IM boosts fire staffing
IRON MOUNTAIN — Two additional full-time firefighters will be hired in Iron Mountain to limit the amount of overtime needed for adequate coverage, bringing the full-time staff to nine.
The city council approved the change Monday after City Manager Jordan Stanchina said the overall added cost of hiring two full-timers in lieu of part-time slots is estimated to be $4,000 to $5,000.
The city had applied for a Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to add three firefighters at 100% of the cost for three years, but learned last month that no funding would come through.
The city has struggled to employ enough part-timers to keep the amount of overtime from climbing and one full-timer has logged as much as 231 extra hours in a month.
With two additional full-timers, the city will operate with three crews, each working a 24-hour shift every third day. There will be three full-timers on each crew, plus one part-timer.
Staffing can be evaluated again when the city prepares its next fiscal year budget in the spring, Stanchina said.
In another matter, the council approved an agreement with the firefighters union to move engineer Nate Furton into a captain’s position, which will require him to obtain an emergency medical technician license. Deputy Director of Fire Services Jeff Friedenstab recently retired, creating the need to fill a captain’s slot.
In other action, the council:
— Accepted a quote from Bacco Construction Co. of Iron Mountain to pave Pine Street from Hughitt to Ludington streets at a cost of $17,610. The block was included in the 2024 paving schedule but removed because it was over budget, Stanchina explained. It was mistakenly crushed by Bacco in the spring and will now be paved at the same rate as the other paving. Bacco will also do some street patching across the city at a cost of $8,750.
— Appointed Peggy Freeman and Shirley Person to fill vacancies on the Iron Mountain Housing Commission.
— Noted that curbside leaf collections will likely begin around Oct. 21, with a schedule to be posted on the city’s Facebook page. Public works will do some pre-collection sweeps where leaves have already fallen, Stanchina said.
— Heard Mayor Dale Alessandrini say the city may need to revisit a pickleball ordinance adopted two years ago that set hours of operation for the courts on Stanton Street from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. This fall, some people have set up lights in order to play past sunset, he said.
— Heard Fairbanks Street residents Megan and Bryan Bottesi raise concerns about hunter conduct during the city’s managed archery deer hunt and agreed to have officials follow up. Stanchina acknowledged there is likely activity, too, that falls outside of the city’s registration-required hunt.
— Approved an annual dues payment of $840 to Northern Michigan Public Service Academy, which provides municipal training sessions in Marquette.
Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.