Appraisal Bid Gets City's OK
For Potential Star Line Property Offer
By Ryan Schlehuber

G.R. Gotshall Associates' bid to appraise 1.2 acres of waterfront property near American Legion Park was approved by St. Ignace City Council by a vote of 6-1 at its regular meeting Monday, October 15. The $3,350 fee will be split between the city and its Downtown Development Authority.

Council received two bids for the independent appraisal of Star Line's property, which the company has offered for $680,000. St. Ignace appraiser Robert Boynton of Michigan Venture Capital was the second bidder, offering $1,000 to do the appraisal.

Councilman Don Gustafson disagreed with Council's decision to accept the higher bid, stating that Mr. Boynton's offer met the city's requirements and is less.

"I agree that the property issue should go forward, but Michigan Venture Capital did meet our criteria," said Mr. Gustafson.

Council approved the recommendation of its Real Estate Committee to go with the higher bidder, owing to Gotshall's relationship with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), from which the city hopes to get some of the purchase money.

City Manager Eric Dodson said the Real Estate Committee based its decision to choose Gotshall on its experience with the DNR and its timeliness to submit the appraisal to Council, rather than just on the proposed price for the work. Glenn Gotshall, in his letter to the city, said he would complete the appraisal on or before November 30.

Star Line has contended the city more or less condemned the use of the property when it denied a plan to construct condominiums at the site last winter.

Council, if it decides to purchase the property, is eligible for a DNR Trust Fund grant, which could pay 70% of the cost. Council is required by the DNR's grant guidelines to have two appraisals on the property. Mr. Dodson said the amount of grant funding will be determined by what the two independent appraisals conclude.

Asecond appraisal will be done later, Council said.

Candidate Questions Budget Procedure

Council will bring the issue to a public vote in May, holding public hearings first about whether to protect the scenic downtown waterfront or to keep the property on city tax rolls.

Mary Elizabeth Nichols, one of the six candidates vying for one of the three seats on the city council in next month's election, questioned why Council has not prepared a recommended budget, as the city's charter requires. Council members said that preparing a budget now would be meaningless, since many of the departments are still preparing their own budgets.

Council did not take any action on Ms. Nichols' request to amend the charter to reflect today's budget preparation practices, however, Councilwoman Susan Tamlyn- Massaway said amendments to the charter are long overdue.

"Our charter needs amendments, but our city managers and mayors don't ever want to deal with it," she said. "There are simple things like this in the charter that need to be amended."

Council has scheduled a budget work session for 6 p.m. Monday, November 5, before its next regular meeting.

Painting To Be Done on Water Tower

Council can now begin to see the end to the work on its water tower in Evergreen Shores.

Les Therrian, director for the Department of Public Works, said workers from Phoenix Fabricators and Erectors will be painting the tower as soon as the weather clears. Landscaping will be done to the site, as well.

Before Phoenix is paid in full by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, which funded the installation of a stem extension to the tower to benefit St. Ignace Township and the tribe's expanded operations there, Council needs to agree on a warranty of Phoenix's repairs to the tower, which was needed after the base of the tower cracked during a February wind storm. Phoenix also owes the city about $5,400 for use of city workers.

Mr. Therrian believes Council will be able to make a final decision on the repairs to the tower by December.

Request To Dock Railroad Ferry Denied

Council agreed bringing the Motor Vessel Arthur K. Atkinson, a 384-foot-long railroad ferry, to St. Ignace to gather old and used rubber tires from the community for recycling is not in the best interest of the community.

Mr. Dodson said he looked over the vessel, which is docked in DeTour, and said it is full of asbestos, trees are actually growing through the deck, and it does not run under its own power.

"The guy said it is seaworthy, but I cannot, in good conscience, recommend it to be on our waterfront," said Mr. Dodson.

"It is at odds with our attempt in keeping our waterfront beautiful," said Councilman Tom Della- Moretta.

Briefs

Mr. Dodson said he has been in contact with legislators to discuss the possibility of the state reviving its prisoner community work program, however, he said $4 million still needs to be cut from the state's budget by the end of the month. The work the prisoners do for the city, he noted, would cost eight times more if done by civilian labor.

Mayor Paul Grondin, who works as a day-shift sergeant at Kinross Correctional Facility, said the word around the facility is that the program will not be reinstated, at least until April.

Mr. Dodson and Mayor Grondin are planning to meet with officials from the City of Mackinac Island, Village of Mackinaw City, and Mackinac Island State Park Commissioner Jim Williams at the end of October to discuss the possibility of the state park becoming involved in the St. Ignace community to, as Mr. Dodson states, "close the triangle of history."

The triangle refers to American, British, and French military establishments in the Straits of Mackinac area. The Mackinac Island State Park Commission has developed British and American historical sites at Mackinaw City and on Mackinac Island, respectively. The French began building Ft. de Buade at St. Ignace in 1683.

Father Williams has been discussing the possibility of establishing an interpretive site at the Father Jacques Marquette National Memorial near the Mackinac Bridge, which is in Moran Township.

Mr. Dodson said he and Mayor Grondin will most likely attended the Commission's next meeting in Lansing in January 2008.

The city's water department is $109,732.44 ahead, improving from $81,000 since the last report by Mr. Dodson. The city will soon have to make a $283,000 bond payment that will dip the water department back into deficit, however, said Mr. Therrian, the payment is 65% of the debt the city needs to pay each year so the city will not be hindered by another big payment until next year.

As for the sewer department, it is still in a deficit by $44,791, though, it has improved by as much as $6,200 since Mr. Dodson's last report.

The city no longer has to make $230,000 payments on a bond for the construction of its wastewater facility and system, as it completed payment last year.

Mr. Therrian said the city sewer department's coffers will have some time to recuperate before the city begins its $4.3 million upgrade to its wastewater treatment system in 2008, that has been required by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. He said upgrades to the city's force main must be completed in 2008, however, partial payment will not begin until 2009.

"By then," said Mr. Therrian, "we're hoping we are where we have to be."

Eugene Elmer, director of the city's public marina and city treasurer, told Council that revenue for the month of September was 20% better than September 2006. He said the marina's revenue for the year is 15% better than last year, though he could not provide Council with actual monetary figures, stating that he does not tally figures until the end of the season. He does not keep count of the number of boats using the facility.

The marina closed Sunday, October 21.