HOUGHTON — The Houghton City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday allowing future changes in fines for parking violations to be set by the city council.

Changing penalties previously had to be done by city ordinance. At a July meeting, City Manager Eric Waara said the change was done to give the city more flexibility in responding to upcoming changes in the city’s parking situation.

The ordinance will take effect 10 days after passage.

Hancock also proposed a similar amendment earlier this month.

The council also heard a report from City Manager Eric Waara, including:

The steel had arrived for the section of the Mattila Square pier around the AT&T fiberoptic cables. Installation should begin next week, Waara said.

“By the end of September, I would expect that the fence will be down, and there’ll just be a workman here or there,” he said.

The visit of the Viking Octantis had been a success. Mayor Bob Backon said some passengers had informed him they would be returning to the area. City officials also conducted a gift exchange with the captain and top crew of the Octantis.

Waara met with engineers from U.P. Engineers & Architects to discuss the logistics of tearing down the Lakeshore Drive parking deck. The project is aimed at going out to bid in late winter, with teardown occurring in late April or May.

Waara toured the former Kirkish warehouse building at 111 Shelden. The building is being rehabilitated through a Michigan Economic Development Co. Community Revitalization grant.

“The retail space is amazing, the apartments upstairs are amazing,” he said.

In other action, the council:

•Appointed Sandra Cooney to the city Board of Review and Mary Doskey and Erik Wosik as alternates.

•Approved adding Sarah Gilbreath, Margaret Zimmermann and Melanie Long to the Houghton Fire Department.