Council Declares Hiring City Intern Was Legal
32 Stiffeners Will Be Added to Water Tower
By Ryan Schlehuber

Aresident's concern about of the hiring of a St. Ignace councilman's daughter for a paid summer internship at the city's Recreation Department dominated discussion at City Council's meeting Monday, October 1, but Council declared it had not violated the city charter and that the city manager offered the job in good faith. Council also learned that 32 stiffeners will soon be added to the city's repaired water tower, which is expected to complete an emergency repair project that has been underway since February.

In August, a council member charged that the city manager violated the nepotism clause in the city charter when he paid the daughter of a councilman for work with the city recreation department. That resulted in a new policy for hiring college interns, but the nepotism issue was never resolved. Monday night, St. Ignace resident Barb Ryerse, during public comment, questioned Council about whether hiring Gina Della- Moretta, daughter of Councilman Tom Della-Moretta, was a violation of the city charter's anti-nepotism law, since Miss Della-Moretta was paid $1,600 for working 12 weeks as an assistant at the Recreation Department. She also asked what Council is going to do about it, if there was, indeed, a violation.

After several minutes of discussion and finger-pointing among city officials on the topic, including discussion from Mr. Della-Moretta and City Manager Eric Dodson as to how she was hired, city attorney Prentiss "Moie" Brown Jr. said the payment to Miss Della-Moretta was legal since she was hired as an intern, and not an employee, which Mr. Dodson said would have violated not only the city charter, but state and federal wage regulations, as well.

Mr. Dodson believes his actions and intentions to hire Miss Della- Moretta were legitimate, however, "it became more muddled when you pay someone," he said.

Councilman Don Gustafson described the entire ordeal as "very gray."

"It's pretty clear, at least in my mind, that we would've violated something else if she was quoted 'employee,'" he said. ". . .I think clearly this falls under the question of stipend-internship, and the question becomes, Is that permissible or non-permissible in the charter to hire relatives of Council members as interns?"

Councilwoman Susan Tamlyn- Massaway, whose own daughter had been denied work at the marina because of the nepotism rule, and who brought up the issue in August, pointed out that the city's Recreation Advisory Committee was not notified of the payment to Miss Della-Moretta.

Mr. Della-Moretta, in defense, said he did approach several Council members, Mr. Dodson, and Mr. Brown about the internship, however, he said he does not recall whether he informed them it was to be a paid internship.

"I knew in January or February that it was going to have some money exchanged, so I would hope to assume that I said so," said Mr. Della-Moretta, when questioned by Mrs. Tamlyn-Massaway. "I can't tell you, specifically."

Mrs. Ryerse said she understood from newspaper accounts that Mr. Brown had previously said it was a violation. Mr. Brown said, "you can't depend upon the newspaper" to report his opinion correctly, and that he gave Council a written opinion which, he said, did not say that paying Miss. Della-Moretta violated the charter. He offered to provide that written opinion to Mrs. Ryerse.

The St. Ignace News, which did not receive a copy of Mr. Brown's written opinion, relied on Mr. Brown's oral statements, which were recorded. In his public comments September 4, he told Council that any payment to Miss. Della- Moretta could conceivably be challenged as a wage, and that the city would be less vulnerable to such charges in the future if it had an internship policy.

Mayor Paul Grondin admitted that the $1,600 payment should have been put on the city's expenditure list, which is reviewed by the council, but that its omission was not the fault of the city clerk, as some may have thought. He repeated previous remarks he made on the issue, saying that Mr. Dodson's intentions were to help a college student defray costs for a class.

He also took the opportunity to say that, at no time did he say violating the charter was justified, as it was stated in the September 13 issue of The St. Ignace News.

Mr. Della-Moretta said if his daughter was hired as a city employee, then the $1,600 should be paid back, however, since she was hired as an intern, "regardless of money was paid, I believe the termination was that the internship was, paid or not, was not a violation of the charter."

"Do I believe Eric, or myself, or Gina should pay the money back, based on that information? My opinion is no," he added, "because the position was an internship, not employee."

32 Stiffeners To Be Added

to Water Tower

The installation of 32 more steel stiffeners and an interior compressor ring to the city's 100,000-gallon water tank in Evergreen Shores, scheduled to begin Wednesday, October 10, should be the last step in completing an emergency overhaul that began in February.

Les Therrian, director of the Department of Public Works (DPW), reported Monday that Bob Wozniak, who he considers the best design expert in the nation for this kind of tank, suggested adding more stiffeners to the tower's base, which cracked during a high wind storm in February. Mr. Therrian said the crack was caused by improper installation by Kentuckybased Pittsburgh Tank and Tower, now called Phoenix Fabricators and Erectors.

A second compressor ring, explained Mr. Therrian, will tie the stiffeners together from the new extension stem to the bottom of the base.

Repairs are expected to be finished by Saturday, October 13.

There are eight interior, oneinch by six-to-eight-inch steel stiffeners now welded to the base of the 150-foot-tall tower. The additional external stiffeners will be five inches by a three-eighths inch. While 32 may seem excessive, Mr. Therrian said, "they will be narrower and more spread out, and it will make the base of that tower much stronger."

Phoenix Fabricators and Erectors initially installed a 26.6- foot stem extension to the tower last summer but, according to Dixon Engineering, the city's engineering firm overseeing the repairs, the installation crew did not follow the design, thus Council wants to see the project through until the tank is deemed completely safe. The company is absorbing the cost of the repairs, said Mr. Therrian.

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, which donated funding for the tower stem extension, is holding the company's final payment of $80,000 until all repairs are completed to Council's satisfaction.

The function of the water tank, explained Mr. Therrian, is to provide more water pressure to the area and is used as a back-up system for customers in the north area of town, which includes St. Ignace Township and Kewadin Shores Casino and Hotel.

Council has yet to establish any kind of warranty or guarantee with Phoenix.

DDAApplies forWawatam

Park Grants

Another $13,000 will be earmarked from the coffers of the city's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to meet the $210,000 budget for the development project of Wawatam Park, between Star Line's railroad dock and the St. Ignace Public Marina.

DDA Director Deb Evashevski said the state's Department of Environmental Quality notified her that she will only be able to received $25,000 of the $38,000 grant she applied for through the state department.

The DDA, at a special meeting Monday morning, October 1, agreed to pick up the remaining $13,000 to satisfy a requirement for both grants that 36% of the funding be raised locally. The percentage is based on a combined total for both grants.

The development plan will include a walkway and a fishing platform off the south shore of the area, which was a loading dock in the 1900s for railcar and ice-breaking ferries, such as the Sainte Marie and the Chief Wawatam, the park's namesake.

The DDA also applied for a $134,000 grant through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Trust Fund. The DDA will know if it is approved by December, said Mrs. Evashevski.

Some designs were changed to fit the $210,000 budget, Mrs. Evashevski said.

The walkway will be "bricklike" concrete, rather than paver brick, saving the DDA $40,000, and the children's play area will be scaled back to save another $10,000. The $50,000 savings will allow the DDA to include the fishing platform in the development plans.

The DDA raised a total of $51,000 locally, pitching in $23,000 itself, while the other five funding sources include Mackinac County ($10,000), the city ($5,000), the city' DPW ($5,000 of in-kind services), the St. Ignace Kiwanis Club ($5,000), and the St. Ignace Lions Club ($5,000).

The DDA's contribution of $23,000 can be paid in halves, Mrs. Evashevski said, with one half earmarked for its 2008 budget, and the other for its 2009 budget.

Awaits Appraisal Bids

for Star Line Waterfront

Property Offer Requests for proposals for the appraisal of 1.2 acres of Star Line's waterfront property by its railroad dock, which the ferry company is offering for $680,000, will be opened Thursday, October 11, Mr. Dodson told Council.

The board may decide at its October 15 meeting whether to move forward with an appraisal.

The city has been asked by St. Ignace residents to protect the downtown waterfront near Star Line's railroad dock, and Council has been pondering the feasibility of purchasing the property, including applying for public park grants. The city is eligible for a Michigan Land Trust grant that would provide up to 75% of the $680,000 needed to purchase the property.

Council agreed, owing to the time it will take to gather more information, the issue may not be placed on an city election ballot until May or August 2008, since the deadline for the January 15 election is fast approaching.

If the city were to purchase the property, it could expand nearby American Legion Park, preserving the scenic view of Moran Bay and Lake Huron.

Request To Dock Rail

Car Ferry Deferred

Council instructed Mr. Dodson to direct Scotlund Stivers of Sault Ste. Marie, owner of the Motor Vessel Arthur K. Atkinson, a 384- foot-long railroad ferry, to first make the vessel "seaworthy" before he negotiates his plans to bring it to St. Ignace to collect used tires.

Mr. Stivers approached Mr. Dodson with his idea to bring the vessel, now moored at DeTour, to St. Ignace and provide the city's residents a place to bring used tires, which Mr. Stivers intends to recycle in Wisconsin into usable oil.

Mr. Dodson noted that the vessel is not considered "seaworthy" by the U.S. Coast Guard, since it contains asbestos and leaks oil.

Council agreed that tugging the vessel to St. Ignace is not a good idea, either, since the city would be regulated by federal law to keep the vessel in harbor until it is "seaworthy," explained Mr. Dodson.

"There is no way we want it here right now," said Councilman Willie LaLonde.

"I'd rather see it get here under its own power, rather than tugged here," added Councilman Paul Fullerton.

Council agreed that once the Arthur K. Atkinson is cleared to operate by the U.S. Coast Guard, the city's Real Estate Committee can begin a dialogue with Mr. Stivers.

Bus Station Update

Mr. Dodson said the state's plan for building a bus station in St. Ignace is still in the works, however, he warned Council that $300,000 still needs to be cut from the state budget in the next 30 days, so the funds for the station are not guaranteed.

"The plan is to design in the winter with bidding in the spring," said Mr. Dodson, however, "a lot of things in state government are tenuous."

Mr. Dodson said he will have another report in November.

Tennis Courts

Rehabilitation Update Mr. Dodson updated Council on the progress of the rehabilitation project for the city's tennis courts on the corner of Spring Street and Truckey Street.

R.S. Scott, an engineering company doing work for the city, quoted $59,000 to completely redo the tennis courts.

So far, the city's tennis courts committee has secured $3,000 from the St. Ignace Community Fund.

Council agreed that specific projects could be phased in over time as more funding becomes available.

A billboard showing how much money needs to be raised and how much has been raised to date will be erected soon, said Mr. Dodson.

Budget Work Session Set

Council will hold a work session to lay out the budgets for all of its departments for the 2008-09 city budget at 6 p.m. at City Hall Monday, November 5, before its regular meeting that night, which begins at 8 p.m.