Design Plan for Repairs to City's Cracked Water Tank Expected by June
By Ryan Schlehuber

A plan to repair the city's water tower in Evergreen Shores may be ready as early as the second week of June, reported City Manager Eric Dodson during St. Ignace City Council's brief meeting Monday, May 21.

The tower cracked along its base during a blizzard in February, resulting in the evacuation of three nearby homes. Pittsburgh Tank and Tower of Pennsylvania, the company hired by the city to install a 26.6-foot extension to the tank's stem, has yet to be given its final payment of $80,000 by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The tribe will hold the payment until the problem is permanently resolved.

The tribe is paying for the extension because it will service its new hotel and casino on Mackinac Trail.

Mr. Dodson said Pittsburgh Tank and Tower is designing plan to wrap a layer of steel around the weak area, a suggestion St. Ignace resident and industrial technology engineer Fred Schlehuber made to the city at an April city council meeting.

Dixon Engineering of Lansing has taken over supervision of the repair. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Tank and Tower continues to disappoint council members, who, at the meeting, questioned why the city has yet to receive test results from the company to explain why the tank failed.

Councilman Don Gustafson questioned how Pittsburgh Tank and Tower can proceed with a plan when it does not know the results of the failure analysis test.

"It's like in medicine, before you decide on surgery, you need the xray," he said. "I think before we do this wrap-around plan, we need to find out the results of the failure analysis."

Pittsburgh Tank and Tower said the steel used on the tank was good, Mr. Dodson reported, however, he said it was never actually tested by the company. He told Council he is confident Dixon Engineering will see the project to a sound completion.

"Dixon is our agent," Mr. Gustafson said, "but Pittsburgh Tank needs to stand behind its product."

Council's Utilities Commiggee will meet to discuss Don Lawson's request to relieve him of "readiness to serve" utilities charges to three lots he owns in St. Ignace. Ameeting date has yet to be set. At the meeting, he said he has buildings on each lot but does not use water or sewer on any of them and has had the meters removed. He calls the "readiness to serve charge" a "rip-off charge."

"I've been paying approximately, with interest, about $200 a month for each place," he said. "It's cleaning me out of my money and I would like it changed so you will stop sending me bills."

Readiness to serve charges are required for each property owner by the bond holders to insure the city will collect enough money to pay off the bonds. The bonds were sold to finance construction of city utilities.

Meeting Mr. Lawson's request would necessitate an amendment to the city's ordinance on its readiness to serve policy.

The city is already in violation of its bond restriction, said Mr. Dodson, as it has no money reserved in its sanitary sewer disposal debt fund, which is supposed to contain $244,000, equal to the amount of one payment.

"If [the billing] keeps on, I'll remove the buildings and my property value will go down, and the city loses money," warned Mr. Lawson. "Always keep that in mind."

Dennis Kundinger Sr., owner of Wolverine Fireworks Display Company (formerly Kundis Fireworks Display Shows) of Kawkawlin, was issued a permit to display fireworks at the Fourth of July celebration this year for approximately $7,500, the same price as in past years.

The city is in its fourth and final year of its contract with Mr. Kundinger.

Councilman Merv Wyse spoke on behalf of Chamber of Commerce Director Janet Peterson, thanking the city for supporting the Chamber's first mud run near Little Bear East Arena and Community Center Saturday, May 19.

"It was not as big of a turnout as we expected, but the course was good," said Mr. Wyse, noting cold weather on the day of the outdoor event.

The Chamber's next two mud runs this summer should draw bigger crowds because they will be in the middle of the tourist season, when there are more people here and warmer days, said City Treasurer Eugene Elmer.

The city did not receive any complaints from residents about noise from the mud run.

"The longest run was 28 seconds," said Mr. Wyse. "I think it went very well. It's in a good spot."

The Midland Community Center has donated used nets for the city's tennis court on the corner of Truckey and Spring streets, Councilwoman Susan Massaway reported, and the St. Ignace Community Foundation has awarded $3,000 for the tennis court repairs, she added.

A new small plaque is displayed on the mayor's gavel box, showing a list of mayors of the city since 1883, the year St. Ignace officially became a city. Mayor Grondin is donating a framed list of the city's past clerks, attorneys, managers, and council members to be displayed at City Hall.

Council approved Susan Cook's request for a taxi cab driver license. Originally from Carleton, she now resides in St. Ignace.

Containers have been installed at the St. Ignace Public Marina for disposal of cigarette butts, reported Mr. Elmer, who supervises the facility. Even though the facility is smokefree, Mr. Elmer said he would rather have someone throw cigarette butts in a contained area rather than on the wooden decks. Staff radios and a work boat's motor have been upgraded. Mr. Elmer said he received newer radios from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. The old boat motor, he said, cost $2,000 and was traded in for $1,900. The new motor was purchased for $500.