Assistant Transit Director introduction
The Hancock Transit Department is going through some changes, and the new assistant director stood during public comment to address the council. They’re working to hire some new drivers and retain current ones, which includes securing a wage increase.
Babcock updated the board about the changes at the transit department. Positions for several boards within the city and the Director of Public Works have been posted and will be selected soon.
The fundraising goal for the dog park has been met. Babcock and several members of the council expressed special appreciation toward John Deibel for his efforts supporting the dog park. The council also approved a bid for the fence work at the dog park. The Community Night Out is happening this weekend, and the last Movie in the Park is also this week on the Quincy Green. Finlandia University’s President Philip Johnson will be at the next council meeting, Sept. 15, to meet new members of the council and talk about the direction of the school. The city is also looking for volunteers to repaint fire hydrants around the city. And the city is going to be working with MEDC to help move the Keweenaw Coop to their planned new location, the former Keweenaw Buick/Chevrolet dealership.
Bid award for Hancock Fire Hall emergency generator
The council approved a bid for an emergency generator to be installed in the fire hall, which will enable it to be used as an emergency shelter in the event of widespread or long-term power outages. The bid was awarded to ERICO Electric, the low bid. It will also power the electric garage doors at the fire hall during outages. The effort to get the FEMA grant for the generator has been underway for years, but the installation should start soon now that the bid is approved.
City offices (and most other offices) will be closed Monday, Sept. 6, for the Labor Day holiday.