NORWAY — Norway City Council has declined to endorse the Dickinson County Solid Waste Planning Commission’s request to allow Resolute Forest Products of Menominee to place waste sludge in a private landfill in Breitung Township.

The vote, however, won’t jeopardize the plan. The amendment needs approval from seven of the ten municipalities in Dickinson County, a threshold that has already been met, according to City Manager Dan Stoltman. Norway Township also previously voted no.

Resolute now disposes of the sludge in lagoons at the Niagara Development landfill where the sludge is mixed with waste sand from Grede Foundries of Kingsford. The proposed amendment would allow for the sludge to be placed in the actual landfill when no waste sand is available.

The actual amount of material deposited would remain unchanged, according to Niagara Development.

Monday was the second time in recent months that the amendment came before the council.

Mayor Candy Brew said she did not feel the city was a part of the process.

“I had a lot of questions when this came up the first time, I do not feel like I got a lot of answers or any answers to the questions,” Brew said. “I just feel like we should have been more a part of this if they wanted our vote.”

A motion to reject the proposed amendment was unanimously passed.

Final approval rests with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

In other business, the council revisited Ben Peterson’s offer to purchase a parcel of land that adjoins his business, Redline Sport and Marine on West U.S. 2.

The property was reappraised for $12,000, Peterson’s offer is for $7,000.

Talks about the potential sale have been ongoing for a year and the property was rezoned to business B-3 to facilitate a possible sale.

At its July 17 meeting, the council voted to place the property up for sale to the public for one month and if no offers were received the council would then consider Peterson’s offer. No other offers have been received.

Brew noted that there was quite a difference between the appraised value and Peterson’s offer.

Council member Rico Meneghini made a motion that City Manager Dan Stoltman, along with City Attorney Grant Carlson, enter negotiations with Peterson in regards to the sale of the property. The motion passed.

The council also approved a change to the city’s code regarding business signs. In 2016, the council approved an amendment to the code reducing the size of allowable signs from 100 square feet to 50 square feet on properties zoned B-2 and B-3. The reduction was done in response to a business that posted a sign much too big for a lot that was only 50 feet wide.

The proposed change would allow 0.5 additional square feet for each lineal foot of property over 100 feet the lot in question has.