Craig Cugini, city manager, city of Ishpeming

ISHPEMING — The city of Ishpeming is getting closer to passing its 2024 budget.

The Ishpeming City Council held a public hearing to discuss the proposed 2024 budget and hear from the public on Wednesday. Councilors Elizabeth Firby and Renelle Halverson were both absent, so the council tabled the discussion until all members were present.

Several residents spoke during the public hearing, including Mike Tonkin.

He said the city needs to “straighten their priorities” and stop “building things they (the city) can’t maintain.” Tonkin brought up the city spending over $300,000 for the Brasswire Campground that he said “wasn’t needed.”

“We need to get back to the basics. We need safe streets, safe water, safe sewage systems and let’s get things straight again,” he said. “We’re out wandering around looking for projects and things, we’ve got so many little things that need to be taken care of.”

Marilyn Andrew, resident and member of Friends of Ishpeming Carnegie Library, spoke in support of the library’s request for additional funds in the proposed budget. Part of that increase would allow for the children’s librarian to move from part-time to full-time.

“This would be very beneficial as there are more families with children using the library all the time,” Andrew said. “In Ishpeming, we should be doing whatever we can to keep families with children in our city. One thing we can do is support the library and its programs, which offer many programs every week for youngsters as well as the wonderful summer reading program.”

She also advocated for the tube slide at Al Quaal, saying it’s an “almost unique activity that the city has the capability to offer.”

“If the city is again considering spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on a public relations firm, I suggest that some of that money could better be spent in support of our library’s budget,” Andrew said. “I’m concerned that there doesn’t seem to be anyone in city administration able to keep the public informed about city affairs, if that’s the reason for outsourcing this task.”

The Ishpeming City Council plans to hold a special meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 29, to discuss the 2024 budget. The budget will automatically go into effect on Nov. 30 if the council does not pass the budget at the special meeting.

The entire proposed budget can be found at ishpemingcity.org/departments/finance-department/city-budgets.

At the regular city council meeting on Wednesday, several agenda items were discussed, including the council’s approval to authorize a grant match of 20% to apply for the Redevelopment Ready Communities grant up to the match of $40,000, pulled from the public improvements fund.

“RRC has a lot of money when you’re certified,” City Manager Craig Cugini said. “It has almost zero when you’re not certified.”

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation evolved the RRC toolkit in February 2021 to include two designations, essentials and certified.

“Communities that are small that can’t go to this big full-blown … certified community can still get registered as a certified community under essential, meaning they’ve done most of the tasks under capacity.”

According to MEDC’s website, communities pursuing RRC essentials may request up to $30,000 in funding and communities pursuing RRC certified best practices may request up to $40,000.

Cugini said there is a desire for the city to become certified.

“We’ll jump to essential and work to certified,” he said. “We aren’t going to quit at essential.”

The council also discussed how they would like to present findings from the investigation conducted on the area south of Division Street, across from the high school, to the public.

Cugini said the city has been gathering data through visits to residents’ homes, looking at meters, sewer line scopes as well as taking several photos and videos.

Ishpeming Department of Public Works general foreman Bill Anderson said in the three-block area being investigated, 19 pipes are leaking groundwater.

“You say there’s ground that is seeping, that water is going into the sanitary system, that’s where the problem lies,” Anderson said.

A special meeting will be held to discuss the next steps in December, following the council’s regular meeting. Once the date is finalized, residents can find the meeting date at ishpemingcity.org.

To watch Wednesday’s meeting, visit youtube.com/@cityofishpemingmi987.

Dreyma Beronja can be reached at 906-228-2500 ext. 548. Their email address is dberonj@miningjournal.net.