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At Wednesday’s Hancock City Council meeting, Manager Mary Babcock updated the group on progress in planning a joint event being put on alongside the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce and the City of Houghton.
Being billed as the Community Night Out, it will happen on Saturday, September 4th. Babcock says the collaboration between all of the organizations and governments involved has been smooth so far.
The festivities are meant to act as a makeup for the fact that many cancelations still happened on the summer calendar, including Bridgefest in June. Hancock will be setting up a beer garden and concert stage in Porvoo Park. Rewind is scheduled to be the feature entertainment.
The rest of the meeting was workmanlike. Councilor Ron Blau was absent, but the other six members were in agreement on a variety of issues. The body approved another installment payment for the new bathroom being put in at Hancock Beach. They cut the last check related to the roof replacement on the Million Gallon Tank. OHM was contracted to help carry out sewer improvements next year.
Late additions to the agenda included leases for a used John Deere road grader to fill out the winter fleet for plowing. The council also approved leasing a 2021 Caterpillar front loader to replace an existing piece of equipment that had 10,000 hours of use already. The goal is to purchase the Caterpillar at the end of the financing period.
An ad-hoc committee was formed to look at acquisitions, including the Houghton County Arena at the Fairgrounds. Mayor Paul LaBine and councilor John Haeussler were added as members. Whitney Warstler will take Haeussler’s place on the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance Board.
