Major road projects to get underway

The public works crew from the City of Houghton will embark on one of its largest ever road projects this fall.  Public Works Supervisor Mark Zenner says approximately $613,000 of black topping and paving is planned.

“It’s one of our largest outlays in five or six years,” Zenner said. “The bad winter helped our street fund, plus we had the flooding declaration. Everything just sort of wound up together.”

Zenner said the project will help the city update its roads, provide better road quality and drainage and result in less patching by road crews.

City Manager Scott MacInnes says a special celebration will be held to mark the 20th anniversary of the Nara Nature Park. A property donation was received from Bob and Ruth Nara in 1993 for the park. The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 24. The public is invited to attend and the Naras will be on hand with city Nara Park committee and the council.

A public hearing was held on two proposed property ordinances that would have changed them from multi-family to general business with conditions.  After hearing opposition from several residents, the ordinances were defeated by a 3-2 margin. Mayor Bob Backon and councilmen Craig Kurtz and Gernot Joachim cast the no votes. Councilman Mike Needham abstained from voting and councilwoman Rachel Lankton was not present.

In other action, the council:
* Was told by clerk Ann Vollrath that the Historic Fair at Dee Stadium drew visitors from 28 states and 7 foreign countries this past summer.
* Learned that a trash collection center will begin on Oct. 4.