ESCANABA — The Escanaba City Council has green-lighted Escanaba Public Safety’s plans to add another K-9 and train a handler for the new dog.

Chief of Police John Gudwer told the council Thursday an anonymous private donor who paid for the department’s K-9, Enzo, in 2024 had funded yet another K-9 the donor wanted named Storm. Enzo, who was sworn into the department in 2024, will continue his duties with Public Safety Officer Aaron Young.

About $20,000 will be taken out of the EPSD K-9 fund at the Community Foundation to purchase K-9 Storm and pay for training with the handler, Officer Kelly Kenneally. The new dog will be purchased through D & D K-9 Dynamics, a kennel in Gladstone. The EPSD’s K-9 Division also includes Enzo and handler Aaron Young, Cigo and handler PSO Austin Young, who are members of the National Association of Professional Canine Handlers.

Gudwer also detailed the department’s need for several K-9 accessories, such as a Havis K-9 Prisoner Transport system and more. ESPD K-9 funds will pay the $8,765 cost, including shipping.

The council approved all requests toward adding the new K-9. ESPD K-9s are trained for narcotics detection in vehicles and buildings, obedience, article search, tracking, area search, aggression control and building searches. The average service life or the time spent in active duty for a K-9 is 5 to 8 years, according to officials.

The council Thursday also:

— Authorized City Manager James R. McNeil to make a counteroffer of $150,000 to developer Moyle Homes LLC City of Houghton for six lots on South 32nd Street, compared with the original offer of $120,000. Moyle Homes LLC’s plans include building single-family, stick-built homes that average 1,900 to 2,100 square feet.

— Discussed sale of 5.1 acres of city property at South 32nd Street and 3rd Avenue South. Judy Owens, Dave Harris and Jim Baxter of the Old State Development LLC will be developers of the Stonebrook Condominiums. Residential single-story condos will be available for purchase in three different sizes, ranging from approximately 300, 1,500, and 1,900 square feet. Individual costs of condos will be made available pending approval. Baxter will be overseeing all local contractors, electricians, plumbers, and others for this project. Supplies needed for this project will also be bought locally as much as possible. Old State Development LLC is responsible for the utility’s extension and infrastructure costs. The developer’s price range for this project is currently approximately $475,000 and up. Approximately $130,000 is estimated to be spent by the developer on sewer access and street repair.

— Approved construction of a new control building from Trachte Building Systems of Sun Prairie, Wis., for the Westside electrical substation, at a total cost of $302,336 in the 2025-26 fiscal year. The new 20-by-30-foot building will be insulated, equipped with heating and cooling and able to withstand extreme weather conditions. According to the city’s 2022-28 Capital Improvement Plan, the West Side substation is more than 40 years old and is in need of upgrades.

— Agreed to the Escanaba Downtown Development Authority’s request to close roads for the Law Enforcement Torch Run on Sept. 10. The run, which benefits Special Olympics, will start at Elmer’s County Market, 412 N. Lincoln Road, and end at the Escanaba Marketplace on South 15th Street. Road closure will be on South 15th Street from Ludington Street to the alley.

— Scheduled a second reading and public hearing for Thursday, Sept. 4, on an ordinance to rezone properties on the northern half of the 1400 block of First Avenue North from E Commercial to B Residential, which would allow for rebuilding after a fire or to do other renovations that would go beyond the extent of what the ordinance currently allows. The council could approve the ordinance after the hearing.

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021, ext. 148, or svogelmann@dailypress.net.