The public bathrooms at the city park on Mackinac Island are temporarily closed for repairs and renovations. In the meantime, visitors to the Island can use the restrooms at City Hall on Market Street. Repairs to the city park facility may take about a week, said Mayor Margaret Doud.

City council, at its regular meeting Wednesday, April 27, agreed to fund repairs and renovations to the public bathroom facility. The entire project will be about $10,000, for which the City hopes to use grant money given to the Island by Mackinac County that is supposed to be used to improve roads and public services.

Belonga Plumbing and Heating of St. Ignace will repair a water pipe that froze and ruptured last week, when temperatures dropped down to the low 30 degrees.

Three new sink basins will be installed, as well. They will be equipped with infrared motion sensors that turn on the water faucet when a person places hands under it. The facility’s water heaters will be replaced with larger ones. Also, the ventilation system needs repairing.

Council hired H&D, Incorporated of Bay Shore to repair a 480-foot section of road on Cadotte Avenue, between the French Outpost and Chambers Riding Stables. H&D will patch holes on Main Street and in the Mission area and then repair the Cadotte Avenue section. The project may close down part of Cadotte Avenue for at least three days. A scheduled start date is yet to be determined. H&D submitted a proposal at a cost of $44,864. The city will waive any fees for motor vehicle use for H&D for the project.

New three-year contracts with a 2.5 percent raise from last year were approved by council for City Engineer Dennis Dombroski and Recreation Department Director Leanne Brodeur. Mr. Dombroski, who also is the city’s building officer and zoning administrator, will receive $38.50 per hour, reimbursable expenses, payroll-related fringe benefits, and 80 hours of paid annual leave. Ms. Brodeur will receive $20,190 per year, with payroll-related fringe benefits, and paid leave days.

Council approved 46 business licenses that included five off-Island licenses and three new business licenses.

New business licenses were granted to Jim Fisher’s Mackinac Wheels bike repair and rental shop, John Cherwonka’s Hunters Creek retail and gift shop at Mission Point Resort, and Terri Armstrong, new owner of the Cannonball at British Landing.

Among the renewed business licenses was Fred Dykstra’s Upper Michigan Snack Foods. Mr. Dykstra and the city argued with each other over his vending business, as he was never ordered to purchase a business license during the 22 years he did business on the Island.

Mr. Dykstra is no longer vending beverages on the Island owing to the city’s contention that he must provide a recycling facility near each vending machine. The vending machines themselves, said Mr. Dykstra, are property of Coca Cola in Sault Ste. Marie, and it would be up to that company to remove the vending machines.

City attorney Tom Evashevski said the matters with Mr. Dykstra are resolved. Mr. Dykstra is a vendor for snacks, cigarettes, phone cards, and arcade games.

Department of Public Works Director Bruce Zimmerman announced to council that $130,000 will be put toward repairs to the state dock at British Landing. The funding is from a grant contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The DPW and several commercial operations use the state dock to load and unload large vehicles or materials that cannot be shipped from any dock downtown.

Council directed Mayor Doud to sign a contract and resolution that allows city workers to make repairs, like adding concrete to the dock and installing an adjustable height ramp, making loading and unloading safer.

The project is not expected to begin until September or October.

Council reviewed 22 requests for permits for temporary use of motor vehicles. Three requests were denied and one was tabled for the next meeting. Mackinac County’s frost laws were lifted the day of the meeting, so vehicles are now allowed to drive on city roads to begin construction projects, said Mr. Dombroski.

Roese Contracting of Kawkawlin was denied its requests for two pick-up trucks, one to pull a cable trailer for Ameritech SBC to Veery Heights subdivision near Cadotte Avenue, the other to tow an air compressor. Council argued that could be done by horse-drawn drays.

Richard Chaffee was denied use of a 17-foot U-Haul truck to move household goods from his home on Spring Street to the Arnold Transit dock downtown to ship off-Island. Council, again, argued the job could be done by horse-drawn dray.

O’Boyle and Company’s request to use a large lift vehicle for repairs to Ste. Anne’s Church was tabled. Council had concerns with the company blocking off part of the road during for the project. O’Boyle requested a permit for 60 days, between May 24 and June 22.