Pier troubleshooting is a slow go

The pier came up in both public comment and as an item on Wednesday’s Houghton City Council agenda. It was asked whether repurposed and recycled materials could be used to help plug the hole caused by rising steel prices, which has thrown the project into limbo. Manager Eric Waara said he believed that was already common practice. Steel is particularly effective in being reused.

Waara later went into depth on the options being discussed to ensure the project is completed this year. Nothing is settled yet.

Houghton may have to shift money from other accounts to cover the balance. Even the low bid came in several hundred thousand dollars above expectations. The city is being reimbursed for funds spent to recover from the Father’s Day flood and road earmarks could be used too.

Waara said to expect a decision on how to make the pier proceed soon as construction season is already upon us.