Council will invite the top 10 police chief candidates for interviews in early January, and one of them will replace Chief Tim Matelski, who retires December 31. The final list was announced at the city council meeting Monday, December 21, during which mayoral appointments to 26 boards and commissions were approved and the council adopted a $7.37 Million budget.

The top 10 candidates were selected from votes cast by the mayor and council members for their top three candidates from a field of 34 applicants. Three city policemen who applied for the job will automatically be interviewed, and are among the top 10.

Sergeant Mark Wilk and officers Merlin Doran and Richard Cullen are the local candidates. The other seven include George Lasater of Boyne City, Daniel Reece of East Jordan, Curtis Robertson of Cheboygan, Todd Woods of Indian River, Michael Martin of Woodhaven, and two confidential candidates.

The confidentiality of these two candidates will be waived if they choose to interview for the job.

Once Mr. Matelski retires, Sgt. Wilk will take over as the acting chief until a permanent chief is hired.

"He will be handling the day-to-day activities and doing the scheduling," City Manager Eric Dodson said. "Personnel matters will continue to be referred to me when needed as city manager."

Interviews will likely begin during the first week of January and will all be held in an open meeting with all city council members present. All city council meetings are open to the public and the next scheduled meeting is 8 p.m. Monday, January 4, at St. Ignace City Hall.

Mr. Grondin issued a proclamation Monday honoring Chief Matelski for his 32 years of service to the city, the longest serving police chief or town marshal in the history of St. Ignace.

Appointments

Mayor Paul Grondin announced appointments to 26 boards, authorities, and committees Monday, and will make appointments to the Library Board, Board of Review, and Planning Commission Monday, January 4. He withheld these appointments, he said, because he has not heard back from two people who he plans to nominate to sit on the boards.

He also removed himself from the Library Board and the Harbor Authority, noting that, on the advice of the Attorney General and City Attorney Prentiss M. Brown, Jr., as mayor, he cannot appoint himself to outside authorities and boards like the library board, and harbor authority and Downtown Development Authority (DDA).

Mr. Grondin said he would not reappoint himself to the library board or the harbor authority, but since he is an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the DDA, serving on that board would not be an issue.

Mr. Della-Moretta will take Mr. Grondin's place on the Harbor Authority and his replacement on the library board will be announced along with Mr. Grondin's other appointments January 4.

The following appointments for vacant seats were made after nominations by Mr. Grondin and unanimous approval from the city council:

Accident Investigation Committee: Paul Grondin, Eric Dodson, Gary Bigelow, Bill Fraser, Police Chief, Les Therrian, John Robinson

Ambulance Committee: Paul Fullerton, Don Gustafson, Willie LaLonde

Audit Committee: James Clapperton, Don Gustafson, Paul Fullerton

Building Authority: Louis Leveille, John Monville, Greg Cheeseman, Rob Winkelman, Gene Elmer

Cemetery Committee: James Clapperton, Jake Tamlyn, Merv Wyse

Compensation Committee: Kayla Nixon (addition to existing committee)

DDA: Gene Elmer, Don Shairer

Dock 3 Committee: Paul Grondin, Don Gustafson, Paul Fullerton

Election Commission: Greg Cheeseman Jr., Renee Vonderwerth, Prentiss M. Brown

Fort de Buade Committee: Don Gustafson, Willie LaLonde, Paul Fullerton

Golf Course Committee: George Yshinski, Greg Cheeseman, Jon Olsen, Paul Grondin, Rob Winkelman

Harbor Authority: Tom Della- Moretta (in place of Paul Grondin)

HOME Board: Willie LaLonde

Insurance Committee: James Clapperton, Don Gustafson, Paul Fullerton

Investment Committee: Paul Fullerton, Don Gustafson, Merv Wyse

Law Enforcement Committee: This is a standing committee comprised of the St. Ignace police chief, tribal police chief, state police post commander, Mackinac County sheriff, city attorney, county prosecuting attorney, mayor, mayor pro-tem, and city manager.

Land Trust Committee: Paul Fullerton, Don Gustafson, Merv Wyse

Main Street Closing and Special Events Committee: Don Gustafson, Paul Grondin, Willie LaLonde

Personnel and Policy Committee: Don Gustafson, James Clapperton, Paul Grondin

Public Safety Committee: Don Gustafson, Paul Grondin, Willie LaLonde, Chief of Police, John Robinson

Real Estate Committee: Willie LaLonde, Merv Wyse, Tom Della- Moretta, Prentiss M. Brown

Sault Tribe Liaison: Willie LaLonde, James Clapperton, Don Gustafson

Street Committee: Tom Della- Moretta, Don Gustafson, Willie LaLonde

Tree Committee: Merv Wyse, Tom Della-Moretta, James Clapperton, Paula McNamara

Utility Committee: Don Gustafson, Paul Grondin, Tom Della-Moretta

Zoning Board of Appeals: John Arnold, Merv Wyse, Tom Hamel, Mike Buby, Fred Strich, Norm Tafelski, Ken Hardy

Budget

Monday’s budget adoption followed a public hearing at which no comments were made. In addition to adopting a balanced budget of $7,365,513, Council renewed an operating tax levy of 16.26 mills. The property tax rate, same as last year, is expected to raise $1,423,520 in 2010, $1,190,520 of which will go to the general fund, $233,000 of which will go to the DDA fund, and $78,015 of which will go to the recreation program.

The 2010 budget marks a 9% decrease in general fund expenditures from the city's 2009 budget, Mr. Dodson said.

Some of the larger allocations in the budget include $404,000 to the public marina, $310,000 to the city police department, $241,370 to the equipment fund, $132,000 to the fire department, and $110,000 to the public works department.

One element still up in the air is wages and benefits for city employees. The city is negotiating with the city employee's union, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the budget has been padded with enough extra money to cover a 3% raise, he said.

The three-year police officer's union contract signed in 2008 and in its final year in 2010, calls for a 2.5% annual salary increase, and Mr. Dodson said all non-union employees will receive whatever percentage raise is given to AFSCME employees.