Chelsea Bossert/Daily Mining Gazette At Wednesday’s Hancock City Council meeting, Council Member Laura Givens said she disagreed with City Manager, Mary Babcock on how the prospective Navy Street development is being handled. 

HANCOCK — Hancock City Council held a regular meeting Wednesday along with a public hearing on signage for the City of Hancock. It approved Ordinance 317, resolution 26-07 adjusting city water rates and MSHDA grant money totaling $356,000.

The council had a quorum, with every member present except at-large member Lisa McKenzie, who was excused by Mayor Kurt Rickard.

The Navy Street development was a hot-button issue at Wednesday’s meeting. Public comment from Matt Eliason, legal representative of Portage Lake Condo Association, as well as Michael Cleveland, condo resident, were shared. Both Eliason and Cleveland expressed opposition to the development.

Council member Laura Givens, Ward III, made a motion asking for a report on the Navy Street development, it passed without objection.

City Manager Mary Babcock opened her report to the council by addressing the upcoming Career and Technical Education (CTE) millage proposal requested by the Copper Country Intermediate School District, which will be on the ballot in May. She also addressed Navy Street and said she and Mayor Kurt Rickard were looking into a gravel road option, as opposed to asphalt.

Givens said she was blindsided by learning about these discussions between Rickard and Babcock. She said there was a lack of transparency and wanted the council committee handling Navy Street to be clued in on these discussions.

Babcock tried to reassure Givens the DDA and the city council committee handling Navy Street were the only ones making real decisions and her and Rickard only had discussions. Council member at-large Mandy Lounibos agreed with Givens and said she wanted an update from the Navy Street Development Committee.

Rickard said he met with Babcock regarding the feasibility of a gravel road and assured the council there was no issue of transparency. Council member Dean Woodbeck, Ward II, agreed with Rickard. Givens pivoted towards the financial aspect of the development.

“Where does the city stop putting money into it,” she said. “When do we say, ‘okay, it’s not going to happen.'”

Woodbeck said City Council will make the final decision where the development is headed.

Givens concluded the discussion, saying she felt “derailed” when she was informed about the discussions between Babcock and Rickard.

The new business portion featured eight items which were all approved. Resolution 26-07 raises water rates for the city by 50 cents per 1,000 gallons. According to Babcock, this comes as Adams Township, who supplies the water to the City of Hancock, raised its rate by 30 cents.

“It’ll affect our approximately 1,900 households that are on city water,” she said. “An average household uses 1,000 gallons per member … for a household of one, that should be an increase of about 50 cents a month.”

Hancock was also the recipient of a MSHDA grant for a three-apartment development at 222 Hancock St. The grant totaled $356,000. According to Babcock, $300,000 of the money will go to the Hancock Housing Foundation for development and the rest will go to the city for administrative purposes.

City Ordinance 317, which amends the zoning ordinance relating to signage in Hancock, was approved unanimously. The purpose of the new sign code, taken from page 4 of the ordinance, is “to set out reasonable and uniform regulations for the design, location, installation, display, operation, repair, maintenance and removal of signs that advances the City’s legitimate, important, substantial and compelling interests, while safeguarding the constitutionally protected right of free speech.”

Bridgefest’s fireworks application was discussed with Mayor Pro-tem, Whitney Warstler, preferring the City to be the last body to approve the application. Babcock said the Coast Guard is the one handling the fireworks and it was already approved on its end. Warstler moved to table the discussion until there was more information made available to the council. Givens seconded the motion, but the vote to table the issue failed 4-2 thereby allowing the vote to proceed. The council approved Bridgefest’s application for fireworks 5-1, with Warstler casting the lone dissenting vote. “I know the City has had some challenges with fireworks in the past, and I’m glad to see that adjustments are being made,” she said. “I just wanted to ensure we’re moving through the process in the correct order and allowing ourselves sufficient time to get everything in place. It seems like a little more time might help ensure things go as smoothly as possible,” Warstler said.