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The City of Hancock’s latest financial audit is clean. Deb Bradford of Rukkila, Negro, & Associates presented the unmodified audit of their budget to the city council at their regular meeting on Wednesday.
The general fund balance had an increase of $127,000 and a decrease it the city’s debt of about $523,000. Bradford said that the debt reduction was consistent with what the city can expect over the next few years.
Saturday, December 22, 2018 is Glenn D. Anderson Day in the city of Hancock. The city council presented the long-time city manager with the proclamation at his final meeting as an employee of the city.
Anderson was recognized for his 38 years of service to the Copper Country, including the last 23 years as Hancock’s city manager. Anderson called his time as manager a “great run” and attributed any of the city’s successes during that time to the mayors, city council members, city administration staff and employees, and the hundreds of people who have served on various committees.
Next for Anderson, he will represent the city of Hancock and Adams Township on the Houghton County Board of Commissioners starting January 1, 2019.
New city manager Barry Givens gave his first administrative report to the council during Wednesday’s meeting.
Hancock city council meetings will start a little earlier and hopefully end earlier as well.
Currently, the council meets for a monthly work session at 6:30pm followed by their regular monthly meeting at 7:30pm. Topics were often discussed during both meetings, though the council could only take official action during the regular meeting.
By eliminating the work session and moving the start time of the regular meeting to 6:00pm, the council hopes to end up to an hour earlier. Discussions that would normally take place in the work session can be held during the regular meeting and if a topic requires further open discussion, a special meeting will be scheduled, which would allow the council to take action if needed.
The new time change takes effect starting in January and the 6:00pm start time is being suggested as a start time for all of Hancock’s official committee meetings.
With the state of Michigan still working on regulations for recreational marijuana retail businesses, the city of Hancock is extending its prohibition of marijuana establishments for another 30 days past January 14, 2019.
The city will hold a public hearing on January 16th at 6:00pm prior to consider adopting an ordinance that will keep the prohibition in place until the state issues their regulations, which the state has up to one year to do so.
The ordinance would only pertain to recreational marijuana businesses and would not infringe on an individual’s right to consume the product within the parameters of the law.
