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The Hancock City Council approved new contracts with the three unions that represent most of the city’s employees last night.
Pacts with the Teamsters Union, the Police Officers Association of Michigan, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees differ slightly in their details, but Mayor Paul LaBine said they averaged about a 2.75 percent annual increase over the next three years.
Union members had already approved the contracts.
The council also voted a 2.75 percent increase for employees who are not represented by unions for next year.
The council happily accepted a $144,700 Michigan Passport grant that will help remodel the bathrooms and provide other upgrades to the city campground. The city will contribute $48,000 to the project, which could be undertaken next summer, if plans can be drawn up in time.
Council members approved a new voting precinct for the city. The precinct will be used exclusively for absentee ballots.
Acting city manager Mary Babcock explained that the number of absentee ballots has increased dramatically as the state has loosened requirements. There are now too many to process during the election at the on-site precincts.
Babcock said that the corresponding drop in people voting onsite prompted them to look into reducing the number of onsite precincts from three to two, but the city charter requires that a precinct be maintained in each of the city’s three wards.
At last night’s meeting, the Hancock City Council accepted the resignation of Randy Nieswonger from the Downtown Development Authority. Nieswonger is the former CEO of UP Health System-Portage. He recently accepted a job in another community.
Ryan Heinonen will replace Neiswonger on the board. Heinonen is the interim UP Health System-Portage CEO. The DDA board traditionally includes a representative from the hospital
Council members also appointed Hancock Schools Superintendent Steve Patchin to an open position on the DDA. That term runs until January 31, 2021. Susan Burack was named to fill an unexpired term on the Hancock Planning Commission, which will run through this coming February 15th.
