The Munising City Commission is moving forward in its search for a new city manager.
During its Feb. 5 meeting, the commission voted to retain the Michigan Municipal League to assist in finding a successor to City Manager Devin Olson, who has announced his resignation.
The MML, a statewide nonprofit association, will work with the commission to oversee the hiring process at a cost of $18,500. The committee created to assist in finding a new city manager reiterated its desire to review each resume that is received, and Olson affirmed that the MML is aware of this request.
Another major emphasis of the meeting was the city’s $7.5 million in uninsured municipal funds. To safeguard these assets, the commission approved an Insured Cash Sweep (ICS) placement agreement through the IntraFi Network, which will allocate funds across multiple banks to keep them under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. limits.
Commissioners noted that the decision was a necessary step in risk management.
“It would basically give us a better return on investment than a standard checking account and allow us to protect the cash asset,” Olson said.
The commission also approved the final payment for the Viking Industrial Painting project, signaling the completion of the city’s water tower repainting.
Additionally, commissioners discussed upcoming bond resolutions for water and sewer system improvements, entering a 45-day referendum period for public review.
During discussion of financial matters, concerns were raised about federal funding for infrastructure projects.
“This administration is testing the definition of ‘obligated’ and is going to continue to test it, and I’m concerned that we’re going to enter into agreements for engineering services for money that we’re not going to get,” Commissioner Rod DesJardins said.
Additionally, the commission approved an agreement with Coleman Engineering for sewer disposal system improvements. With new federal requirements in place, the discussion emphasized the importance of meeting compliance standards, such as Build America Buy America certifications, while maintaining project efficiency.
The meeting also covered the city’s ongoing snow removal challenges. Commissioners approved the purchase of a snowplow for $9,013.15 from Christmas Auto, acknowledging that it would make winter road management more efficient.
While accepting the resignation of Wendy Irish from the Planning Commission, housing and economic development were also points of discussion.
Commissioner Bob Wilkinson expressed frustration with the slow pace of addressing housing shortages.
“They’ve been discussing housing now ad infinitum,” Wilkinson said. “Is there some way that we can get the city, the county, whoever, to come to a meeting of some kind and figure out what we can do?”
Additionally, the commission approved a road closure request for the annual Pictured Rocks Days festival.
Commissioner Brice Burge raised concerns about post-event logistics, pointing out that there was often confusion about when vendors needed to clear out.
Olson said those issues would be addressed in another agreement, prepared by the city attorney, with the Chamber of Commerce.
