Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By ZACHARY MARANO
Hurley — As warmer temperatures melt the last of the snow, Street Commissioner Scott Santini and Water Manager Gary Lugana provided the Hurley City Council with a public works update at its regular meeting on Tuesday.
Santini informed the council that there was a “serious undermining” of a drain on Fifth Avenue in Hurley and he went out for bids to replace the drain. The council approved a $8,500 contract with Ross Peterson Construction for the replacement.
Santini said that Cary Park is open as of Tuesday’s meeting. He said that Riccelli Park is almost ready to be open, but they plan to wait around a week for the melted snow to drain. He said they will open the bathrooms in Riccelli Park on Monday and install the basketball hoop in the park at the end of May.
Santini also said they will open up the cemetery for vehicle traffic on Monday and set up benches on Silver Street next week.
Santini said Hurley School District banners were mounted along Silver Street before the meeting on Tuesday to celebrate the class of 2022’s graduation on May 28.
Santini said the city will need new banners when it comes time to take the graduates’ banners down, as the old old banners are faded from exposure to sunlight and some are torn. The city council agreed to move forward with the replacement, drawing funds for the new banners from the city and Iron County.
Lugana said that they will start replacing the water meters in the city en masse in mid-July. These new water meters are being funded through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ lead service line replacement program. He also said that they already received 10 of 70 water meters they plan to replace this year and are going to put them in place to start testing. They replaced 60 meters last year.
Lugana said that city attorney Ray O’Dea wants Hurley to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the towns of Carey and Kimball formalizing their purchase of water from the city. He said this agreement will be presented for the council’s approval at a later date.
Lugana is also working with Hurley Chief of Police Chris Colassaco to contact city residents with noncompliant clearwater drain systems. Colassaco said that he contacted one resident already and will continue working with the rest of them. He said that he plans to set a September deadline for them to become compliant.
The council accepted a proposal from the Menomonie-based Lane Tank Co. Inc. for a water reservoir inspection in the amount of $1,450. Lane Tank is also working in Iron Belt, which will reduce the cost of mobilization by $500. Laguna explained that the public works department has to perform a partial drain down every five years and their last partial drain down was in 2017.
The council also agreed to receive the first right to acquire three miles of railroad grade between Hurley and Montreal from the state of Wisconsin. Ian Shackleford, vice president of Iron County Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts, told the Daily Globe that this land is privately owned by the Canadian National Railroad Company, but CN is taking the initial steps to sell this land.
Shackleford said that ICORE wants Hurley to acquire this land for a planned walking/bicycling trail that will start in Montreal and connect to the Iron Belle Trail in Ironwood. He said that city attorney O’Dea will negotiate a price with CN. ICORE and grants will pay for the acquisition and development of this trail.
