RC City Council Proceedings
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE ROGERS CITY CITY COUNCIL
HELD IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON NOVEMBER 3, 2015
Mayor Sobeck presided and called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.
ROLL CALL: Adair, Bielas, McLennan, Nowak, and Sobeck.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Bielas/Nowak, that the minutes of the Workshop and Regular Council Meeting of October 20, 2015 be approved as written. ROLL CALL Ayes – All, the motion carried.
CITIZENS APPEARING BEFORE THE COUNCIL:
FOUR-WARD NE MICHIGAN
RESOLUTION NO. 2015-106
Nowak/McLennan,
WHEREAS: There is no public four year university in the northern half of the Lower Peninsula;
WHEREAS: Students must leave the area for access to higher education and seldom return to live;
WHEREAS: There is a “brain drain” that adversely affects our local economy due to limited educational and economic opportunities in Northeast Michigan;
WHEREAS: The area’s unemployment rate is persistently higher, and the median income of the area is significantly less than the state average;
WHEREAS: A study by Lake Superior State University found that one new job is created for every two students enrolled;
WHEREAS: On average, Michigan residents with a bachelor’s degree earn nearly twice as much as those with only a high school diploma and have one third the rate of unemployment;
WHEREAS: Only 26 percent of the 18 to 24 year-olds in the region are enrolled in college, substantially lower than the statewide rate of 39 percent;
WHEREAS: There is adequate land in the public trust in the Alpena region which is suitable to support the development of a baccalaureate-granting university;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: That the City of Rogers City supports the Michigan Legislature in establishing within Alpena County a baccalaureate granting state university for Northeast Michigan.
ROLL CALL: Ayes – All, the motion carried.
CITY CLERK’S REPORT:
CHECK AND INVOICE APPROVAL:
McLennan/Adair, that the following total fund expenditures be recognized as payments made and payments to be made, in the amount of $445,867.90 and the Mayor is authorized to sign the check register.
ROLL CALL: Ayes – All, the motion carried.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
MARINA OPERATIONS
RESOLUTION NO. 2015-107
Nowak/Adair, to form a committee to explore options one, two and three as listed in the manager’s report and report back to Council within 60 days. Said committee to include City Mgr. Hefele, Council Member McLennan, two people from the Harbor Advisory Committee and a prior harbormaster, if he is interested.
ROLL CALL: Ayes – All, the motion carried.
NEW BUSINESS:
SAW GRANT AGREEMENT
RESOLUTION 2015-108
McLennan/Bielas, to authorize City Clerk/Treasurer Koss to sign the Saw Grant Agreement as presented.
ROLL CALL: Ayes – All, th
OPTIMIST CLUB REQUEST
RESOLUTION NO. 2015-109
Nowak/Bielas, to approve the request from the Optimist Club of Rogers City to conduct the annual Memorial Tree display in Westminster Park with the tree lighting to be held on November 25, 2015 at 6 p.m. with cleanup of the trees to occur in the spring.
ROLL CALL: Ayes – All, the motion carried.
ADJOURNMENT:
Mayor Sobeck declared the meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Terri L. Koss, City Clerk/Treasurer
Condensed version, complete minutes are available at City Hall.