By LISA BOWERS

Journal Staff Writer

ISHPEMING — The Ishpeming Historical Society has the backing of the Ishpeming City Council to restore a historic landmark along Jasper Street.

The Ishpeming City Council voted unanimously at a June 5 meeting to support the historical society’s efforts to restore a 120-year-old wall that was damaged during the city’s $10.8 million water infrastructure project.

The motion stopped short of any monetary support from the city for the project, however.

A. Lindberg and Sons, the contractor for the city’s water infrastructure project, removed a portion of the wall in August for the disposal of construction spoilage into the former Schoolhouse Mine.

After public outcry, the contractor agreed to restore the area at the conclusion of the water project by providing landscaping and constructing a pocket park, but did not offer to restore the wall at that time.

IHS President David Aeh laid out the historical society’s requests in a May 1 letter to the city, which include full restoration of the portion of the wall that was destroyed, placement of historical plaques attesting to the history of the location and the wall, restoration and maintenance of the side of the wall owned by the city, and a plan for maintenance and signage of the path leading to Jasper Knob.

Councilor Pat Scanlon, who made the motion, said the historical society deserves the support of the council.

“Personally, I think the last thing we need is another pocket park or anything that we have to maintain,” Scanlon said. “So I go along with the historical society. It (the wall) was not intended to be torn down in the first place, so that was the first mistake. We had a police investigation, we had a city investigation, I don’t know what Lindberg was planning, but we should have an answer.”

Councilors also heard the city’s 2018 audit report presentation.

The council also approved, in a 3-2 vote, an adapted employment contract with City Attorney Bonnie Hoff. The updated agreement contains a provision to include Hoff in the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System benefit plan.

Councilors also:

≤ Approved a $9,995 expenditure for the purchase of two in-car computers for the Ishpeming Police Department. The purchase was included in the city’s 2019 budget.

≤ Voted to change the city’s internet provider from Spectrum Business to Peninsula Fiber Network.

≤ Approved the second reading of an amendment to the city’s solid waste disposal ordinance. The updated language allows residential landlords who own two or more shared boundary lots with a total number of three or more apartments to have the option to use the city’s solid waste collection services or procure their own solid waste collection services, such as a private dumpster.

≤ Approved payment of about $9,000 to A. Lindberg and Sons for work the company did to create a sandbag berm to prevent Mud Lake water from flowing into a broken sewer pipe at the Park Street Lift Station on May 16.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.