DIDA Discusses Blueprint Process, Incubator Program, and Downtown Blight

IRONWOOD, MI - Friday, April 24, 2009 - The Downtown Ironwood Development Authority (DIDA) held their regular monthly meeting yesterday morning. At 8:00 AM Chairman George Goerig called the meeting to order. DIDA Secretary Jane Bowman recorded the roll. All DIDA members were present: Chairman George Goerig; Vice-Chairman Joe Karius; Mayor Bruce Noren; Eva Smith-Furgason; Jackie Powers; Wayne Ozark; Steve Frank; Cory Gresham; and Louise Demasi. Also attending the meeting were Community Development Director Dan Petersen. In the audience were Lily Palmer and City Commissioner Tom Laabs. Representing the press at yesterday's meeting were: Lou Bonagura and Arvo Toolanen for IronwoodInfo.com and yours truly. The Ironwood Daily Globe did not have a reporter at the meeting. 

After roll was recorded, the Authority unanimously approve the amended regular meeting minutes for March 26, 2009. Jackie Powers pointed out that there was a misstatement in the text that need to be corrected. Secretary Bowman made a note of the correction. Approval of the docket was the next item on the agenda.  With a few items added to other business -- an update on Woodtech; downtown lighting; Sharon's Place; and the Follow-Up forms the DIDA previously agreed to be used -- the agenda was approved. Steve Frank expressed an interest in having a special meeting to hear the preliminary findings of HyettPalma.

Following the approval of the docket, citizens wishing to address the Authority on agenda items were given an opportunity to do so. This reporter urged the members of the Authority to speak up as I am hearing-impaired; several of the members were tending to mumble; and the acoustics in the Women's Club Room are abominable. Lou Bonagura, reporter for IronwoodInfo.com agreed. He said he was sitting considerably closer to the meeting table, and was still unable to hear. Chairman Goerig apologized stating that he had a cold, but he would try his hardest to speak up. Bonagura jested, "You, we don't want to hear!"

Goerig asked if anyone else in the audience wished to address the Authority and nobody expressed such an interest.

Dan Petersen then gave a brief update on the Cool Cities Blueprint process. He explained that HyettPalma was in town and has been working the past few days doing field work. They have also been holding issue meetings with City department heads and downtown community organizations. He said to his knowledge there are still no preliminary findings or recommendations available, but he added that they probably would be presented on Friday.

Petersen told the Authority that the consulting firm was quite pleased with the turn-out at the Community Vision Session. He noted that the Preliminary Strategies Meeting was scheduled from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM on Friday in the Women's Club Room. Goals, preliminary findings, and recommendations would be discussed at that meeting. Petersen went on to say that a follow-up meeting will be conducted on May 12th, with HyettPalma. He was uncertain of the time, so that will be announced at a later date.

Petersen thanked everybody for their efforts and cooperation thus far. Louise Demasi explained to Petersen that her deliveries generally come in on Fridays, and that she may have a conflict with the Preliminary Strategies Meeting.

Chairman Goerig added to Petersen's update saying the he toured the downtown with HyettPalma and Scott Erickson ended up getting his vehicle stuck at the Visitor's Bureau. Goerig said they needed to used a front-end loader to get his vehicle out. Goerig said being stuck showed the consultants that things are a bit different here. Construction often needs to start later in the year, in the U.P., due to wet, snowy conditions.

Eva Smith-Furgason said she was pleased to hear the general public mentioning many of the same issues that are often discussed at DIDA meetings. She said she had mixed feelings about the public's perception of the downtown. On one hand, it is good to know that the DIDA members are concerned about many of the same issues as the people they represent -- but, on the other hand, it's frustrating that everybody knows what the problems are, yet nothing is being done to correct them. Smith-Furgason said she hopes that the HyettPalma findings will be a catalyst to make the City start taking the issues and concerns of the people seriously.

With Petersen's Blueprint update complete, the Authority then went on to consider line item amendments to the 2008/2009 budget. Petersen explained that he met with City Financial Director Julie Frederickson to "shuffle funds around" to meet the line items. Petersen briefly explained how municipal accounting is generally done. He said that the bottom line is the important thing, and that individual line items are routinely adjusted to suit the needs of the City. Expenditure allowances are often different than the actual expenses, and changes to the budget need to reflect the reality of the situation.

Petersen went on to say that $1,200 was taken out of the advertising and promotion budget. $200 of that money was placed into education and training and $1,000 went into operating supplies, bringing the total for operating supplies to $1,500. $500 was taken from the  downtown enhancement fund and placed into the Christmas decorations fund. The Authority unanimously approved the budget as amended.

Under Staff Updates, Dan Petersen passed along information about the Small Town Design meeting that will be taking place in Marquette later next week. He explained that the meeting was primarily designed for Planning Commissions, but he noticed several issues to be discussed would be of interest to DIDA members.

In addition, Petersen explained that MSHDA representatives were in town monitoring the Homeowner Rehabilitation Grand and the Rental Rehabilitation Program. Petersen explained that this is good news that MSHDA people are showing interest and that property owners have expressed interest in the programs. Petersen told the Authority that the program is a grant with a 75/25 percent match. The property owner needs only to supply 25% of the funds. A 20% per year reduction in the 5-year tax lien is another aspect of the program.

The Chronicle spoke with Petersen following the meeting and he said that the Rental Rehab Program included many options for improvements. We will feature a report on these options later in the week.

Petersen continued his update by explaining the problems the City has had getting into the Sharon's place building. The keys that were given to the City by the County did not work.  Steve Frank noted that an abandoned boat was blocking the back door of the structure. The Chronicle has learned that the City has gained access to the building, however, and the structure is in extremely poor repair.

Under Other Business, the first topic of conversation was the Woodtech Building and grounds. Dan Petersen explained that he spoke with the owner, Rick Tippet, and he understands that there is a problem. Petersen noted that much of the stacked lumber and concrete forms were on railroad right of way. Tippet has been working to straighten up the area, and he had expressed an interest in utilizing the facade grant program to improve the outside appearance of the structure. Petersen went on to say that financing options are currently being considered and the City may be able to work with Tippet to assist him with the facade improvements.

Petersen indicated that Woodtech would be straightening up the piles of lumber behind their building. In fact, there has been a considerable improvement since Thursday's DIDA meeting.

Jackie Powers suggested that Woodtech's attempts reduce his violation from being a blight violation to being simply a zoning violation. (Outdoor storage of equipment, and goods is forbidden in the City of Ironwood.)

Louise Demasi asked Petersen how much time was Tippet given to get the mess cleaned up. Petersen said there really wasn't a time frame. Demasi told the Authority that she once received a blight notice and was told that she had thirty days to clean up the debris or the City would come by, clean it up, and bill her.

Steve Frank explained why it is important to insist that Woodtech clean up their mess, and why it is imperative that the City keep good records on blight violations. He explained that other downtown businesses have received blight notices and have been given very specific orders to clean up their messes and in a timely manner. They have been charged the fees associated with the notices as well. When Woodtech isn't given a notice; they aren't charged the fees; and they aren't given a deadline -- one could reasonably argue that they are being given preferential treatment. Frank continued by saying that the lack of documentation in this case prevents the City from any future action should there be any additional or reoccurring problems.

Louise Demasi explained to the Authority that she has been uncharacteristically quiet on the Woodtech blight issue. She said, "But, enough is enough! We're beating a dead horse up here! If we feel this board can't do anything, then let's just bring it to the City Commission!"

Demasi continued by saying the topic keeps coming up every meeting and the Authority might as well just get a recording to keep repeating the same thing over and over again. She suggested that a letter should be sent to Woodtech giving them a specific deadline to clean up the mess and outlining the consequences for failing to meet that deadline. "Let's do it! Let's get it over with!" Demasi insisted.

When Vice Chairman Joe Karius asked which businesses have been fined recently.  Smith-Furgason pointed out that other businesses have been given repeated blight notices and have been charged fees for failure to comply with the blight ordinance. She pointed out that the rule of law is, when blight is identified and brought to the attention of the blight enforcement officer, a letter is sent to the offending party. After ten days, if the blight is not corrected there is a second course of action. Smith-Furgason told the Authority that she personally brought up the issue to both the former and current blight officers, and nothing was ever done. She also said she went and met with the current blight officer after the last DIDA meeting. Present at that meeting were Dan Petersen and City Manager Scott Erickson. Even though the complaint was made in front Petersen and Erickson, no action was taken. Eva told the Authority how amazed she was at the way the City conducts business.

Smith-Furgason went on to quote, from the Wakefield Township newsletter, their position on blight: "We currently have identified some blighted properties that have been continual problems for our township despite the fact that we have offered a spring clean up for two years. Our attorney has taken action against one of the offenders with a positive result. Please cooperate because we will be taking action against those who offend. It will be cheaper for you to comply; it will benefit your township; and save the cost of prosecution."

Smith-Furgason said the City of Ironwood takes action on some blight offenders but opts to do nothing for others. She said she is sick of bringing up the Woodtech building and she's sick of being told not to bring up the Woodtech building. She said she is on the DIDA for one reason -- and that's to make our downtown a better place.

Louise Demasi asked Dan Petersen if he wanted to handle the problem or should she bring it to the City Commission. Petersen said he would take appropriate action. Demasi told Petersen that she wanted him to contact her to let her know what action is taken. She said she wanted to know how many days the City is going to give Woodtech to correct the problem.

Jane Bowman attempted to initiate the next issue before the Authority, but was interrupted by Vice-Chairman Karius.

"Now wait a minute!" Karius interrupted, "Well, number one, I said that we have an obligation to deal with downtown issues. The blight issue is a City issue for the blight officer and the City Commission to deal with, number one. I have no objection to following the rule of law, and I assume Eva is quoting it correctly -- but I don't know that -- but I'll accept it.  I think there are literally hundreds of other blight issues in this community, and we have picked one -- so instead of getting preferential treatment to somebody, we've actually discriminated against one particular alleged blight violator. So, I just don't know what we are doing.  There are other blight issues that we ignore. So, my point is, the DIDA is not the blight enforcement or the blight overseer. And why we pick on one business is just beyond me."

Jackie Powers brought up the fact that the DIDA discussed having the new blight officer attend a DIDA meeting so that the Authority could express to him their concerns about blight within the downtown, and once again -- nothing was ever done.

Demasi told the Authority about Sue Murphy's concerns about grass growing downtown. Smith-Furgason said the Contact Form she created was meant to be a tool that documented complaints and allowed for appropriate action to be taken.

Smith-Furgason then addressed Karius' comments stating that customers at her store have often mentioned the appearance of the Woodtech building and that is why she has repeatedly brought up the issue. She went on to say that, even though blight might be the job of the blight officer and the City Commission, the DIDA has an obligation to the district taxpayers to make the downtown as viable as it can be, and blight certainly doesn't help make for an attractive business district. She said that problems need to be discussed, but that they also need to be acted upon. She said without action, the problems will continue to worsen. She said she drove throughout the entire downtown area and she noted that Paulsen's Tire Shop -- which recently went out of business -- was littered with used tires. She pointed out that such blight takes away from the beauty and granduer of the Memorial Building.  She said behind the Woodtech building and the Canadian National Railroad ties were two other stark examples.

Louise Demasi made a motion to instruct Dan Petersen and the blight officer to take action on both Woodtech and Pauslen Tire and to report back to the Authority with an update on the situation. If action isn't done to the liking of the Authority, the matter will be forwarded to the City Commission. The Authority unanimously voted to  approve the motion.

Steve Frank reported to the Authority that the problems with the downtown lighting still persist. He said more often than not the western end of our main street is not lit and that one of the only evening operated businesses is on that end of the street. He said that the lights are on along Suffolk Street in the early morning when they are not needed and they are off when it is dark. He urged that the City take action.

Before adjourning the DIDA had a brief discussion of a possible special meeting. No definitive action was taken however.