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The Hancock City Council continues to carry out city business despite being shorthanded.
Former Mayor John Haeussler resigned last month due to health concerns and City Manager Barry Givens is currently on medical leave for cancer treatment.
New Mayor Paul LaBine says it’s been a challenge to get everything done. “Mary Babcock, our City Clerk/Treasurer, she’s been doing a great job addressing things in the office,” LaBine said. “We’ve had Bill Marlor, our Director of Public Works, he’s been working really hard, too, to address things within the city. On the back end, I’ve been speaking with Barry and we’re going to work with the Personnel Committee to see if he can come back and work on a limited basis. We have challenges here at the city but his family certainly has a lot more challenges with his health. We just appreciate and hope that everybody has patience with us. We’re trying to address everything that we can at the moment. This will not continue indefinitely. We do hope to see Barry back sooner than later and as Barry mentioned, we want to thank everyone for their support and thoughts at this time.”
Babcock resigned from the Hancock School Board on Monday because of the heavy workload at city hall.
To fill the vacant seat created by Haeussler’s resignation, the city council considered four applicants at Wednesday’s regular meeting.
Applications were received by Right Start Kids Academy Director Heather McGee, 47-year Hancock resident Margo Pizzi, Copper Country Mental Health Outpatient Therapist Michael Garrison, and Michigan Tech alumna Stephanie Tubman.
Though all the candidates had strong qualifications, Mayor LaBine explains why Tubman was the council’s choice for the position. “He application just had a lot of enthusiasm,” he said. “She’s a local graduate of Michigan Tech. She’s already very involved in local leadership such as being a director on the Keweenaw Young Professionals—a group I’d like to reach out to—she’s on the Keweenaw Land Trust. Her application letter has a lot experience with things like grant writing and strategic planning, cooperative team work kind of effort.”
Tubman’s term will expire in 2020.
