Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Houghton Planning Commission member Michelle Jarvie-Eggart, seen during Tuesday’s meeting, is stepping down due to moving out of the area.

HOUGHTON — The Houghton Planning Commission will have a vacancy to fill.

Michelle Jarvie-Eggart stepped down from the Planning Commission after Tuesday’s meeting. She is moving out of the city limits to Portage Township, making her ineligible for the commission.

Jarvie-Eggart, an assistant professor of engineering fundamentals at Michigan Technological University, had served on the Planning Commission since 2019. She had previously served on the Marquette County Planning Commission before moving to the Houghton area.

“Once our second son got a little older, I was looking for opportunities to serve the community,” she said.

The thing she’s been proudest of is her project with Planning Commission member Bill Leder and Tech professor Carol MacLennan to create a map of historic mines in the area for the city.

“Some of it’s known, some of it’s lost, and some of it’s just in people’s minds that are older, and we’re trying to gather all that information in one place as a repository,” she said.

Jarvie-Eggart said she would miss having that way to serve the Planning Commission.

“I think everyone should take the chance to do that and give back to their communities,” she said.

The city is seeking city residents to apply to serve for the remainder of the term, which expires on Dec. 31. The commission meets the fourth Tuesday of every month at 5:30 p.m.

Interested persons may apply by submitting an application to: City Clerk, City of Houghton, P.O. Box 606, Houghton, MI, 49931. Applications are available on the city’s website: www.cityofhoughton.com or at the city office. Applications are due by 4 p.m. May 6. The telephone number for the office is 906-482-1700.