Township to Cut Off Water to Trailer Park

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP, MI - Thursday, June 26, 2008 - At the regular meeting of the Ironwood Township Board on Monday, the board approved to take what ever legal action was necessary to collect the past due utility fees for the Trailer Park located at 10356 Lake Road. There were two significant water line breaks between the meter and the property. The resulting loss water equated to $40,000 owed to the City of Ironwood, which sells the water to the township. The township attempted to get a credit on the bill but the city management refused to give any credit for the loss.

The property was sold by Mr. and Mrs Hughes to Edmund Palmeri, who subsequently sold the property to Jay Stewart. Neither Palmeri nor Stewart have responded to the Township's communications. Monday evening the Township Board voted to go ahead and do whatever is necessary to collect the fees due to the Township. It's alleged that the owner has been collecting water fees from the tenants and not paying the water bill. According to the Township's attorney this may be a cause for criminal prosecution. The township will contact the State Attorney in Bessemer for a decision on the possibility of a criminal complaint against the purchasers. The board also gave the go ahead to disconnect the water service to the trailer park.

In other business Monday afternoon the Township board voted to revise its black top plans for Orchard Road. The board voted to use an alternative method to pave the road, that being "Double Chip Seal" The board felt that Orchard Road would make a good test site for the Double Chip Seal method, which is used a great deal in Wisconsin. The cost savings will permit the Township to used the funds saved from Orchard Road to start the pulverizing process on Nyland Road so that it can be paved next summer.

The board also voted to un-designate (taking down) a $62,000 designated funds on the books for the last 15 years.. The Parks and Recreations reserve was required at the time by the State, however, the money had been spent on the designated project and the reserve take down is a mere formality. In its place the board also approved putting $10,000 back into the account for future grant applications. More information can be found at www.IronwoodInfo.com.

Lou Bonagura

IronwoodInfo.com

(Lou Bonagura is the webmaster of IronwoodInfo.com, a web magazine that focuses on community events throughout the Western Upper Peninsula.)

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Would it be fair to disconnect the water to all the trailers, when each of them have been paying -- month after month -- for their water. The property owner has been collecting funds from the tenants to pay the bill. It is the property owner that is solely responsible for any balance owed.)