IRONWOOD, MI - Tuesday, July 29, 2008 - The Ironwood City Commission met yesterday evening at 5:30 PM in the Commission Chambers on the second floor of the Memorial Building.

After the meeting was called the order, Mayor Noren lead those in attendance in an opening prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll was called and all five Commissioners were present.

Through the consent agenda, the minutes of the July 14th regular City Commission Meeting were approved and the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency Meeting Minutes of Jun 19th were reviewed and placed on file.

Other actions taken by the Commission:

• They received and placed on file from Finance Director, Julie Frederickson, a Statement of Revenue & Expenditures and the list of  Monthly Cash Reports. Tom Laabs questioned the replacement of a skylight in the Theatre building, and was told that the repairs were needed; turned into insurance; and reimbursed throug the insurance company. No other issues were brought up regarding the Finance Director's reports.
• They listened as former Mayor Tom Yelich paid tribute to past City Manager/Finance Director George E. Anderson who passed away on Saturday, July 19, 2008. Bruce Noren presented a plaque from the City for George Anderson's years of dedicated service to Yelich to pass along to the Anderson family.
• They discussed and considered disbursement of a $3,000 Wal-Mart Cultural Enrichment Grant, voting to award the grant equally to the Civic Center; the Carnegie Library; the Ironwood Theatre; and the Ironwood Historical Society. 
• They were to have discussed and considered a request from the Ironwood Theatre Board waiving the 2008 liability and property insurance cost of the Historic Ironwood Theatre. Since nobody from the Theatre was present, due to a misunderstanding of the date and time of the meeting, the issue was tabled.
• They considered and accepted Mayor Bruce Noren's appointment of Kathy Dishaw to the Recreation/Cultural/Life Enrichment Committee (Parks and Recreation). Dishaw was approved by the Commission to fill a vacancy on that Committee created by the resignation Joe Karius.
• They received and placed on file the City Manager Scott Erickson's Report which included the following:
• Alfred Wright Boulevard project is "moving along nicely" according to Erickson, even though there have been some "minor inconveniences" to area residents as they are without water daily.
• A preconstruction meeting for the Greenbush Street project was held Monday morning and construction is sheduled to begin August 13th.
• This Saturday from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM there will be a work bee to begin work on the walking trail around the Cemetary.
• Two Facade grants for downtown businesses have been awarded and the Community Development office is working on a third phase of the grant program. Approximately twenty downtown businesses are expected to take part in this third phase of the program.
• Walgreens has opened and Erickson reports that the new business is a welcome addition to the City of Ironwood. Erickson mentioned that he met the manager of the new store and he was a very nice man.
• The State-mandated City-wide reappraisal process has begun. The "leg-work" is taking place at the Memorial Building and the appraisal company has been doing research to make the project run efficiently once the appraisal crews arrive.
• The City has received the $10,000 check from the Tony Hawk Foundation for the Ironwood Skate Board Park. The money has been deposited in a City account. Erickson told the Commission that the hold-up to building the park now is waiting for the Department of Natural Resources grant to be approved
• Tom Laabs asked if there was any progress on the Josephson's Nursing Home project because he was concerned that the deadline for funds the City applied for in their behalf might have passed. Community Development Director explained that there have been setbacks, including the fact that estimates came in considerably higher than anticipated. He said the developers are considering a tw0-phase plan that will make some, but not all, improvements in the first phase.
• They heard Lowell Street resident David Kytola voice a complaint. He told the Commission that his yard floods periodically -- especially any debris gets lodged in the gutters. He said the problem began shortly after the Lowell Street project was completed and, for the past year, he has been trying to get the problem resolved through City Manager Scott Erickson. The Tom Laabs asked several questions regarding the problem. He said there are only three things that can be done to eliminate the water issue -- drop the gutters, raise the curb, or raise the driveway. Kytola said several of his neighbors are experiencing problems as well, and Scott Erickson told him a year ago that he would look into some kind of an epoxy resin that would solve the problem. Kytola said he went online for 1/2 an hour and realized that there is no such epoxy that would do the job. Mayor Bruce Noren told Kytola that he would have City Manager Erickson look into the problem. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Noren's solution to Mr. Kytola's problem reminds me of an old ad for Muslix Whole Grain Cereal. The ad said, "If you aren't 100% satisfied with Muslix we will give you a FREE box of Muslix! Gee thanks!)
• They listened to Louise Demasi speak and urge them to get involved in the negotiation process for the IPPA. She said that in the past it was common practice for two Commissioners to sit in on the negotiations. She asked why that is no longer done. She said a lot could be learned by the Commissioners if they could see the process first hand.
• They heard Steve Frank's address expressing concern for the badly delapidated, blighted buildings he had seen on his walking tour that day. He told the Commisson that the City needs to start addressing these buildings as they are creating an attractive nuisance, and somebody could get seriously injured if ignored. He said there tends to be an over-reaction to minor blight problems and a total disregard for the serious ones within the City. He told the Commission how the Rainbow Bar was open to the public; rat and bug infested; structurally questionable; probably a good candidate disease incubation; a welcome invitation for indigents and drug manufacturers. He said the bar was left as it was the last day it was opened -- including half-empty bottles of alcohol still stocked on the shelves. He mentioned buildings with holes in the roofs; unsafe outside stairways; and other serious blight issues that have obviously gone unquestioned. The Commission thanked him for his comments.
• And finally, in Closed Session, they discussed and considered the status of contract negotiations with AFSCME Local 1538 and Ironwood Professional Police Association Union.

Jim Albert