IRON MOUNTAIN — A change in the top position in Iron Mountain’s public works department is in the works as Supervisor Scott Thomas prepares to retire in July.

The city will advertise for a director of public works — a higher position that’s been vacant for several years — while leaving the supervisor’s position vacant.

The current supervisor position is a civil service position and any new hire must come from within the department, City Manager Jordan Stanchina explained.

“This approach will allow us to consider both internal and external candidates who meet the minimum qualifications, helping us find the most qualified individual to lead the department,” he said in a memo to the council.

Qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in business administration or engineering — or equivalent — and a year’s experience. Alternatively, five years of progressively responsible experience in public works administration is needed.

Starting minimum salary for the director’s position is proposed at $86,084 annually, which is about $4,000 higher than the salary for a supervisor at the most advanced step.

A director would be appointed by the city manager and confirmed by the council.

In other action Monday, the council:

— Agreed to conduct early voting in 2026 in cooperation with Dickinson County Clerk Carol Bronzyk as she applies for a state grant to help cover the cost. Kingsford City Hall was the site selected for 2024 early voting. In November 2022, Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment that gives voters the right to vote early and in person at early voting sites before statewide and federal elections. For those elections, the mandatory early voting period takes place for a minimum of nine consecutive days, ending on the Sunday before an election.

— Opened bids from three dealers for a new 4×4 truck to replace a 1996 International Paystar, one of the city’s two largest plow trucks. Bids from U.P. Truck Center Inc. of Quinnesec, U.P. International Trucks of Iron Mountain and JX Truck Center of Marquette were referred to staff. The city has $200,000 budgeted, but all of the bids were above that.

— Approved Miller Canfield of Detroit as bond counsel for $5.245 million of funding through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund with fees and expenses totaling $33,500. The city has been awarded a $2.5 million loan at 2% interest, plus $1.72 million in principal forgiveness and a lead and infrastructure grant of $780,000. A project set to begin next year will replace about 400 water service lines.

— Learned that in 2025 Ultra Construction Services of Marquette replaced 106 water service lines, while Bacco Construction of Iron Mountain replaced 45 lines. Ultra began a project in fall 2024 to replace an estimated 375 service lines containing lead. Bacco began a water and sewer project this fall that includes 426 water service replacements. In most cases, the service lines replaced are galvanized pipes connected to water mains through a “gooseneck” that contains lead.

— Amended a contract with Coleman Engineering of Iron Mountain to provide improved GPS utility mapping, using $30,144 in unspent grant funds from a $551,000 project. The money is available as costs were slightly lower than anticipated as MEC Underground Solutions of Fairgrove, Michigan, conducted hydro excavations at curb stops to determine whether lead was present in about 1,000 service lines.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.