IRON MOUNTAIN — Bids are due Aug. 3 for removing 19 dead trees in the city, the second such project this year.

It’s generally more economical to have contractors do the work, which includes cleaning up the wood and cutting stumps flush to the ground, Iron Mountain City Manager Jordan Stanchina said.

Four of the trees in this round are in Iron Mountain Cemetery Park, while the rest are on boulevards between streets and sidewalks. Stanchina described them to the city council as “dead-dead” and “completely unsafe.”

Earlier this year, 1st Down Tree Service of Breitung Township was contracted to remove 22 trees at a cost of $8,900.

In other news this week, the city council:

— Received information from Stanchina on an application for $429,000 in Public Safety and Public Health Payroll Reimbursement Program funds made available in Michigan under the federal CARES Act. Only a portion — or possibly none — of the money may be received, but the application deadline was met, he said. The city also has applied for the First Responder Hazard Pay Program that would provide each police and fire employee with a $1,000 hazard pay bonus funded by the CARES Act.

— Approved a $5,000 membership contribution to the Dickinson Area Economic Development Alliance. Currently, 88% of the organization’s funding comes from the private sector and 12% from public entities, said Lois Ellis, executive director. Over the past year, the Alliance helped 52 Iron Mountain businesses apply for Michigan Economic Corp. Small Business Relief Fund grants and loans, with $30,000 awarded to three businesses within the city.

— Selected Kleiman Pump & Well Drilling of Breitung Township to rehabilitate a water system well on a time and materials basis not to exceed $16,975. The city’s estimate was $15,000 and there were no other bidders. The city also is seeking bids to replace the pump and controls on another well, estimated at $30,000.

— Agreed to seek bids for a new plate compactor, replacing a 1997 unit that is used to compress dirt when backfilling ditches. The budget is $9,000.

— Accepted council member Ken Clawson’s request to have his council pay donated to the police department’s K-9 fund.

— Signed an interlocal agreement naming Patti Roell as the designated assessor for Dickinson County, as proposed by county Equalization Director Matt Baumgartner. Under assessment reforms enacted by the state in 2018, the position is required to be filled by the end of this year. The designated assessor is not an employee or paid contractor of the county but is involved in making sure local units are meeting minimum assessing requirements.