A March 10 letter to Leah Polzien, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA)/Chairwoman of Main Street Calumet (MSC), and Village President Brian Abramson made several requests of all three entities, all in regards to a contract between the DDA and MSC.

Among the requests was one asking for a public verbal reading of the contract, which was stated, for contractual services. The reading of the two-page document would be recorded in the meeting minutes.

Also requested was for the DDA and MSC submit a written summary of the specific contractual services that MSC provided to the DDA.

“The general statement in the contract ‘Main Street will continue to provide items’ as they have for many years does not provide any information as to how the public funds are being spent,'” the letter states.

The Daily Mining Gazette obtained two documents from the Village, one is a copy of a service contract between the DDA and MSC. Polzien, on behalf of “the contractor” (MSC) signed the contract, as did then President Dave Geisler, who signed on behalf of the DDA.

The contract stated that the contractor (MSC) was to “create, schedule and purchase social media on behalf of” the DDA. MSC was to purchase $350 of Facebook advertising, and $350 of Instagram advertising to “be used exclusively for the WUPPDR Mini-Marketing Grant promoting Calumet.”

The contract also states that MSC will receive no administrative or other fees of any kind for this service.

“All advertising must be purchased prior to October 31, 2019,” the document states. “The contractor (MSC) will be reimbursed in full for the advertising expenditures upon submission of paid invoices or receipts to the Village Administrator, no later than December 31, 2019.”

Lastly, the contract states that MSC was to coordinate with other DDA contractors, as needed, to implement the aforementioned services, and that the advertising creation will not be the responsibility of MSC.

The second, a two-page document, is an “Agreement for Services,” again between the DDA and MSC. The terms of the contract include that:

“The DDA will pay MSC $20,000 for the contract term. Payment for MSC’s services shall be payable in advance, with a half a year’s agreed upon contract for services shall be paid no later than January 31st, 2020 and the remaining half paid by June 30th, 2020.”

The contract term is stated as Jan. 1, 2020 – Dec. 31, 2020.

EDITOR’s NOTE: In the next installment, the DMG will examine the terms and conditions of the contract, including the services MSC was to provide the DDA.