Dickinson Trail Network

IRON MOUNTAIN — A grant-aided mountain bike trail system on Pewabic Hill will be scaled back slightly to accommodate a request from a neighboring property owner to keep part of the parcel available for a road that may be built later.

The new boundary downsizes the project by roughly 5% on a flat stretch, based on a Dickinson Trail Network map.

Iron Mountain City Council on Monday approved an increase of up to $5,000 in a contract with Coleman Engineering so that new boundary maps can be sent to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. The state fund is providing $183,200 for the project while the non-profit DTN has promised $64,000. The city has committed $15,000 worth of in-kind work.

The extra engineering will be billed on a time and materials basis and may be as low as $1,700, said Jordan Stanchina, city manager. The additional money can also cover more changes as needed, he said.

DTN envisions six miles of public trails on city property east of Park Avenue at East B Street. The new trails will link to DTN’s Millie Hill Trailhead, a 5-mile system just west of Park Avenue.

The southeast corner of the Pewabic Hill parcel could provide access to undeveloped land to the east, Stanchina told the council. After talks with DTN, a decision was made to exclude this section from the grant.

The city will pay the higher engineering costs, but DTN will be approached about contributing. Coleman, of Iron Mountain, was awarded a $4,900 contract for engineering services in October. Plans call for the system to be built mostly by a contractor.

Under the initial grant terms, project completion may be no later than July 31, 2024.

In other action, the council:

— Will raise cemetery fees 2.75% beginning July 1.

— Expects to finalize an agreement with GFL Environmental for automated trash collection before its next regular meeting July 3.

If needed, a special meeting may be scheduled, Stanchina said.

— Learned that Tim McCauley has been hired as the new program coordinator for the Downtown Development Authority. McCauley has an extensive background in urban planning and market research.

— Approved payment of $432,263 to Bacco Construction Co. of Iron Mountain for local paving completed this spring. Only $400,000 was budgeted, but the asphalt tonnage was higher than expected because 210 tons was needed for asphalt curbs, Stanchina said. This will be incorporated into future bid estimates. The city has budgeted $650,000 for local paving this fall or next spring.

— Adopted a salary schedule effective July 1 that provides 2.5% increases for all department heads. Assessor Abbey Taylor, who was hired last July at $57,540, will also receive a step increase that puts her annual salary at $60,467. Other salaries are city manager, $97,770; director of police and fire services, $88,095; department of public works supervisor, $74,224; chief finance officer, $70,959; clerk-treasurer, $62,081, plus a zoning administrator stipend of $3,778;. The wage for a police department administrative assistant will be $20.14 per hour. Part-time firefighters will receive $14.79 per hour, an increase of 2.25%, which is 75% of the lowest fire department wage.

— Will again apply for a $644,000 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Spark Grant for City Park improvements. Earlier this year, the DNR awarded $14.2 million in first-round funding to only 21 communities. In the second round, up to $23 million will be available for public recreation improvement projects in areas most affected by COVID-19. Award announcements are expected in late September.

— Renewed an agreement through April 2028 with CN Rail for about 2.2 acres of property leased by the city along the west side of U.S. 2 through the Chapin Pit area for beautification purposes. The new cost is $100 per year, up from $75.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-3500 ext. 226 or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.