All Board Meeting Was a Good Idea, But...

IRONWOOD, MI - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - The City of Ironwood conducted a special meeting on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 5:30 PM in the Auditorium of the Ironwood Memorial/Municipal Building. The purpose of this meeting was to allow members and organizations in the City to interact and get acquainted with initiatives that other groups are heading up.

Representitives of the following groups were present: (1) the Ironwood City Commission (All 5 Commissioners); (2) the Ironwood Planning Commission; (3) the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority; (4) the Ironwood Economic Development Corporation; (5) the Ironwood Industrial Development Corporation; (6) the Ironwood Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; (7) the Blight Committee; (8) the Parks and Recreation Committee; (9) the Pat O'Donnell Civic Center Board; (10) the Gogebic County Economic Development Director;  (11) the Gogebic Community College Board of Directors; (12) the Beautiful Northwoods; (13) the City of Ironwood Department Heads; (14) the Michigan State University Extension/4H Club; (15) the Historic Ironwood Theatre; and (16) the Kiwanis Club.

Groups that were invited, but didn't show included:  (1) the Ironwood Carnegie Library Board; (2) the Community Action Agency Continuum of Care; (3) the Ironwood Area Historical Society; (4)  the Gogebic County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors; and (5) the City of Ironwood Housing Commission.

What could have been a very constructive meeting fell far short for several reasons. The Memorial Building Auditorium is not a suitable venue for public meetings without the benefit of proper voice amplification. Between the crowd chatter and the room's poor acoustics, it was practically impossible to hear those that spoke at the meeting.

Also, had the "brief introductions" of each of the boards and groups been typewritten and handed out to all those in attendance, it would have saved a considerable amount of wasted time and energy. I'm sure it came as no surprise to anyone that the blight committee concerns itself with blight; the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority is supposed to deal with Downtown business issues; or that the theatre offers plays and performances, for example.

The concept of a joint meeting of all the City's committees, commissions and groups was intially suggested by Steve Frank. Mr. Frank believed that joint meeting would enable groups to freely interact and openly discuss issues that each are dealing with. Gathering a full understanding of the goals and the direction each group is taking could eliminate duplicated efforts and would put every group "on the same page."

Currently the City of Ironwood is a disjointed group that seems to have no direction or purpose. There are many groups that have good intentions within the City, however, they are often going in opposite directions, therefore hindering progress for everybody. One good example is the "greenspace" Penokee Mine area along Ayer Street. The Mayor wants the area to be turned into the next "downtown" region, filling the region with retail shops. The Planning Commission wants to zone the area "light industrial" to promote jobs. And the Parks and Recreation Committee wants it to remain greenspace and be used for recreational purposes. Each group is "moving forward" with their independent plans. Each of the plans are going in different directions.

After the  introductions were complete, City Manager Scott Erickson tried to duplicate an exercise that he successfully demonstrated for the DIDA. Unfortunately, because of time constraints, the attempt was not effective.

The most important problem the City of Ironwood currently faces, is the lack of communication between groups within the City. It's that simple! The City, as a whole is technically challenged. A central website that featured sections devoted to each of the groups, committees, commissions and authorities would greatly streamline operations. Each of the groups could post their minutes, agendas, bulletin boards and calendars.

Last night it was mentioned that the Ironwood Daily Globe is a big part of the community's problem. Failing to accurately report what goes on at various meetings throughout the City does cause major problems. I urge readers of this site to visit the Daily Globe's site and count how many times Steve Frank's name is mentioned in their DIDA and City Commission meetings. At most DIDA meetings, Mr. Frank does the majority of talking. He is constantly offering suggestions and ideas to improve the downtown. He's a DIDA member, but, since Joe Karius -- publisher of the Globe -- doesn't like the man, his words NEVER appear in the paper. Likewise, Frank has addressed the City Commission at almost every meeting. Good luck finding his name mentioned or even his ideas.