Ryan Street Garden meets fundraising goal, lines up grants
Copper Shores donates $10K; MEDC matches $6K grant
Trending
HANCOCK -- Through a mix of financial help both big and small, the Ryan Street Community Garden will stay open for public use.
The Hancock City Council approved a $10,000 grant from Copper Shores Community Health Foundation to go towards the purchase of the garden property, which had been owned by Finlandia University.
The council approved the purchase of the property for $27,000 earlier this month, accompanied by the $140,000 acquisition of Quincy Green.
Another $12,000 is coming through an online fundraiser and matching funds from the state. The garden has reached its $6,000 goal for a Patronicity fundraiser, said Councilor Amanda Lounibos. Hitting that mark enables it to receive matching funds from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Hancock will provide the remaining $7,500 from its general fund.
Lounibos, who also coordinates the garden, said the Patronicity fundraiser will remain open until the 60-day fundraising period ends on Oct. 27.
"Any additional funds will probably just go to some garden upgrades, like an equipment bench or equipment for the toolshed," she said.
While talking about the city's successful End of Summer Celebration at the end of the meeting, Lounibos said the community involvement appears to have been contagious.
"Just in the last week I started to get more phone calls about doing events in the garden," she said. "So I think it just lends itself to more engagement in the community."
Other council action included:
• Approving a purchase agreement to buy 24.76 acres of land from Thornton Construction in exchange for at least 5,000 cubic yards of topsoil at the Hancock Business and Technology Park.
• Approving three utility agreements after public hearings earlier in the meeting.
The first, with the Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center, includes property behind Portage and Campus Drive behind Edgewood Condominiums.
The two others provide connections to the Hancock Business and Technology Park. A public utility easement with the Upper Peninsula Power Co. for power will go from the property north of Tomasi Drive to Calcite Drive. Another easement with Hancock Public Schools will allow placement of the water main.
• Appointing Braden Knoop to the Planning Commission for a term ending Sept. 30, 2024. Knoop fills the opening created when former Mayor Paul LaBine left the commission. The city also has openings on the Recreation Commission and Board of Review, along with two openings on the Downtown development Authority, Babcock said.
• Approving the Industrial Graphics signage package for the ice arena for $20,000. Renderings shown to the council show a large HOCO Arena sign near the main entrance. Since Houghton County sold the arena to the city earlier this year, the "HOCO" is being reinterpreted as "Hockey Country," Babcock said. At the suggestion of Councilor Whitney Warstler, smaller black text below the large HOCO letters will be made silver to make it more legible.
• Approving the purchase of six bulletproof vests for the police department from The Uniform Shoppe for $6,035.
• Hearing a report from Babcock. The city is receiving two Rural Development grants of $50,000 for a vactor truck and $50,000 for a dump truck that the city had applied for in 2021. Because the city applies for the grants prior to purchasing the equipment, both pieces of which are in service, it can still receive the money. The city plans to put it towards more equipment for the Department of Public Works, she said.
• Other grant applications include one with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for a feasibility study for the former Finlandia University properties.
• Hearing a report from Police Chief Tami Sleeman. Close to 80 people attended the department's Coffee with a Cop event this week. Another one will happen in October, also including the fire department.