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NORWAY -- The Norway City Council on Monday approved raising cable television fees by $13 a month to offset increasing rates.
Basic video will rise to $25 for city subscribers and $27 for township customers. The expanded package will cost $75 and $79 for city and township purchasers, respectively.
The change in rates was unpopular among council members, although most called it a necessity.
The city learned this month that what it pays to provide cable service would go up by 12 percent across the board, City Manager Ray Anderson said.
Mayor Candy Brew said prices set by television networks such as the Fox Broadcasting Company were non-negotiable.
"By raising it $13, we're still only breaking even," Brew said.
Council Member Lee Meneghini gave his begrudging support for the resolution. "Norway was the first municipality in the state to have their own cable TV system -- I believe it was 1953," he noted. "I'd hate to lose it."
"We can no longer afford to subsidize our communications department from other funds," Meneghini later said. "It must stand on its own. We have to adjust rates to stay at least even."
In other business, the council:
-- Authorized Miron Construction to do gear box and bearing repairs on generating unit No. 4 at the Sturgeon Falls Hydroelectric Facility for $121,870, bringing the total project cost to $139,790.
-- Approved $8,066.93 from the Stormwater, Asset Management, Wastewater grant for Coleman Engineering's GPS inventory of manhole and lift station locations in the sanitary and storm sewer systems.
-- Authorized $3,012.40 to purchase parts for a loader truck, as requested by Department of Public Works shop foreman Rick Treiber. The parts will be ordered through Road Machinery and Supplies in Negaunee.
-- Will have MPower Innovations prepare the Joint Use Pole Attachment Study, at a price not to exceed $6,000, using data collected by Norway employees.
-- Agreed to participate in the Fire Insurance Withholding Program, which would place 25 percent of a fire insurance settlement in escrow for the repair, replacement or removal of a damaged structure.
-- Allowed Jake Meneghini Museum to post signs for its Craft and Vendor Show on March 16.
-- Approved application for the Norway Spring Classic, an annual event scheduled for Saturday, April 27.