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.
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.
'Life After the Deck', Waste Management contract renewed, construction updates
Houghton City Council, Sept. 8, 2021
Meeting Highlights
(click the underlined headlines to be taken to the video)
Triathlon organizer proposes winter triathlon “fun-raiser”
The organizer of the Verna Mize Triathlon from this summer is looking at also organizing a winter triathlon that would include running, biking, and skiing. The event would be slightly more expensive to host, but sponsors seem to be enthusiastic, according to the organizer. The same person is also working on a proposal for waterfront-facing signage representing the City of Houghton.
City manager update on construction work around the city
City Manager Eric Waara updated the council about work around the city, including the new roof on the pavilion at Kestner Park, leaks found in the water system during work on College Avenue, the building of a long-stay hotel next to Goodwill, and paving projects around the city.
Work on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge continues, but both northbound lanes should be open for a couple of weeks starting at the end of this week. When they start working on the two yet unfinished lanes, the plan is to only close one of four lanes at a time.
Work on the new pier is progressing with sewer, water, and storm sewer work in September, and then pilings will be driven until the weather shuts down the site.
Waara pointed out that for all the headaches around the city, the construction represents about $20 million in investments, with only a fraction of it coming from the city’s bank accounts.
‘Life After the Deck’ facilitated public engagement planned
Working with a consultant, a public engagement session is being scheduled for Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m. That’s an off-week for the council. An agenda and location have yet to be set. Remote access is not currently planned.
One-year Waste Management contract approved with 4% increase
The contract was extended as-is with the intention of possibly re-bidding the service or changing the contract during that time. The contract originally had a 3% increase per year in it. Councilor Brian Irizarry asked if there was a viable alternative to Waste Management, and City Manager Eric Waara said there wasn’t at this time. The vote to extend was unanimously in favor.
Public hearing set for rural development grant for patrol vehicle
The hearing will take place at the Sept. 22 council meeting. The grant will cover a little more than half the cost of a new patrol vehicle for the police department, leaving the rest of the cost to the city.
Other Houghton news:
Fall clean-up dates will be Oct. 1 through Oct. 31.
Parade of Nations will take place Sept. 18, with an altered parade route from Franklin Square to Kestner Park, due to bridge construction.