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ESCANABA -- Despite being listed on the agenda as a discussion item, only one council member spoke about a possible plan to install surveillance cameras around the city of Escanaba to curb vandalism during Thursday’s regular city council meeting.
“By no means are we asking anybody to approve cameras tonight,” said Council Member Karen Moore, who introduced the idea to the rest of the council.
Prior to Thursday’s meeting, Moore had met with Escanaba Public Safety, the county’s prosecuting attorney and City Manager Patrick Jordan to discuss issues of vandalism on Ludington Street. Initially, Moore was primarily concerned with damage done to flowers and hydrangea bushes recently planted downtown by the nonprofit she heads, Enhance Escanaba, which receives financial support from the city.
“I didn’t realize the problem was as bad (as it is). I was mostly, of course, interest in the trees and the flowers that had been disturbed on Ludington Street because that was my group (that planted them),” she said.
Moore described the discussion with public safety and the prosecutor as “enlightening.”
According to Moore, the prosecutor’s office is looking at options to curb the city’s vandalism problem. Public Safety has been asked to develop a list of where cameras would be needed as well as where police would like to have cameras located.
Introducing the issue Thursday was intended to broach the idea of cameras, so the council could weigh in on the issue before any budget sessions are held, as any cameras installed in the city would need to be budgeted items.
“We’re just here to have more discussion about what everyone feels about cameras. I know it’s a controversial subject,” she said.
No discussion was had on the issue, however. Once Moore had finished introducing the idea of cameras, the council quickly moved on to appointments to city boards and commissions.
In other business, the council:
-- Approved an ordinance extending the sunset on the city’s current marijuana ordinance from Sept. 16 to Sept. 30. The council also held a second reading and public hearing on an ordinance authorizing commercial marijuana in the city, however a vote was not taken on that ordinance.
A third ordinance, the zoning ordinance previously approved by the city’s planning commission that outlines where specific classifications of marijuana establishments can operate based on the city’s zoning, also received a first reading Thursday. A second reading and a vote on that ordinance will take place at the Sept. 15 city council meeting, but no public hearing will be held, as public hearings already took place at the planning commission level.
-- Heard an update from Jordan on the status of the sales of the former Delta County Jail and Chamber of Commerce properties. Purchase agreements have been drafted, however the agreements cannot be finalized until an assessment of the properties is complete and the city determines a sale price.
-- Approved the closure of 8th Avenue South and 11th Street for a “Dance for Hope” event on Sept. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Council Member Tyler DuBord voted against the closure, expressing concerns about residents in the area having access to their own homes and those residents not being previously notified by the event organizers, The Red House UP, Inc.
-- Approved a paving bid from Payne & Dolan, of Gladstone, for paving in 2022-23. Payne & Dolan was the only company to bid on the project, presenting a bid of $1,211,650 to complete the project as presented by the city.
-- Approved the purchase of a heavy equipment trailer for the water department from 2 & 41 Sales of Rapid River at a cost not to exceed $25,857. The trailer will cost the city around $7,000 to $8,000 more than Water Superintendent Jeff Lampi budgeted for the purchase of a trailer, but is larger than the trailer he had initially priced when developing the department’s budget.
-- Approved hiring C2AE of Escanaba for the completion of an EGLE Clean Water State Revolving Fund project plan in an amount not to exceed $54,000.
-- Approved the sale of city-owned property located on North 32nd Street to Servpro of the Upper Peninsula, which plans to expand with a physical location in Escanaba. The company bid $16,500 for the property, which was appraised at $15,000.