Kent Kraft, for the Gazette Village Manager Megan Haselden gives updates to the Calumet Village Council.

CALUMET – The Calumet Village Council met in regular session Tuesday and received updates on several issues from Village Manager Megan Haselden. She started by informing the council the secretary position that was filled earlier this year will be vacant once again. Haselden said, “I’m planning on keeping the position open, probably until the Spring, to get things in order and really streamline the position before we post the job again.”

Updating the council on an unanimously approved venture from July to consolidate the Fire Departments of Calumet, Laurium and Calumet Township, Haselden told the council all three Fire Chiefs are on board with the idea of a centralized Fire Safety Authority. Talks are continuing, but she said the issue has progressed farther than similar conversations in the past which is encouraging.

Representatives from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) visited Calumet earlier this month to get a tour of the Village’s street light project results. “It was a bit of a surprise,” said Haselden, “since we finished that project over a year ago.” She mentioned the representatives were impressed with the reduction of bills for the street lights decreasing from more than $32,000 to around $9,000 for this year.

Earlier this year, the Village was awarded a grant through the Financially Distressed Cities, Villages, and Townships program to repair and replace the roof. Though the work has been completed, the State has not yet sent the $80,000 owed to the Village. Haselden has been in contact with grant representatives “at least every other week” to discuss the matter.

Council Member Pamela Que mentioned the delays with the state budget probably had ripple effects into payments such as these. Haselden told the council, “One of the things I always mention is how the grant is awarded to, in their wording, ‘financially distressed’ places which have already put up the money to get the work done, so waiting this long for repayment is a bit shocking.” Que encouraged her to keep on it, and Haselden promised to continue pushing the state to get the funds transferred.

Haselden said the Village has put on many more events than normal, driven in particular by the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Village. Haselden told the council around $17,000 has come in through ticket sales and donations for these events, as opposed to around $15,000 of expenses to put on these events. Council members congratulated Haselden on striking a good balance so far.

This year, the Green Space Park in Calumet features Christmas decorations, borrowed from Calumet Township, and Haselden updated the council on plans to have a Christmas tree put up in the park as well after one was donated to the Village. Main Street Calumet is going to help decorate the tree, and plans are to kick off the Christmas in Calumet celebrations on Dec. 6 with a tree lighting.

After adjourning the regular meeting, the council went directly into a statutory meeting where the council voted on appointments, including Coreen Balbough for the Deputy Treasurer position and Que to continue in the role of President Pro-Tempore. Salaries and fees were agreed on for the next year, as were the designations of officers, all of whom are continuing in their current roles.

Finally, meeting dates for next year’s council meetings were established. All of these measures were agreed on unanimously by the council.

In other action, the council:

• Unanimously agreed on updates for the Village of Calumet’s “Rules and Procedures of the Village Council.”

• Approved paying bills and salaries totaling $60,851.20.