Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
ROB COLEMAN reads his prepared correspondence for addition to the public record. Coleman said Kathy Whitburn, mayor and John Frello, council member, cut him off at the last meeting and did not allow him to speak, which he thinks was due to his position regarding the city's attorney and his desire to have Mike Korpela replaced.
By IAN MINIELLY
Bessemer - The Bessemer City Council came together in council's chamber Monday to discuss regular city business with a condensed agenda. The council approved the expenditure of $83, 192 dollars to pay the bills before Rob Coleman elected to read his correspondence publicly for addition to the record.
Coleman reminded the room he was interrupted in the last meeting when he tried to speak by Kathy Whitburn and John Frello, which Coleman assumed was due to his stance on the city's attorney Mike Korpela. Coleman said he thinks the city's relationship with Korpela should be severed because Korpela, according to Coleman also represents local marijuana growers in the community and questions whether the city can receive unbiased information from an attorney representing both sides.
Coleman listed five points to substantiate his allegations regarding the city finding a new attorney:
-Korpela and the former city manager brokered a deal to set up a grow facility in the former Big Dollar building without the knowledge of city council or the citizenry;
-Korpela drew up contracts to release the former city manager and hire new city manager without the consent of council, costing the city $60,000;
-Korpela and the former city manager recommended the city sever ties with the Gogebic Range Solid Waste Authority, being off by approximately $50,000 on what the city would owe;
-Korpela has threatened Linda Nelson and Coleman in open meeting with potential lawsuits;
-and Korpela recommended Rich Duncanson be allowed to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Bessemer before they were legal to do so.
Under New Business, Charly Loper, city manager, informed the council, as per the contract requirements when she was hired, the council is due to evaluate her performance after six months. The council bandied back and forth different potential solutions on how to properly evaluate Loper before Nelson said she would try and email the council what they have used in the past and Whitburn said they could add different criteria, specific to Loper, to the old ones. The council agreed to schedule a review on May 1.
Loper said she would try and have a rough draft of the Master Plan, incorporating survey results, by June. Nelson said she knew five people that filled out multiple surveys and the results were skewed and could not be trusted. The council discussed the survey, who should and should not have been allowed to fill one out and whether the local businesses have a say or opinion on what goes on in the city.
Nelson and Coleman expressed an interest to add questions on marijuana and traffic lanes to the November ballot to capture the full sentiment of the voting public, which led the group down a different tract. After discussing the validity of the survey results, the issue was tabled until the June 5 council meeting with potential language submissions due by Loper and Jim Trudgeon.
Lopers city manager report informed the public the Downtown Development Authority approved an $8,000 loan to the city for tear down of the Keating building at 206 S. Sophie St. Loper said the building has to be demolished by July, but may have a possible June completion date.
