IRON MOUNTAIN - Hanbury Lake Park in Norway may be turned over to the city of Norway, if the city agrees to a proposal put forth Monday night by the Dickinson County Board of Commissioners.
Commissioner Joe Stevens said that Hanbury Lake Park has not been utilized as much as some other county parks.
"The parks in Dickinson County are some of the best in the state, but they are expensive to maintain," he said. "We thought we could save money by turning it over to Norway."
The county first approached the city of Norway about the subject one year ago. After a meeting last week, Norway officials said that they would welcome a proposal.
Dickinson County has agreed to provide $5,000 for park upgrades if Norway is willing to take over the property. However, the land must remain a park.
In other business, the board:
- Reviewed the airport manager's report.
Manager Tim Howen said that boardings for Delta Airlines have been up from 2009. Boardings were up 25 percent in May, up 17 percent in June, and up 10 percent in July.
Also, an analysis comparing fares from Iron Mountain to fares from Green Bay, Wis. was completed. Flights to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix were found to be cheaper from Iron Mountain than from Green Bay. Several other popular destination fares from Iron Mountain exceeded Green Bay fares by less than $33.
- Authorized the board chair to execute a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) contract to seal cracks and paint markings at Ford Airport.
The project will be paid for through a $85,000 grant from the state of Michigan and $2,125 from a local share.
- Authorized the board chair to execute a renewal lease agreement with TSA for space at the Ford Airport.
Board Chair Henry Wender voted against the motion.
- Authorized the board chair to execute a land lease agreement with Bruce Kososki for the purpose of constructing a steel hangar.
- Approved to hold Ford Airport Day on Sept. 18.
- Released the 2009 appropriation of $1,000 to the Kiwanis Ski Club.
According to County Controller Kay Pascoe, club members thought that the unclaimed 2009 funds would be rolled over into their 2010 appropriation. However, the funds for each year had to be disbursed separately.
- Approved a resolution to oppose House bill 5882, which contains an increase for juvenile justice residential programs of $7 per child per day.
Commissioner Anne Martin explained that the bill would cost $1.3 million each to the state and to the counties, and that no reason has been given for the increase.
- Approved a request from District Court Judge Chris Ninomiya to attend the 2010 Annual Judicial Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Sept. 16 and 17 at an approximate cost of $400.
- Reappointed Susan Pope to the Fumee Lake Commission for a three-year term.
Nikki Younk's e-mail address is nyounk@ironmountaindailynews.com.