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City Politicos Invade Township Meeting
One might have thought that they were at a City of Ironwood Commission Meeting rather than a meeting of the Ironwood Township Trustees. A former city commissioner and a current member of the City’s planning and Zoning Commission showed up at the Township wanting to share their years of experience with the trustees.

 

The first person to speak was Kim Pelkola, who lives in the city but owns property on Northstar Road, where she and her husband Ron hope to build their retirement home.  Pelkola addressed the proposed ordinance pertaining to the Planning Board. Her concerns and the concerns of others focus on the wording of Ordinance 51 that confirms the establishment of a Planning Commission with zoning authority.

The second ordinance number 52 defines “conflict of interests”.  There were concerns that these issues would somehow negate the Townships Planning Commission’s decision to deny a permit to Snow Country Contracting to establish a Gravel Pit on Northstar Road and the subsequent appeal of that decision made by Snow Country Contracting.

 Nest to speak was Leroy Johnson, another city resident and a member of the City’s P&Z, spoke to two of the proposed ordinances pertaining to the ordinances 51 and 52. Johnson has been making routine visits to the Townships sharing his lawyer like knowledge with the Trustees.

 The ordinances are being issued under the Michigan Enabling Act.  The question of Conflicts of interest could have been handled in different ways; the wording could have been added to the Planning and Zoning Board’s By-laws or,  as was the choice of the Trustees it could stand alone as a separate ordinance and would therefore apply to all the Township committees and boards not just the P&Z. However, at the suggestion of Trustee Kathy Maki, the ordinance was broadened to include “those with close ties to a member”. Therefore, the ordinance with the amended wording will be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.

Later on in the meeting under Public Comments Sandy Leitinen confessed to not understanding the evolution of the Soil Ordinance. She also provided the audience with information about someone who was borrowing sand. Yup! She stated that she would bring it up at the next meeting of the Township P&Z Board. Sandy should try following the antics of the City’s three ring circus a.k.a. the Planning Commission.