The Calumet Village Council accepted a bid from a local contractor for the replacement of the roof of the Calumet Village Hall, which is funded by a grant. The funding covers the village hall side of the structure. (Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette)

CALUMET — The Calumet Village Council last week approved a motion to accept the bid from Copper Range Roofing for replacement of the roof of the Village Hall. The bid is for the amount of $112,450, with a required 50% deposit upon signing the contract. The project is fully funded by a grant from the state of Michigan.

In April, the Michigan Dept. of Treasury announced the village was  awarded a grant totaling $323,450

through the Financially Distressed Cities, Villages and Townships (FDCVT) Grant Program.  It is a public service enhancement through infrastructure replacement at the village hall building.

The grant for the Village Hall building includes replacing the roof of the hall side of the building, as well as tuck-pointing around the village hall portion of the building. It is, however, a reimbursement grant, which Haselden said she objected to.

“It’s silly to give a fiscally distressed village grant that’s reimbursing,” she said. “But, it’s okay; I think we’re excited to get this done.”

If the project is not able to be completed this year, she said, patches will be made, as another leak started in the last three weeks. The immediate goal, then, is to patch it and get the roof through the winter.

An exact date for the start of the project has not been determined.

“Their hope was to get started this year,” she said, “but the product they will use actually needs the temperature to be relatively high.”

It may now be too late in the year for the project to begin, she said.

“Worst cast scenario,” she said, “it will be starting as soon as the spring breaks next year (2025).”

In addition to the roof and tuck pointing, funding will also be used to repair and rebuild windows to their historic appearance, but will be more efficient, Haselden said.

The phase of the project for the windows will also likely start next year. Because that project will be extensive, it will probably extend into 2027. Regarding the tuck-pointing, she said, she will be meeting sometime in the Fall  with the construction company who will be conducting those repairs, and with John Arnold, with the Keweenaw National Historical Park to establish scheduling dates for the projects.