Blighted Property, Hovey PILOT & Ladder Trucks on Agenda

IRONWOOD, MI - Sunday, July 26, 2009 - The Ironwood City Commission will be conducting several Public Hearings prior to its regularly scheduled meeting tomorrow afternoon. The first meeting will begin at 4:50 PM. All of the meetings will be held in the Commission Chambers on the second floor of the Ironwood Memorial Building.

The first Public Hearing is before the Board of Zoning Appeals (the Board of Zoning Appeals IS the City Commission in the City of Ironwood). The board will hear comment on a Dimensional Variance request from Vicky Templer for property located at 127 Luxmore Street. The lot has a width of 90 feet. Zoning Ordinances require that 150 feet of width is required for C-3 (Highway Commercial) zoning. Ms. Templer is attempting to open the "Puppy Parlor" pet grooming service at that location.

The remaining five Public Hearings are before the City Commission. The scheduled times for the hearings and their purposes are listed below:

  • 5:00 PM - To hear comment on declaring blighted property at 632 East McLeod Avenue for abatement. The property is owned by Julie Widner, P.O. Box 181, Alexandria, TN  37012.
  • 5:05 PM - To hear comment on declaring blighted property at 213 Bonnie Street for abatement. The property is owned by John Harteloo, 213 Bonnie Street, Ironwood, Michigan 49938.
  • 5:10 PM - To hear comment on declaring blighted property at 124 West Aurora Street for abatement. The property is owned by Donald Morrison, 124 West Aurora Street, Ironwood, Michigan 49938.
  • 5:15 PM - To introduce and Ordinance to amend Chapter 34 of the City of Ironwood Code of Ordinances rezoning 803 North Lake Street from R-1 Residential to C-1 Neighborhood Commercial. This will allow Randall and Deborah Stoltenberg to locate their clock and watch repair business (previously on Aurora Street in Downtown Ironwood) in a house just south of the Theatre North building.
  • 5:25 PM - To hear comment on submitting a grant application to the Michigan Department of Transportation Enhancement Program Fund for Railroad Grade Acquisition.

The regular meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 PM. Following the Opening Prayer; the Pledge of Allegiance; and the Recording of the Roll, the first action to be taken by the Commission will be the Approval of the Consent Agenda. The Consent Agenda is supposed to be a list of mundane, routine clerical duties that shouldn't require discussion or debate. The following items are listed on Monday's Consent Agenda:

  1. Approval of the July 13th Regular City Commission Meeting minutes.
  2. Review and Place on file the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency Meeting minutes of June 18th.
  3. Scheduling a Board of Zoning Appeals Public Hearing for Monday, August 10th at 5:20 PM to hear comment on a dimensional variance request from Thomas and Joy Kraynak, 320 Brogan Street.
  4. Approve distribution of the proposed plan amendment "Ironwood Downtown Blueprint 2009" and adopt resolution #09-20, asserting the Ironwood City Commission's right to approve or reject the proposed plan amendment after approval by the Planning Commission.

Following the approval of the Consent Agenda, the Commission will then receive and place on file the Monthly Cash Reports from Finance Director Julie Frederickson; the will Approve the Agenda; and they will give citizens an opportunity to address the Commission on Agenda items.

The following Old Business Items are scheduled to considered at tomorrow evening's regularly scheduled meeting:

HEMLOCK STREET VACATION - Consider adopting an Ordinance allowing for a portion of Hemlock Street to be vacated.

BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR HOVEY PILOT - Discuss and consider the approval of ballot language for the voters to decide if the wish to allow the City to adopt an Ordinance allowing the City to enter into  a 4% PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreement with Hovey, Companies, LLC.

The proposed ballot language is as follows:

TOWERING PINES/HOVEY COMPANIES 49 UNIT APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT

PROPOSAL TO CHARGE HOVEY COMPANIES A SERVICE CHARGE OF 4% EACH YEAR IN LIEU OF TAXES FOR THE PART OF THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WHICH IS TAX EXEMPT AND WHICH IS OCCUPIED BY OTHER THAN LOW INCOME PERSONS OR FAMILIES SHALL BE EQUAL TO THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE TAXES WHICH WOULD BE PAID ON THAT PORTION OF THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IF THE HOUSING WERE NOT TAX EXEMPT. A MINIMUM OF TWO (2) UNITS SHALL REMAIN TAXABLE WITHOUT INCOME RESTRICTIONS AT ALL TIME DURING THE DURATION OF THIS ORDINANCE FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED THIRTY-FIVE (35) YEARS.

Shall the City of Ironwood adopt an Ordinance to provide for a service charge in lieu of taxes for a proposed multiple family dwelling project for persons of low income, moderate income, income levels (HUD-2006) guidelines to be financed or assisted pursuant to the provisions of the State Housing Development Authority Act of 1966, as amended.

YES (  ) 

NO (  )

BLIGHT & ABATEMENT - After establishing and approving the ballot language for the Hovey PILOT proposal, the City Commission will then take action on the blighted properties discussed during the public hearings. The following properties will be discussed: 632 East McLeod Avenue; 213 Bonnie Street; and 124 West Aurora Street.

MDOT GRANT APPLICATION - The Commission will decide what action to take on the MDOT Transportation Enhancement Program Fund for Railroad Grade Acquisition discussed during the Public Hearing.

PAYMENT IN LIEU OF HEALTHCARE COVERAGE - The Commission will consider a resolution to authorize a Payment in Lieu of Healthcare Coverage Policy for current and future early retirees.

RESCINDING HMG to MSP - The Commission will discuss and consider rescinding the Hazardous Mitigation Grant to the Michigan State Police.

FARMER'S MARKET -  The Commission will make a decision to consider waiving the Merchants Annual Fee for a Farmer's Market to located at the Depot Park. DIDA Chairman George Goerig proposed the idea of hosting a Downtown Farmer's Market. A final decision on the market date will be made at the next DIDA meeting at the end of August. This means the market will be held sometime in early to mid-September at the earliest. At the DIDA meeting businesswoman Mary Waits tried to make the DIDA aware of the time constraints, but Chairman Goerig would not allow her to speak at the meeting.

USED LADDER TRUCK - The City Commission will hear a presentation by IPSD Director Bob Erspamer regarding the possibility of purchasing a 1982 Pierce Platform Ladder Truck in the amount of $39,000 from the Stevens Point Wisconsin Fire Department. Previously, the IPSD received a donation of a 1969 85-foot ladder truck from the owners of Fishtales Pub and Grub on Lake Gogebic. The donated ladder truck has proven to be a life-saving, property-damage-reducing work-horse for the Department, however, it is 40 years old.

ADVERTISING FOR BIDS ON 1969 LADDER TRUCK - The Commission will also be given an opportunity to discuss and consider placing the IPSD's 1969 Ladder Truck up for bids. The minimum bid will be set a $4,000. IPSD officers put countless hours into restoring the used vehicle. Local businesses donated the paint and supplies to help restore the donated Ladder Truck and Rapid Grafiks, Chuck and Julie Anderson, donated the lettering.

BEFORE GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION - Before going into closed session to discuss the status of contract negotiations with AFSCME, Local 1538 and also discuss matters exempt for State Law, the Commission will hear the Manager's Report; discuss Other Matters: and is scheduled to all Citizens wishing to address the Commission a chance to do so. Although the Agenda states the Commission will consider possible action with the AFSCME, Local 1538 Union when the return to open session, it appears that will be unlikely.