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Hancock will discontinue the use of Zoom during council meetings. Last night at the city council meeting councilors voted to discontinue the use of Zoom due to a lack of public participation with the online conference room. The city began using the tool during the pandemic and since has debated discontinuing its use at different times. Councilors expressed that the tool has many great features for engaging the community during meetings, but its lack of use regularly makes it difficult to justify the technical and financial burden its use creates.
“When was the last time we had someone on there?” – Councilor Rick Freeman, Hancock City Council
“It’s been several months and at most one or two people.” – Linda Kalenic, City Clerk/Treasurer, City of Hancock
Councilor Whitney Warstler was the only vote against discontinuing the use of Zoom during city council meetings. Hancock will revisit the topic if considered in the future or for meetings in a large public attendance is expected.
Hancock Council has also approved the city budget for 2024-25 and will make appropriate adjustments to the current fiscal year’s budget. In addition to approving budget amendments and the 2024-25 budget, the council authorized the 2024-25 tax millage rates. The general fund millage has been set at 13.1701, and the fire department, police department, and recreation department are set at 0.7942 mills.
Hancock will award the Minnesota Street construction bid to B&B Construction. The project bid will come in at 784,364 dollars. The company has done some subcontract work in the city and helped during the tanker spill on US-41 in 2021.
“He was the one who stepped in when there was this spill on the Santori’s corner. He stepped in and helped out the city. That’s the only work that I know of.” – Mary Babcock, City Manager, City of Hancock
The Hancock Master Plan will schedule a work session to discuss a section of the master plan before the city approves the document. The current edition was recommended to the council by the planning commission in April. Councilor Ryan Tanner requested to remove a small section at the start of the document for climate that was not addressed further in. The city does have language regarding sustainability, however. City Manager Mary Babcock cautioned the council that if too many adjustments are requested during a potential work session, that the city will need to hold another public hearing. Babcock will work with the council to schedule a work session for sometime in the next couple of weeks.
“I mean, we haven’t ever talked about it. It came to us, and we said, well, it was too long of a document. I think we got it too soon before. And I don’t know. I’m not proposing that we dive into it now. But I do think that it deserves a conversation as a document with the council.” – Whitney Warstler, Councilor, City of Hancock
Following a full agenda the council entered a closed session for the City Manager’s annual review. City Manager Mary Babcock will earn a 4.6 /5 rating for projects, and work completed around the city in 2023. Additionally, she will earn a new contract to help lead Hancock’s city operations over the next five years.
