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Navy Street saga continues

Hancock council meets in closed session

HANCOCK -- Hancock City Council held a closed session during its regular meeting Wednesday. However, some residents raised concerns about the session’s legality and whether or not the council followed proper procedure to hold a nearly 40-minute portion of the meeting unaccessible to the public.

Public comment before the council's agenda items saw representatives from Portage Lake Condos, who often appeared at council meetings to discuss the Navy Street issue, show their concern for the closed session which was on meeting’s agenda. The agenda indicated the council would meeting in closed session to read a legal opinion from the city's attorney. The council indicated the meeting was compliant with the Michigan's Open Meeting Act, as it claimed the confidential document could not be made public through the Freedom of Information Act.

Legal representative for Portage Lake Condos Matthew Eliason said he questions whether or not the document discussed during closed session was of public interest. "There are very limited exceptions for closed meetings," he said. "One of which appears to be identified, which is discussing legal opinion, but that does have its limits."

According State of Michigan's March 2026 Open Meetings Act Handbook, one reason to go into closed session is to “read and review an attorney's written legal opinion. The municipality going into closed session must also list the reason on the meeting agenda, as well as to the public during the meeting in order to go into a closed session.”

Portage Lake Condominium Association President Glenn Bugni said he urges the council not to take action on Navy Street before the Nov. general election, before new faces join city council. "I appeal to you to postpone the access motion, whenever you do that, until the midterm elections are held in Nov.," he said. "There will be two new council members and it would provide a more objective look into the expansion of Navy Street."

Bugni added he believes the council lacked transparency in this process, as well as having City Manager Mary Babcock related to Taylor Auguston, a party who has vested interest in the road's expansion.

Eliason continued during the second public comment period, which was following the closed session where he claimed the council did not follow proper procedure before it opted for a closed session. "A roll call vote and a purpose of the closed meeting shall be entered in the meeting minutes," he read from Michigan case law. "The purpose was not, as of fact, it was explicitly not stated."

Mayor Kurt Rickard said the council only discussed what it received via the city's attorney. "We only discussed what was covered in the letter," he said. "If you have a confidential letter from your attorney, you can only discuss those items in the closed session. That's what we did."

Councilor Laura Givens was the only council member to vote in opposition of going into closed session.

In other business, the council approved the introduction of an amended parking ordinance. According to Babcock, the updated ordinance reinstates a two-hour parking limit on Quincy Street, but also makes it easier for residents to access downtown Hancock. "The parking ordinance we have on file is extremely old, from when we had parking meters, which were taken out in the early 2000s," she said. "That will all be rescinded and we're going to reduce some of the restrictions on parking on the side streets to allow people to park there all day."

The council approved the second installment of payments, $56,510.05, to Peninsula Solar for the solar panels to be installed at HoCo. It renewed a three-year contract with Hancock Public Schools to keep Hancock Police Officer Darron Olson on as the school district's resource officer. The council also approved the sale of Lot 49 in Sylvan Estates to Moyle Construction for $25,000.

Babcock informed the council representatives from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation visited the Hancock Business and Technology Park Monday. The MEDC and the city are planning on moving forward by establishing the area under the MEDC's MiSites Readiness Program, offering up the location to businesses and future development.