HANCOCK — The City Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday evening, beginning by acknowledging new communications including a rate change notice from Charter Communications.

Hancock City Manager Mary Babcock delivered the administrative report, which included the assessor’s report.

“During the 2020 year, the county issued 18 building permits for the city,” she said. “We had two new houses, three new garages. One of the garages never got started, but they’re going to do it this year. Two demolitions, one of the demolitions resulted in the new house being built.

“So our total additions from permits to the role is just over $600,000 for the taxable value for 2021’s role.”

Babcock also reported a $4.7 million dollar change in Hancock’s assessed values, and a similar amount in Hancock’s taxable values from 2020 into 2021.

“I verified with the county that our millage deduction fraction is going to be a one,” she said. “We actually will net some additional tax revenue this year, based on that calculation.

“I’m working with the other ladies in the office on the rental registration and coordinating that data with the assessing database. That way, information we’re receiving will be visible to the Treasurer when she looks at the tax database.”

The state has changed data standards, but these standards affect the assessors, and not the city.

Babcock also identified a number of properties that were not on the city’s assessment records including the high school, which was on Franklin Township’s roles even though it is Hancock City property. That issue has been resolved, according to her. Various other properties have run into similar issues when residents attempted to sell their properties.

Following the administrative report, the council began talking about the American Rescue Plan in regards to the city.

Mayor Pro Tem and councilor Will Lytle questioned whether there were detailed guidelines for American Rescue Plan funds, but noted that it is “pretty clear that the city’s financial impacts based on COVID are our top priority.”

“Some of the options on there are grants to small businesses, mental health care, counselors,” said Lytle. “There’s all sorts of things that, theoretically, we could decide to fund. I’m curious how we’re going to narrow that down to make the largest impact.

“We don’t have the money yet, and we don’t have to spend the money right away. It would be good if we could be clear and upfront about where the money should be going in the perfect situation.”

In new business, a motion was made and seconded to approve the May accounts payable amount of $280,294.99.

Other new business included discussion of the city offering “bio bags” which would be used for food waste and yard waste, rather than having residents put biodegradable waste in plastic city bags. A decision was not immediately reached, as it was then unclear if the city had the facilities necessary for the separate process.

New business items for consideration were:

— Resolution No. 21-13, requesting funding through MDOT from Transportation Economic Development Category B Program to resurface Poplar Street. Total costs for the project are estimated to be $400,000, with $130,000 being funded through grants. The resolution passed.

— Resolution No. 21-14, approve the contract authorization for the MDOT State Trunkline Maintenance Contract No. 2019-0693. The resolution passed.

— Resolution No. 21-15, accept the RFQ Proposal for the Firehall Generator Grant to OHM Advisors. “There were three consultants to submit proposals and then OHM was selected on the criteria,” Mayor Paul LaBine said.

The resolution passed.

— Resolution No. 21-16 opposing HB-4722 that mandates all short-term rentals are a by-right residential use of property, permitted in all residential zones.

“I’m very open to short term rentals and yet these bills are not good for that,” Lytle said. “The way that it could be executed by communities… this would certainly burden the city in terms of not being able to match any rentals, or we would need to start inspecting all residential properties.

“It says in these bills that they wouldn’t it wouldn’t add fiscal burden on the cities but there’s no way that we could reduce our costs, and still improve the quality of lives for our residents or even people visiting our community, so I can imagine situations where short term rentals are appropriate and situations where they’re inappropriate.”

The resolution passed.

— Consider acceptance of the Economic Development Administration Award in the amount of $2,664,112 with a total project cost of $3,330,140 for Hancock Business and Technology Park. What businesses and developments will be applicable for the park will be discussed at a later date. The motion passed.

— Consider acceptance of the Portage Health Foundation Grant in the amount of $2,000.00 for two ADA picnic tables for Memorial Park. The motion passed. LaBine noted that the PHF has awarded the city with four grants within the year.

— Consider approval of Uniform Video Service Local Franchise Agreement between Baraga Telephone and the city of Hancock. The council hopes the introduction of a second service will initiate competition, leading to better rates for residents. Expanding Baraga Telephone into Hancock would break Spectrum’s local monopoly over traditional cable phone. The motion passed, 5-2.

— Consider approval of Erhart Assessing Contract for the period of June 1, 2021, to May 31, 2022, in the amount of $31,500. The motion passed.

— Consider the Northern Auto quote for a new city truck. The motion to purchase the vehicle passed.