Mackinaw City May Adopt Business License
Would Help Protect Rights of Consumers
By Paul Gingras

In response to more than 20 consumer complaints filed this year by visitors and residents of Mackinaw City, the village council has directed its manager, attorney, and members of its staff to draft regulations that will protect consumers from questionable buiness practices. A license to conduct business in the village will require license holders to follow a code that protects consumers from problems such as false or misleading advertising, and it will provide a method by which state laws protecting consumers can be enforced locally, council members said at the Thursday, August 16, council meeting.

Most of the complaints have been made by visitors and concern motels and retail stores, although Village President Robert Heilman and Village Manager Jeff Lawson said they would not release details.

"Too many people are getting ripped off," Mr. Heilman had said at an August 2 meeting.

Some complaints were made to the Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce, others were made to police, and some were made directly to his office, Mr. Lawson said.

While state laws protect consumers from improper business practices, he said, lacking a local business license, the village has no method by which to enforce them. At this point, complaints can be forwarded to the Emmet County or Cheboygan County prosecuting attorneys, depending on the business' location in the village. The prosecuting attorney would then forward them to Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox.

At the August 2 meeting, board members expressed concern that Mr. Cox would not take the local cases, and Trustee Sandra Planisek speculated that tourists on vacation would be unlikely to enter into lawsuits.

Jeff Hingston, former president of the Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce, said that when a complaint against an area business is received by the Chamber, it is forwarded to the business owner. The owner must respond to the person who files the complaint. If not, the business is removed from the chamber roll, he said August 2.

The complaints are "frustrating," he said. "We must do what we can to help make this go away."

Not all businesses in Mackinaw City are on the chamber roll.

In other news, Council voted not to allow the Mackinaw City Triathlon to be staged at Wawatam Park in the future. Parking problems and verbal abuse by racers have plagued the event for three years, Mr. Heilman said, and the council has done its best to work with organizers, but problems have persisted that required the board to act.

No action was taken on a request by Cheboygan County for village participation in its recycling program. The county would charge each household in the Cheboygan portion of the village $24 a year to pay for maintenance of recycling drop sites and for processing recycled material. The council discussed paying $7,500 for all 312 households, but chose to forgo the plan because there would be no drop-off station within the village limits. Members also noted that Emmet County will have a recycling station in the village soon, behind the high school, which will be accessible to all village residents. Most likely, it will be installed this spring, Mr. Lawson said.

Council accepted a $264,523 bid from Fox Excavating of Brimley for a sewer project on South Huron Avenue, where sewer lines will be replaced along a half-mile stretch from Wawatam park to the state dock. Members noted that the bid was low. The project was estimated at $309,000, Mr. Lawson said.

In a related matter, council approved a $28,600 expenditure for construction engineering services for the Huron Avenue sewer project. The work will be done by C2AE of Gaylord.

The state has notified Mackinaw City that it will not pay its promised 50% portion of engineering costs for new floating docks at Mackinaw City Village Marina, until the engineering is completed. The state will reimburse the village a maximum of $17,500 when engineering work is done. Council voted to alter its agreement with the state to reflect this change.

Owing to fluctuating lake levels, the village seeks to replace standing piers with floating docks.

Council denied a request by owners of Magic Fashions, who sought permission to use a portion of the street right-of-way on Central Avenue to sell merchandise over Labor Day weekend. In the past, only governmental agencies such as the U.S. Postal Service have been allowed to sell merchandise on public property.

Council opposed the idea, saying it would set a precedent and cited crowded conditions on the sidewalk.

Businesses can request village permission to sell merchandise outside on Labor Day, but only on private property.