Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Ironwood Township — It appears construction of the regional trail running between the Montreal River and Sunday Lake in Wakefield will be able to continue after the Ironwood Township Board of Trustees agreed to transfer ownership of a portion of the planned trail to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Monday.
The land, approximately one-tenth of an acre, is located across County Club Road.
Township attorney Mark McDonald told the board that it appears the small size of the parcel prevents the township from using the land for something else other than allowing the trail to cross the road.
“Basically the parcel doesn’t have value ... I guess if the township has no interest in this parcel and no future use for it, I wouldn’t have any objection if the township just deeded it to the DNR,” McDonald said. “That would resolve all our issues in the future about liability.”
The board decided to deed the land to the DNR after it was informed at the last meeting that the state wouldn’t negotiate over the language of the easement agreement allowing the trail on township property.
The board wasn’t willing to sign an agreement that didn’t include language preventing the township from being liable for any accidents that happened on the township-owned land.
McDonald recommended the township board not authorize any agreement that didn’t include this provision and it was communicated at the last meeting by Coleman Engineering representatives the state wasn’t interested in including the necessary language.
Several board members expressed an unwillingness to block the completion of the trail, hence the need to deed the property over to the DNR.
In other action:
— The board authorized Supervisor Alan Baron to sign an engagement letter with the firm Makela, Pollack & Ahonen for auditing services.
— The board discussed setting a date for the township’s spring clean-up but decided more information was needed regarding what materials could be accepted before a date was set.
