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Ishpeming council to choose mayor

ISHPEMING — The Ishpeming City Council will hold an organizational meeting to select a new mayor and mayor pro-tem as part of its regular council meeting at 7 p.m. today at Ishpeming City Hall.

Due to an administrative miscommunication, the mayoral seat was not on the Nov. 8 election ballot.

According to Ishpeming City Charter, voters in the city should elect the mayor during each general city election, and only those council members whose terms do not expire immediately following the general election are automatically candidates for the office of mayor.

Council members Justin Koski and Joe Juidici were the only two council members eligible to replace Mayor Mike Tonkin, based on the city charter guidelines.

Koski withdrew his candidacy in July, leaving Juidici as the sole contender for the seat.

In a previous interview with The Mining Journal, Ishpeming City Manager Mark Slown said the city clerk will likely open the December meeting prior to the selection of the mayor.

In addition to the new mayor, the council will welcome new members Karl Lehmann and Stu Skauge, who were elected to four-year terms replacing outgoing council members Claudia Demarest and Mike Tall on Nov. 8. Former Mayor Mike Tonkin was re-elected to a four year council seat as well.

Among other business, the council will also consider city council committee appointments, hear an emergency reading of an ordinance to approve amendment of the tax increment finance boundary for the Downtown Development Authority, hear a reading on two resolutions: one to accept an application for a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone certificate for 100 Wildwood Drive, and the other resolution would add Apple Ridge Drive to the City Street System.

The council will also hear information on a request for qualification committee ranking for the proposed Lake Bancroft Park Pavillion.

The Ishpeming Downtown Development Authority received a $250,000 grant from the Cliffs/Eagle Mine Marquette County Community Foundation in 2015 to build the structure.

A Michigan State University Sustainable Built Environment Initiative made final recommendations for the use of Lake Bancroft Park, Cliffs Shaft Mining Museum and a tract of land donated to the city by Eagle Mine on the corner of Spruce and Euclid streets adjacent to the park last week.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-486-4401. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.

At a glance:

Due to an administrative miscommunication, the mayoral seat in Ishpeming was not on the Nov. 8 election ballot.

According to Ishpeming City Charter, voters in the city should elect the mayor during each general city election, and only those council members whose terms do not expire immediately following the general election are automatically candidates for the office of mayor.

Council members Justin Koski and Joe Juidici were the only two council members eligible to replace Mayor Mike Tonkin, based on the city charter guidelines.

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