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Ontonagon creates new position

(Skip Schulz/For the Gazette) The Ontonagon Village Council created a new position for Michael Burzynski, called development coordinator.

Without being on the agenda or advertised, the Ontonagon Village Council unanimously added a new position to village government. The position is titled, development coordinator.

After getting this position added to the agenda, President Tony Smydra explained who he wants to fill the position and how it will be funded.

During both his report and when the position was discussed, Smydra had his mind set as to who was going to get the position. That being the previously state-funded “Project Rising Tide” coordinator Mike Burzynski.

“It will be a temporary, part-time position until March 30, 2020,” said Smydra. “Let this be the ‘rising tide of change.'”

According to Smydra, the funding will come from money that was budgeted for the building inspector position, a position the council voted to give to Richard Ernest, once Ernest gets his state certification license.

Smydra said that since the village did not have to pay for the building inspector position, they can adjust the 2019-20 fiscal year budget to cover Burzynski’s salary, not to exceed $6,000.00 for the next eight weeks.

With the council working on the 2020-21 budget, Smydra alluded to keeping this position after March 30. Council member Mike Mogen asked that Village Manager Joe Erickson send a letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer to see if the state would fund this new position.

Smydra stated that the Personal Committee, along with the Downtown Development Authority and the Chamber of Commerce support appointing Burzynski to this new position. Smydra also stated that Mi-TRALE, a trail organization, supported this position and Burzynski.

There was no notice of the creation of this position, nor was it advertised.

On the subject of advertising, Sue Lockhart addressed the board during Public Comment regarding a conflict of interest.

“Spending money with a business owned by an appointed council member, even if she abstains when it comes to voting on spending money is a conflict of interest,” she said.

Lockhart was speaking about the recent trustee position appointment of Maureen Guzek. Guzek is the owner of the local newspaper that the village buys display advertising in. 

Prior to her appointment to the council, Guzek was appointed to the Village Housing Commission. Ernest also serves on the Village Housing Commission. Richard Ernest is also on the DDA and both Ernest and Guzek are with the Ontonagon Chamber of Commerce.

“Appointments of friends has got to stop. Any qualified person should at least have the opportunity to apply for a position, but it always comes down to the council choosing their friends,” said Lockhart after the meeting.   

The council also agreed to spend the money to send as many of the council members to the Michigan Municipal League Conference in Lansing. This included travel, lodging, other expenses, and registration. The cost of sending council members to this conference on March 24 and 25 was not mentioned.

The council did agree to invest $35.00 to buy a 1/3rd page ad in the Ontonagon School’s yearbook.

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