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IM mulls permit for ice cream shop cows

HUNTER BLAU, LEFT, of Hortonville, Wis.,enjoys a visit in June to The Ice Cream Barn in Iron Mountain. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo, file)

IRON MOUNTAIN — An ordinance change to accommodate two cows outside an Iron Mountain ice cream shop is in the works, although the city manager says its location makes “establishing a good policy difficult.”

Ice Cream Barn owner Bill Neuens brought the cows to stalls at the site when he opened the business in June but was ordered to remove them. The animals were later allowed temporarily over the Labor Day weekend.

The harboring of livestock is prohibited in the city, but the council in a 5-2 vote decided June 6 to explore a special use permit. At that time, several citizens spoke in favor of the cows, which children had been able to pet and feed at the farm-themed shop at 606 N. Stephenson Ave.

“In amending this type of ordinance, you would typically want to include items such as minimum distance from residential, minimum lot size, distance from major thoroughfares, minimum enclosure size and others, all of which this location makes it difficult to include these minimums for what would be considered good policy,” City Manager Jordan Stanchina said in a recent memo.

The council, however, will have the final say and City Attorney Jerry Pirkola will draft a proposal for review.

On Monday, the council discussed having a permit that is subject to annual approval. Council member Kyle Blomquist said he would also want the city’s planning commission involved.

In other news, the council:

— Learned the Dickinson County Solid Waste Management Committee has recommended approval of a request from Resolute Forest Products of Menominee to dispose of wastepaper sludge at the Niagara Development landfill in Breitung Township. There will be a public hearing and approval is in the hands of the Dickinson County Board. In June 2019, the county board rejected an emergency appeal for sludge disposal in a 3-2 vote after Norway and Quinnesec residents protested. Much of the sludge is applied to farm fields but there are times when a landfill is needed, said Stanchina, a member of the solid waste panel.

— Approved Cynthia Nagy’s request to have a well and septic system at 430 Lake Antoine Road and Gilbert LaFave’s request to allow a well at 938 E. G St. In each case, city utilities are too far away for affordable connections so the homeowners will be responsible for their own services.

— Heard Stanchina report the city is scheduled to receive about $44,000 over a number of years through the settlement of lawsuits filed by state and local governments against the manufacturers and distributors of opioids such as oxycodone.

— Will close part of the 100 block of East A Street from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday for the Farmers and Artisans Market. The closure is in conjunction with the 2022 Run Iron Mountain Road and Trail Half Marathon.

— Has approved the Michigan Cooperative Liquid Assets Securities System as an investment option for city funds. Michigan CLASS is a local government investment pool established in 1991.

— Has appointed Robert Badini to the Board of Review for a partial term expiring Jan. 1, 2025.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.

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