IRONWOOD, MI - Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - The regularly scheduled Ironwood City Commission meeting was held at 5:30 PM, yesterday evening. All Commissioners were present for last night's meeting.

CONSENT AGENDA

The first order of business after the opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the recording of the roll was to approve the Consent Agenda. The Consent Agenda generally contains items that are considered to be routine by the City Commission. The purpose of the Consent Agenda is to save time at Commission meetings. It's quicker and easier to lump all routine matters into one agenda and approve those items collectively than to vote on each of these routine matters individually. Last night's Consent Agenda contained one item – the approval of the minutes of the February 11^th Regular City Commission Meeting. The Consent Agenda was approved unanimously.

STATEMENT OF REVENUE & MONTHLY CASH REPORT

City Finance Director, Julie Frederickson presented and the City Commission placed on file, the Statement of Revenue and Expenditures and the Monthly Cash Report.

According to Frederickson, financially speaking, "We're looking overall in good shape." She went on to say that the relatively large number of fire calls recently have raised the City's expenses to some degree. Two previously approved street grants have increased the City Street fund, Frederickson pointed out, however, these are monies that the City agreed to pay as their share of the grants. She also mentioned that snow hauling was slightly higher this year than last year at this time. Part of the reason, she explained, is that cold snaps have reduced the amount of normal thawing the City usually experiences.

According to the Financial Director, equipment funds are in good shape as well as the water and sewer funds. The Library funds are up quite a bit this year, and that is due, Ms. Frederickson said, in part, to the grants the facility has received. "Elaine (Erickson) has done a terrific job getting grant money into the library, and again, they're almost double the revenue they were last year at this time." Julie said.

The Civic Center is winding down their season and doing very well, Frederickson's report pointed out, and the cemetery fund is relatively stagnant, as it is currently closed for the year.

The Commission had no questions or comments regarding the Statement of Revenue and Expenditures as presented by the Financial Director.

"We're still in pretty good shape!" Frederickson stated as she presented the Monthly Cash Reports, "The General Fund is $1.71 million." She noted that the City will stop collecting taxes on the last day of February. From now until the end of the fiscal year, June 30^th, Frederickson explained, the City's cash balance will be depleted considerably. "There will be no more revenue aside from our State aid coming in." Frederickson alerted the Commission. She pointed out that she provided the Commission with the list of checks issued during the month of January, and she concluded her Cash Report presentation. "Are there any questions?" she asked.

Commissioner Tom Laabs asked two questions following the Financial Director's presentation. A check was issued for underground tank storage insurance. He asked if that was liability insurance against spillage, and Ms. Frederickson pointed out that it was, and that the City paid a yearly premium for such coverage. Then Laabs asked if his "pet peeve was finally going to disappear" – apparently referring to the M-TEC loans the Commission was about to address. Ms. Frederickson answered, "Yes! Hopefully with the right action taken, you won't see that again!" There were no other questions or comments from the Commission.

A motion was made by Commissioner Toth and seconded by Commissioner Lamb to accept the Statement of Revenues and Expenditures and Monthly Cash reports, and the Commission unanimously approved the motion.

PUBLIC SAFETY YEAR-END REPORT

IPSD Director, Robert Erspamer, presented his Year-End Report to the Commission. He pointed out that his report has been out for a couple of weeks already, and that it was given to the local media. He said he would touch on a couple of points, but would not go into detail. (See Related Article.)

Personnel

Detective - Director Erspamer told the Commission that the current IPSD was down from fourteen to thirteen employees. He pointed out that, roughly four years ago, the department decided to remove the position of Assistant Public Safety Director (through attrition) and implement a Detective position. Erspamer said making that change has paid big dividends. He pointed out that Detective Passuello is not only the Assistant Fire Chief, but he also does all of the department's major investigative work. He noted that the Detective does an excellent job focusing on major cases, giving them the attention they deserve.

Dispatch - Erspamer then went on to discuss dispatch. He told the Commission that it's been nearly a year and a half since the City eliminated full-time dispatch at the IPSD. He pointed out that it's working out "fairly well" with 911 dispatch through Negaunee. "Anyone would prefer to have their own 24-hour dispatch," the Director said, "But, I believe that saved us approximately $150,000 by doing that – and also, we cannot do our own 911." He pointed out that the City previously decided to go with Gogebic County who has a 911 Committee and they have a contract with Negaunee Regional to do their dispatching.

Administrative Assistant - "We do have an Administrative Assistant. Her name is Elizabeth Sweeney." Erspamer explained. She spends most of her time assisting with walk-in traffic, record filing, sending out notices, etc. She also assists the City Manager, but according to the Director, she spends most of her time at Public Safety. She is a part-time employee of the City.

Fire Protection

Bob said most people associate Public Safety Officers with police. They seldom consider that they are also firefighters, he noted. One of the department's biggest jobs is firefighting, Erspamer told the Commission.

Wal-Mart - He reminded the Commission that the soon-to-open Wal-Mart has signed an $25,000 per year agreement with the City of Ironwood so that the IPSD is the "first responder" in the case of a fire. He told the Commission that the department toured the facility and they had the best state-of-the-art fire system he has ever seen.

Fire Calls - Last year the City had 49 fire calls, ranging in severity, which is a relatively average number. There were no fatalities in 2007, Erspamer stated, unfortunately there has already been one fatality in 2008. He went on to say that there were no injuries to firefighters which is remarkable.

Ladder Truck - An eighty-five foot ladder truck was donated to the IPSD by owners of the Fishtales Pub and Grub Resort on Lake Gogebic. Director Erspamer pointed out that the truck has already gotten a lot of use and has proven to be a big asset to the department and the City. IPSD officers donated countless hours renovating the truck. Local businesses donated paint and supplies to help restore the vehicle. Rapid Grafiks, Chuck and Juli Anderson, donated the lettering for the new addition to the IPSD fire fleet.

Training - Director Erspamer told the Commission that the officers train monthly, however, they have changed the way they do things. At one time all officers trained together when they were not on duty. But, as a cost savings measure, training is now done separately -- an hour or two here and there -- while the officers are on duty.

Tours - Headstart, pre-school, grade school, home-schooled, and the Cub Scouts kids have all received tours of the IPSD fire station this year. Erspamer explained that these tours are great public relations for the department. The kids enjoy the tours and so do the firefighters.

Programs & Specialized Training

D.A.R.E - IPSD Officer Mike Rimkus is the City's D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer. D.A.R.E. was originally a program that was fully funded by the Federal government. Today there is no funding for the D.A.R.E. program. To save money, Officer Rimkus teaches the program to school kids while on duty. The 5^th and 6^th grade students and their teachers understand in advance that Rimkus may be called away at anytime, should the IPSD need his assistance.

Meth Labs - IPSD officers have all been trained to handle meth lab crime scenes and investigations. There have been three meth lab busts in the City of Ironwood to date. This is the highest number of meth labs busted in any community in the Upper Peninsula. Director Erspamer doesn't believe Ironwood necessarily has more meth use and abuse than any other city in the U.P., he believes his department just takes a more pro-active approach to the problem. "You'd be a fool to think they are not out there, because they are!" Erspamer said. Meth labs are not only very dangerous, they are also very expensive to clean up, according to Erspamer.

G.I.A.N.T. - Director Erspamer reminded the Commission that the IPSD has partnered with other local law enforcement agencies to create G.I.A.N.T. (Gogebic / Iron Anti-Narcotics Team). Erspamer said the IPSD used to have their own very successful drug team, but shrinking budgets and other financial restraints have made it necessary for area law enforcement agencies to pool their resources and get more bang for their buck. G.I.A.N.T. has been very successful to date. Their joint efforts have lead to several busts and arrests. On February 8, 2008, G.I.A.N.T. investigations lead to the arrest of two suspects in Marenisco.

Erspamer told the Commission that the having a strong, active drug enforcement team sends a strong message that our community will not tolerate drug trafficking.

Training - IPSD Director Bob Erspamer explained Monday night that training can be very expensive to the department and the City. He pointed out that the department is always looking for grants to help with the costs. He told the Commission that officers in his department train on: ethics, drugs, domestic violence, firearms qualifications, radar school, and emergency driving. He explained that the IPSD is a member of the Upper Peninsula Law Enforcement Consortium which provides law enforcement training at minimal costs.

Erspamer went on to say, in addition to general training, two members of the department are certified in specialized areas. Sergeant Ron Carpenedo is certified as a Computer Forensic Examiner. In the past, computers involved in crimes had to be sent off to the State police to be examined. Now the department can do it's own examinations of seized computers. Carpenedo is the only certified computer examiner in the Western U.P.

Andrew DiGiorgio is a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. He accepts appointments to inspect child car seats without charge. He is only one of a few such technicians in the U.P.

Grants/Donations - Director Erspamer pointed out that grants have become harder to get recently, but he did mention several that the department was able to garner: a 50% Federal match to purchase bullet-proof vests; a $15,000 smoke detector grant; 9-volt battery give away for smoke detectors; and $18,000 for individual radio equipment.

Additional Police Functions

Events - According to Erspamer, the department again assisted in several parades and special events. Some of these included the Festival Ironwood, the John Jarvi Run, Memorial Day activities, the Gogebic County Fair, Sledfest, IPSD Bicycle Safety Program, Shop With A Cop, Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl-athon (Erspamer was quick to point out that the IPSD defeated the Gogebic County Sheriff's Department this year.) and the Victim Services Law Enforcement Hockey game.

Vehicles - With a few exceptions, Erspamer reported to the Commission that most of the department vehicles were in relatively decent shape. He was concerned however about the high mileage on some of the department's fleet.

Statistics

Erspamer quickly briefed the Commission on the department's new CrimeStar software and he briefly explained that half of the year's stats were posted on the new system and the other half was posted on their old DOS-based L.E.I.R.S. system. I briefed the Commission on how to decipher the statistics provided in his report.

Before ending his presentation, Erspamer told the Commission that he was extremely proud of the public safety staff and that they doing a fantastic job. He pointed out that the large number of fire calls recently (21 to date) are tiring out the force, and will be affecting the department's budget. He also thanked the Volunteer Fire Department for good job they continue to do.

Following his report, Director Erspamer asked the Commission if they had any questions or comments. The only comments came from Mayor Noren, who said he appreciated the fact that Erspamer brought up the Volunteers. Noren also praised the IPSD and Director Erspamer for their "professionalism." Noren pointed out to the Commission that the IPSD is really the public relations people for the City. "If somebody had an issue with the City, and how it's handled," Noren said, "Public Safety's the first one there. And I know my experiences have always been very professional, very courteous. And I thank Public Safety for that!"

PAYOFF OF M-TEC LOANS

In a letter dated February 21, 2008, addressed to the City Manager and the City Commission, Finance Director Julie Frederickson requested that the Commission approve the payoff of a loan the City has with M-TEC.

The letter reads, "Back in 2003 the City of Ironwood entered into an arrangement with M-TEC, through the Northern Lights Initiative Revolving Loan Program, to secure an energy audit to make improvements on the operation efficiencies of the City buildings. As a result, we then, borrowed money to make these improvements that generated utility savings for the City. As part of the program, we agreed to pay M-TEC 50% of our energy savings for the life of the loans."

The letter continues, "The initial loans were for $39,575. The payoff amount as of 2/29/08 is $17,691.69, broken out of the following funds: General Fund $6,337; Library $1,810.60; and the City garage $9,543.97. We are recommending paying off these loans now using operational funds and/or fund balances from the appropriate from the appropriate departments. As a result we will be saving both interest (2%) and future energy savings (approx. $4,000 a year) amounts. We are asking your approval tonight."

Commissioner Bob Burchell had one concern in the matter. That concern was whether or not the loan agreement carried a pre-payment penalty. Julie Frederickson assured Mr. Burchell that no such clause was in effect. With that said, Burchell made a motion to approve the early payment of the M-TEC loan, and Laabs seconded his motion. The Commission unanimously voted to pay-off the loan.

GRANT APPLICATIONS

In other business, the City Commission approved three resolutions to file grant applications. The three grants are for: (1) the development of a four-court Tennis Court System on Ayer Street (on land adjacent to the future MSHDA sponsored Hovey apartment complex); (2) the development of restrooms at Longyear Park; and (3) the development of a Skateboard Park Grant.

Tennis Courts - "I was at a Planning Commission meeting where Jackie Powers, I think she brought up there was something like twelve other tennis courts in Ironwood. Some of them are in dilapidated condition, but why is this going to the new Hovey project? These people aren't paying any taxes to the City or the County. They aren't paying any school taxes. Why is this going to this new development when they were supposed to be doing this stuff themselves? Now you say there's 16 acres of property over there – eight for Hovey and eight for FarmHaus Townehouses – where does the City's property come in? Who owns this property? Where is this property? Where's the land?" this reporter asked.

Chronicle Reporter/Photographer Steve Frank made three points about the issue. (1) He doesn't like to see the City building new things when they haven't taken care of what they already have. (2) There are no provisions for restrooms on the Ayer Street location. Has anyone considered how busy Ayer Street will become once Wal-Mart opens? Do parents really want their kids crossing that busy street to go to the bathroom? (3) Using tax dollars to give a private investor an unfair business advantage isn't right.

Commissioner Toth was the only Commissioner that voted not to apply for the tennis court grant.

Restrooms - Commissioner Tom Laabs expressed concern that the restrooms would be vandalized. George Goerig, a resident that lives near the park, pointed out that strict rules and proper law enforcement can minimize any vandalism problems. He said it isn't fair to hold back progress out of fear that anything new would be destroyed. Commissioner Lamb suggested that the City build a pavilion between the restrooms so that the City could rent out the park to private parties for special events. She also suggested that it might be possible to have volunteers supervise the park.

The Commission unanimously approved the application of the restroom grant.

Skatepark - City Manager Scott Erickson announced to the City Commission that nearly $12,000 has been raised to date for the skatepark. He said the Rotary came up with a sizeable donation for the park, and several local businesses and service organizations have also contributed. He said this money would be additionally used to buy equipment for the park.

The Commission unanimously approved the application of the skatepark grant.

LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR AIRPORT

The City generally produces a letter of support for essential air service on a yearly basis. In an attempt to garner additional support money, the Airport is asking for an additional letter of support at this time.

The City Commission unanimously voted to compose a letter of support for essential air service to the Gogebic-Iron County Airport.

MANAGER'S REPORT

Scott Erickson provided the Commission with his bi-weekly Manager's Report. The general points of his report were:

(1) He announced that there would be an Equipment Committee – Equipment Budget meeting, which will be held next Thursday, March 6th, 2008, at 10:00 AM CST at the DPW Garage.

(2) He announced a Town Hall Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 4^th, 2008, at 6:00 PM CST in the Women's Club Room. It's a chance for citizens to voice their opinions on City matters.

(3) He gave an update on the Alfred Wright Boulevard Project. Work is still scheduled to begin once school is out for the summer.

(4) He updated the Commission on the 2009 Bridge between Hurley and Ironwood Norrie/Poplar Streets. More information will follow as the construction date begins.

That was the end of Scott's Manager's Report.

Tom Laabs asked Erickson if Hurley shared costs on the Hurley/Ironwood bridge project. Erickson told the Commission that Wisconsin DOT usually picked up 85% of similar projects in the past.

OTHER MATTERS

Commissioner Bob Burchell introduced Ian Shackleford to the Commission , and Mr. Shackleford addressed the Commission regarding his efforts to preserve public access to Interstate Falls. For more information go to www.interstatefalls.org.

After Shackleford's address, the meeting was adjourned.

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Jim Albert