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HANCOCK - Some of the infrastructure of Hancock could get repaired with the help of funding from the federal government.

During his report to the Hancock City Council Wednesday, Hancock City Manager Glenn Anderson said he's applied for grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development for city water and sewer projects.

The water project would repair lines that often freeze and cause leaks, Anderson said.

"If it gets funded, it will relieve some of our problems," he said.

The sewer project would reline seven miles of pipes in place, Anderson said. It would also replace some manholes.

"It's a very significant improvement if it gets completed," he said. "It would eliminate significant infiltration."

Anderson said he's also applied for a Michigan Department of Transportation Small Urban grant for a project to repave a half-mile section of Campus Drive from the Hancock Central High School to U.S. 41. The grant would cover $125,000 of the $157,000 project, which the council approved.

The section of road is in poor shape, Anderson said.

"It's starting to break up," he said.

In 2008, the Hancock Police Department received 444 complaints, but many of them weren't criminal complaints, according to Chief Mike Beaudoin.

Beaudoin, who presented his annual report to the council, said many of the reports were for such things as downed electrical wires.

"We don't do a criminal complaint on it," he said.

Beaudoin explained aspects of his report, copies of which council members had to look at during his presentation.

As an example, Beaudoin said although officers may investigate bad check complaints, the report may not indicate an arrest immediately.

"The way our reports set up, we don't put in the arrest code until we arrest someone," he said.

Making an arrest for passing bad checks could take as long as a year, Beaudoin said.

Police department officers responded to 36 hit and run accidents, Beaudoin said.

After his report, City Manager Glenn Anderson asked Beaudoin if his officers have been instructed in how to deal with the new state law allowing for the use of medical marijuana, and Beaudoin said he's still reviewing the statute, which requires that people using marijuana for medicinal purposes have a doctor's authorization, which among other things indicates how much can be carried by the user.

In other business, the council:

approved hiring U.P. Engineers & Architects to do an asbestos and lead survey of a burned out house on Summit Street prior to its demolition, which the city will do.

approved a donation of $4,000 to the Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club to purchase a Yamaha Rhino utility vehicle for grooming of the Maasto Hiihto ski trails.

approved applying for a Michigan State Housing Development Authority Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant up to $350,000.

Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie @mininggazette.com.