The Houghton City Council met March 9 following a special meeting of the council on March 2.
The city is slated to host nine stops of Great Lakes cruise ships between June and September this year. As mentioned by Eric Waara, the city will need some capital for a security checkpoint and possibly a gangplank to bring passengers to and from the dock. The police department has already made the necessary security arrangements to take passengers.
Farmers markets around the local Keweenaw area are in the process of unifying under a single management structure, including those of Houghton, Hancock and Calumet. With the Calumet farmers market “spearheading” the operation according to Waara, the upcoming season for the markets is slated to be the first under this single management structure. The Houghton farmers market, specifically, will be running for an additional hour, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. beginning on June 14.
Following a diving operation in the canal, the AT&T service cables have been located, allowing for the work on the new pier to continue. MJO Construction, the company undergoing the operation, is now working to design around them.
Among other business, the council voted to allocate $7200 to replace the current waterfront banners, which were consistently described as “tired” by the city manager and present council members. The council also addressed the scheduling of three upcoming budget work sessions.
In its regular report to the council, The Houghton Police Department reported the hiring of a new full-time officer.
In the special meeting of March 2, the city council was assembled to address a deficit in the public improvement fund. To address the deficit, in the amount of $15,174, City Manager Eric Waara requested a transfer in that amount from the general fund to the public improvement fund. The city also must file a Deficit Reduction plan with the Michigan treasury as a result. A motion was proposed and passed unanimously to move the funds.
