The Ishpeming City Council will decide whether to spend $4,500 to replace portions of sidewalk on Pearl Street between Second and Fourth streets during a special meeting Wednesday morning. Funds from the city’s $10.7 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development water infrastructure project cannot be used to replace the sidewalk. (Journal photo by Lisa Bowers)

ISHPEMING — The Ishpeming City Council will consider eight agenda items during a special meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The council will consider a resolution to finalize its 2019 goals in order to provide direction to staff as they formulate the city budget for the upcoming year.

Some of the 2019 goals, if approved by the council, include additional street repair projects; investigate development and/or sale of property on Malton Road, Hematite Heights and other city-owned land; continue vigorous code enforcement as it pertains to rental, blight and other ordinances; seek improved ways to communicate with the public regarding city business; and develop and implement a plan to resolve the unfunded liability in the Municipal Employee Retirement System pension plan.

The agenda item also includes discussion of the city’s capital improvement plan for 2019 through 2024 as required through the Michigan Planning Enabling Act. Among the items on the capital improvement plan are the Lake Bancroft Area pavilion project and public works vehicle purchases in 2019, a tennis court and trail project and a new police vehicle in 2020, a downtown park in 2021, Third Street upgrades in 2019 and 2022, a new fire truck in 2023, and new storage for the public works department in 2024, meeting documents state.

The capital improvement plan, or CIP, is not intended to be limited by financial constraints, according to the document.

“It should include reasonable projects that the council seeks to obtain,” the plan states. “During the budget process, plans are constrained by financial reality. Only a portion of the desired CIP will be included in the annual budget.”

Council members will also consider an additional $4,500 expense to replace about 82 feet of sidewalk and driveway surfaces on Pearl Street between Second and Fourth streets.

The span was identified as a possible area of concern during an inspection related to the city’s $10.7 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development water project on Thursday, according to an email communication from GEI Consultants Project Manager Mark Stoor to Ishpeming City Manager Mark Slown.

The additional work would be “outside of influence” of the USDA project, the email states, meaning the city would need to pay for sidewalk replacement.

Other items on Wednesday’s agenda include a presentation of the city’s 2017 audit, a request from the city of Escanaba for assistance with its dark store appeal to the Michigan Tax Tribunal, and a report on the progress of the sale of city property on Division Street.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-486-4401.