While there are some issues that do not want to go away, the Ontonagon Village Council quietly at the end of their monthly meeting did state that two people recently appointed to positions will not be holding positions they were appointed to.

What has become the most popular agenda item over the last two years is the five minutes residents have to speak during Public Comment. This is where the issue of the abandonment of Balsam Avenue was resurrected, even after the Feb. 24 meeting where the council unanimously voted to abandon the property.

At that meeting, Don Kullis was granted the right to build a new home, using a portion of the undeveloped Balsam Avenue. 

Opposed to this decision was Bruce Ruutila who addressed the council.

“We read in the minutes of the village meeting that the Planning Committee, with the support from the council, that Balsam Street in the village has been approved for abandonment,” Ruutila said. “My brother and I are opposed to the abandonment.”

Ruutila went on to give the history of their family’s ownership of the Beach Parkway for 60 years. He stated that he and his brother have owned the property since 1970.

“In that time no streets have been abandoned, with one exception,” he said. “At that time, the village announced that no more village streets that serve home site properties would ever be abandoned.”

He asked that members of the Planning Commission and the council visit the property and asked that the issue be reconsidered.

At the Feb. 24 meeting, Kullis stated that he has already invested money in the planning of his new home construction and that other than “one adjacent landowner, no one else has a problem with the abandonment.”

Another long-standing issue the council has addressed dealt with the appointment of Richard Ernest as building inspector. Ernest, a friend of many on the council, was appointed based on Ernest getting his state certification.

At the end of the meeting, Elmer Marks asked about the position. Village Manager Joe Erickson said the village inspector position is still in the hands of the state and they plan on getting the position filled by May, Village President Tony Smydra said the person considered for that position was not “qualified.”

The village had another applicant for the building inspector position when the council appointed Ernest last year. Ernest was granted the position based on state certification.

Since that position was not filled, during the Jan. 27 meeting Smydra got approval to use the money budgeted for the building inspector position to go to a short term “development coordinator” position. A position and appointment that was not on the agenda, nor was the position advertised.

At Monday’s meeting Smydra announced that Michael Burzynski, who was granted that position, will not be able to take the job for personal reasons. With comments from Smydra at past meetings, he showed a friendship for Burzynski. 

Smydra got the council’s approval to advertise the position,a position that was not advertised, or even on a council agenda, when Burzynski was appointed, in the local newspaper.

Which brought out another issue that has been contested at previous meetings. The local newspaper that gets the advertising dollars is owned by an appointed member on the council, Maureen Guzek.

The council voted to require disclosure of any taxpayer dollars going to a village council member or anyone else with a position in the village.

In regards to appointments, the council re-appointed Sue Ernest Kempen to the Recreation Commission, Nicole Weiner to the Downtown Development Authority, Deb Seid and Barb Kilmer to the Marina Commission. Kilmer is Guzek’s daughter.

Trustee John Hamm was appointed to the Ontonagon County Statutory Advisory Tax Limitation Committee.

The council also approved three resolutions for village employees to go on different Municipal Employee Retirement System (MERS) programs.

During Public Comment, Patty Ball asked if the village can encourage Waste Management, owners of the regional landfill, to have a recycling program like the one that Waste Management has in Houghton. Tom Stahl commended the council for erection of a stop sign near Inn Towne Motel. Sue Lockhart questioned the council’s new policy regarding individuals and groups using village-managed, public property.

A new three-page policy sets the rules and costs regarding the use of village-managed property. Different volunteer organizations have worked on bringing people and events to the community that will now have to follow strict guidelines unanimously approved by the council at Monday night’s meeting.

“I’m sure if it was ‘me’ you would set a different fee,” said Lockhart. “The fees should be the same for everyone.”