ESCANABA — The Escanaba City Council approved the creation of an ad hoc committee to look at proposals for development of the old Delta County Jail property at its meeting Thursday night.

The eight-member committee would have no real power, said Mayor Mark Ammel, who proposed creating the group. It would study proposals submitted to the city for development of the property and “score” them.

The city has currently received four proposals for developing the jail property.

The scores for each proposal would be presented to the city council, which would have the ultimate authority to make a decision about the jail property. Each entity which submitted a proposal would also be invited to make a public presentation about its proposal before the city council and the public.

According to City Manager Patrick Jordan, some of the people who would sit on the committee would be Escanaba’s mayor, Escanaba’s city manager and city assessor, the Delta County administrator, Escanaba Downtown Development Authority director and Delta County Economic Development Alliance director.

The creation of the committee did not pass without debate, though, and Council Member Tyler DuBord voted against creation of the group.

DuBord was concerned the public would not have a say in the matter. “Then we have full feedback,” he said of having the public was involved.

DuBord favored developing a survey and presenting all four proposals to the public for their feedback. “It’s not that hard to put a survey out there,” DuBord said.

Later council voted unanimously to also develop a public survey about development of the old jail property. DuBord is heading up the effort to create the survey.

Ammel emphasized that the city council is the body that will ultimately make a decision about the old jail property.

In other business, council:

– set Feb. 17 as the second reading, public hearing an adoption to amend an ordinance pertaining to DDA Board of Trustee voting members. It would remove the mayor as a voting member of the board.

– approved a notice of intent resolution for water supply system bonds. According to Escanaba Water Superintendent Jeff Lampi, passage of the resolution would put the city in a more favorable position to receive grants. The item was approved with Council Member Ron Beauchamp casting a dissenting vote. “This should be going to the people in my opinion,” Beauchamp said.

– agreed to use $175,000 to fund a new Clean Energy Program offered by the Michigan Public Power Association.

– approved the Escanaba Water Department purchase of a John Deere 60 G Compact Excavator from McCoy Construction Forestry of Escanaba for an amount not to exceed $81,000.