Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Bessemer — At a special meeting on Monday evening, members of the Bessemer City Council voted to offer the position of city manager to Ian Lewis, a U.P. candidate with a history in Ironwood.
The motion included an annual salary offer of $78,000 in addition to three weeks of vacation for the first two years, plus other holidays, personal days and benefits commensurate with the city’s overall union-negotiated terms.
The contract also would allow the council to terminate the city manager with cause at any time.
Councilwoman Linda Nelson will offer Lewis the agreed contract and will report that council wants a decision by Monday.
The council previously had narrowed applications down to Lewis and one other Michigan candidate.
When Nelson recently contacted those candidates to explore possible negotiations, Lewis requested $78,000-$80,000 with seven years of experience. The other candidate requested $70,000 with three years of experience. Nelson said that other differences in requested benefits were negligible
“I’m going to go with the one that has seven years under his belt,” said Councilman Terry Kryshak.
“Personally, I could go with either one,” said Nelson of the two candidates, but she added that Lewis’ local connections are worth the extra cost.
Mayor Pro Tempore Robert Coleman, who headed the meeting in the absence of Mayor Adam Zak, agreed, adding that Lewis more likely would commit to the job longer with local ties.
Coleman also liked that Lewis already had expressed a preference for passing on city-supported health insurance and instead opting for an “in lieu of” option that would cost the city only 45% of an insurance plan.
Lewis — who was born in Ironwood and attended Gogebic Community College — has been working as the village manager of Laurium since January.
He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Michigan University and a J.D. at the Michigan State University Law School.
The council’s next regular meeting will be on Monday at 6 p.m. in the council room of the Bessemer City Hall.
