Council discusses GLU, reservoir project

WAKEFIELD — Wakefield’s water and electricity supervisor John Granato and electricity department member Dave Seminak discussed numerous issues with the Wakefield City Council Monday night, including the city’s contract with the Great Lakes Utilities and the Tank Hill Reservoir Project.

Granato and Seminak recommended the council adopt the resolution to withdraw from the city’s contract with the Great Lakes Utilities, citing that there would be no penalty to rejoin if necessary in the future. The GLU program will be officially removed six months after the notice is received. The resolution was adopted.

City Manager John Siira said the reservoir project will take about one week to complete. The project is set to start on Nov. 4 and it is anticipated that the improvements will be complete before the increased demand due to the start of winter sports.

Siira also reported on the necessity of a new city hall heating system. A crew has already begun work on the system. It was established that the city hall will rely on electric heat and the basement will continue to rely on gas heat.

Siira said sincd the city’s revenues are down, it may need to look at a Headlee Override vote like the one Bessemer is facing in November.

“We are not too far behind the Bessemer situation,” Mayor Richard Bolen said.

The council thanked Scott Favero, who was present to confirm his donation of $400 to the city for the railroad grade cleanup. He said the project gathered 785 tires and 40 tons of steel. The fire department also assisted in this cleanup.

The council examined a contract with the state pertaining to the 2013 flood grant. This contract was presented by the state to address the 25 percent funding balance of the grant agreement, to be split between the city and state, after the Federal Emergency Management Agency funds 75 percent of the grant.

The council agreed the majority of the funds would go back to the electric department. Member Joseph DelFavero said the council should wait and “get all the answers” before signing the agreement. However, Bolen said the council should “take the sure thing and hope for the best,” deciding that it’s unfit to risk a guaranteed balance. The council unanimously approved the contract.

City Clerk Jennifer Jacobson read the animal ordinance, establishing that small goats and pigs may be kept as pets under issuance of a special permit, but exotic animals may not be kept as pets. The public hearing for this ordinance will take place at the next meeting, Nov. 11.

The council unanimously accepted Nicholas Lake’s, of Copper Ridge Trucking, bid for 1,000 yards of gravel for the city at $9.50 per yard.

The council also approved a motion to conduct a food collection from Nov. 11 to Dec. 5. Since 1998, the city has been a drop-off point for the annual Can-a-thon. Bolen encourages donations. “All donations will go back to the community,” he said.