HOUGHTON - The Houghton City Council has a new member.
The council picked Daniel Salo from a field of four candidates Wednesday to fill the seat vacated by Lee Hauswirth, who moved out of the area.
Salo won a majority of seats on the second ballot, edging out Mike Gloss 4-2. Also submitting applications were Daniel Liebau and Mike Butvilas.
In an application letter to the council, Salo said he has lived in Houghton for the past 25 years. For the past 22 of them, he has worked at Michigan Technological University and served on various committees.
Over the same time frame, he has been a member of the U.S. Navy Seabees, with whom he served in Iraq, Kuwait, Cuba and the Philippines. He will retire in October 2011.
"The city has grown and improved for many years and I would like to be part of a team that keeps making the city of Houghton a great place to live," he said.
Council members said the field was uniformly strong, and larger than the usual applicant pool.
"This is really nice to have this much interest," City Manager Scott MacInnes said. Salo's term runs until November 2012.
In other action, the council:
amended the city code of ordinances to prohibit outdoor boilers fired by wood or other combustible materials not within a building lived in by humans or domestic animals. MacInnes said the addition, similar to those being passed in other communities, was sparked by the recent issue with a boiler in Lake Linden.
scheduled a public hearing for July 27 for changes to water hookup fees.
A standard 1-inch residential connection would be $1,200, up from $700; a 1-inch commercial connection would be $1,250, up from $750; turning on and turning off water, $75 instead of $60; and hydrant hook-up, $150 instead of $100.
Director of Public Works Mark Zenner said the increase is driven by the skyrocketing costs of copper pipes. Sewer hook-up rates will remain unchanged.
discussed changing the Tax Increment Financing Authority plan from 75 percent tax capture to 100 percent tax capture to maintain the current levels of public safety and public infrastructure maintenance. The city would lose $76,000 in general fund revenue, but could get $120,000 from the TIFA fund if it contracts for public safety services.
The five-year TIFA plan calls for $3.5 million in expenses, including $575,000 for the Safe Route to School program. The $1.3 million for the Downtown Development Authority includes $850,000 for public infrastructure maintenance.
heard a report from Zenner. The holes on Shelden Avenue have been patched. A storm line has been put in to Surplus Outlet. The city is working with Walmart to get on the city water system, evading an older piece of line.
heard a report from Police Chief John Donnelly. Since the previous meeting, there have been 15 misdemeanor arrests, one felony, one city ticket and 169 complaints.
heard a downtown report. A $6,000 allocation has been made from the marketing fund for banners, which will cover history, events and the concept of fun. MacInnes said an art grant is providing for six small chess tables in locations at the entrances to 5th & Elm Coffee House & Eatery and Good Times Music.
scheduled a joint Houghton/Hancock council meeting for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Carnegie Cultural Museum.
approved an outdoor car lot on M-26 at the former Mobil station south of Sharon Avenue. The lot has a temporary state license pending the sale of the building.
authorized MacInnes to sell the city's trolley for $1,500 or best offer.
set a public hearing of the Rental Housing Board for 705 E. Montezuma Ave. for July 27.