HOUGHTON — As Houghton prepares for the arrival of cruises this summer, the city is taking steps to ensure it will get back what it spends.

Viking Cruises will make seven stops in Houghton. Victory Cruise Lines will make another two.

The international cruises will require the city to set up a security checkpoint where passengers can be processed.

Houghton sent a berthing agreement to Viking outlining how much the city expects to spend on labor and material. Those costs would then be passed on to Viking.

“Realistically, we’re going to want to be paying for it out of those dollars we’re taking in, because that was built into that berthing agreement, something like a more professional tent that we can set up down there,” City Manager Eric Waara said.

Because of the height of the city’s docks, Houghton could also look at a floating dock similar to the city’s kayak launch that would allow people to disembark via a gangplank, Waara said.

Waara also reported the Houghton Farmers Market is set to begin June 14. This year’s markets will be extended an hour, from 4 to 7 p.m. Main Street Calumet will run the market this year as a pilot project as a step toward organizing the local farmers’ markets.

A water-related infrastructure grant project is out to bid for Baraga and Prospect streets, Waara said. The project is through the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Construction prices may result in higher-than-expected bids, Waara said.

In a pier project update, divers for AT&T were able to find the phone cables crossing the canal to Ripley. MJO and the engineering doing the sheet pile are preparing an alternate design that will bypass those locations, Waara said.

Dee Stadium is expected to be open through mid-April, Waara said. A three-on-three tournament for children will be going on this spring.

Lt. Nick Roberts delivered the police report for Chief John Donnelly. The department has hired Jett Heinonen as a full-time officer. The department also sent officer Alan Jurmu to training for the Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement Program. The goal of the program is to “increase officer ability to observe, identify and articulate signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol or combination of both,” Roberts said.

Since the previous meeting, there were three felony arrests, nine misdemeanor arrests, eight civil infractions, two city infractions and 11 personal damage accidents.

Roberts thanked the Department of Public Works for clearing roads after Saturday’s ice storm.

In other action, the council:

— Scheduled budget work sessions for March 30, April 20 and May 4. Waara said he wants the first session to be more of a broad overview of what priorities council members would like to see for the coming fiscal year.

— Set a Zoning Board of Appeals session for 5:30 p.m. March 30 for 220 Blanche Street. The owners are looking to build an addition behind the house, requiring a 8-foot variance.

— Approved spending up to $7,200 from the Downtown Development Authority fund to buy 80 new banners to be hung along the waterfront trail between the tunnel and Dee Stadium. They will replace the current banners, which had been hanging since 2017. The existing banners in the best shape will be saved and hung along the waterfront trail east of Dee Stadium.

— Approved a deficit reduction plan to fix a $15,000 paper deficit in the public improvement fund. The council had approved the plan at a special meeting last week, but was required to amend the plan to fit the template requested by the state. The deadline was extended to allow the city to approve the revised plan without penalties.