IRON MOUNTAIN — The Iron Mountain City Council on Monday approved possibly the last police sedan the city will purchase, a 2023 Dodge Charger Pursuit.

After receiving word Thursday that a federal grant had come through, city officials contacted LaFontaine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Lansing to reserve a Charger being held on their lot for immediate pickup. The cost through the state’s MiDEAL purchasing program will be $35,557, up $643 since the city applied for the grant in January.

The council OK’d the purchase at the request of Ed Mattson, director of police and fire services, who said the city is in dire need of a new unit.

“If we do not purchase the one that is available, we will have to wait for one to be ordered and built, which would not happen until late fall at best,” he stated in a memo.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant will cover about 35% of the cost, with the city responsible for roughly $32,000 once $14,000 is added for equipment.

The Charger is the last police sedan on the market and may soon be discontinued, leaving trucks and SUVs as a more costly alternative, City Manager Jordan Stanchina said. Electric vehicles could also come into play, although higher prices and smaller sizes would make them less viable, he said.

Mattson noted the Charger can be picked up Aug. 1, as he can ride to Lansing with another city employee who is scheduled to go there for a training conference.

In other action, the council:

— Heard Stanchina report garbage collection contractor GFL Solid Waste expects to roll out new carts during the first week of August to begin automated pickups. The carts for streetside pickups will be delivered with informational hangers, which will list the start date. There will also be more information from the city.

— Scheduled a public hearing for 6 p.m. Aug. 7 on a proposed ordinance that will allow GFL trucks to go the wrong way on one-way streets for some of its collections. The exemption requires flashing lights and warning devices, speeds of no more than 15 mph and stops at every intersection.

— Awarded a bid of $36,052 to Coleman Engineering of Iron Mountain for engineering services on a grant-aided 2024 paving project on North Milwaukee Avenue. GEI Consultants of Iron Mountain was the only other bidder at $46,834. The project will cover about 3/4 of a mile from Lehman Avenue to the city limits at Breitung Township.

— Approved closing the alley between First National Bank & Trust and Carlos Cantina from 5:15 to 9:15 p.m. Thursday for a block party organized through the Iron Mountain Downtown Development Authority. The DDA’s Third Thursday event that begins at 4 p.m. will also include an art walk and entertainment on the Sandstone Terrace.