City of St. Ignace Begins Review of Charter
Bus Station Funding Becomes Available
By Karen Gould

The 38-year-old St. Ignace city charter will be reviewed over the next three months to find out-ofdate material and identify changes that will make the document more useful to government. The city council, meeting Monday, January 7, said it will also ask for suggestions from the city staff.

"It's our job, as the seven of us, to decide whether or not this document is something we can continue to live with," said Mayor Paul Grondin, "or it's a document that needs to be changed."

Beginning in February, Council plans to discuss the charger during the first meeting of each month; chapters 1 through 5 will be reviewed in February, 6 through 11 in March, and 12 through 16 in April.

In other business, City Manager Eric Dodson said the state has given the city a one-year extension to complete a $5 million upgrade to the 20-year old wastewater treatment system, because grants and funding schedules did not line up. A Michigan Department of Environmental Quality administrative consent order had required the city to make improvements by November 15, 2008. A conflict in requirements from the State Revolving Fund led to postponement of the deadline to July and November 2009.

"The good news about that is the longer we can sit and wait to construct," said Mr. Dodson, "the longer we don't have to pay a bond payment."

The consent order required the city to complete force main work and replace plastic pipe on Reagon Street by November 2008. The extension, said Public Works Director Les Therrian, now moves the work to July 2009. Liners, screening, and other upgrades was moved to November 2009.

Replacement of the gravity sewer line on Portage Street, between Fourth Street and State Street, is being planned, he said, although it now won't begin until 2010 or 2011.

Funding for the planned bus station in St. Ignace is again available, said Mr. Dodson, after the state's budget crisis put the project on hold last year. Because of the delay, the state will need to approve about 3% more funding for the $1.3 project.

"There is no city money being invested in this whatsoever," he reminded Council.

Planned to be built on the corner of Church Street and US-2, discussion now is underway between the design firm DLZ and Indian Trails and an update on the project is expected within the next two weeks.

"I'd like to have this thing built in 2008," he said.

The city is offering Open Meetings Act training February 27 at 2 p.m. in the council chambers, although it could be moved, depending on the number of people interested in attending. The seminar is in response to notice given Council by Mackinac County Prosecuting Attorney Fred Feleppa last November that Council could not meet in executive session to negotiate contracts with non-union employees. The St. Ignace News had charged the city had violated the Open Meetings Act when it gave building inspector Paul Sved an 8% pay increase in September.

Council approved a taxi cab license for Anthony Fehrenbach of St. Ignace.

Awine tasting with music, called "Live at the Pavillion," was approved. Planned for the summer and early fall, the event will take place each Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. beginning July 1 and ending September 30.

Mr. Dodson also gave Council written updates, which were not discussed during the meeting, on several ongoing projects.

Development is underway on the city's Web site with a goal to provide minutes, ordinances, and general public information.

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is withholding $52,000 from Pittsburgh Tank until the Evergreen Shores water tower repair is finished. The company is waiting for warm weather to paint the tank.

Abid opening for two police cars and a grader is set for the first council meeting in February.

Council took no action on a letter that Dafter resident John Lechner read during public comment. He had written the letter to 11th Circuit Court Judge William Carmody in support of his friend, Kevin Samphere of St. Ignace, who was convicted in September of child abuse.

Council next meets Monday, January 21, at 8 p.m. at the St. Ignace Library.