Library Board Gets Promise of Maintenance
By Leslie Rott

The Mackinac Island Library Board has agreed to meet periodically with Mayor Margaret Doud's assistant to relay maintenance concerns, and will submit out-sourced labor requests through the city's purchasing channel. In return, the city has agreed to provide an employee to clean the facility three times a week.

The understanding was reached at the city's Finance Committee meeting Friday, July 14, during which Clayton Timmons and Kathi Wightman, representing the Library Board, offered to hire people using library funds to clean and perform yard maintenance.

The city employee normally assigned to clean the library has been on personal leave and the city had not assigned the work to someone else.

According to city accountant, Michael Konicki of Rehmann and Robson in Cheboygan, because the cleaning work is being done at a city building, it is required that the work be done by a city employee and, therefore, the library board cannot hire someone else to do it.

The board was also told that some yard maintenance, like tree trimming, could be hired out, but that the board needs to go through the city's purchase order system, which means that all maintenance must be cleared with the city.

Mr. Timmons had told the Finance Committee that he knows the city is financially pressed and that city workers are busy and was hoping to use the library checking account to pay for incidentals, such as trimming trees and cleaning restrooms, window washing, and spraying down the front of the building during fish fly season, mostly light housekeeping tasks that need to be taken care of.

"We don't think the librarian should be doing all this stuff," Mr. Timmons said.

Added Mrs. Wightman, "The guys are strung in so many different directions, we thought we could help."

Mayor Margaret Doud characterized the problem as miscommunication and promised the matter would be resolved.

Added her assistant, Kelly Bean, of a plan to provide city cleaning, "We can definitely work out the schedule to do that."

It was also reported that a rocking chair is missing from the back of the Library and the group discussed the possibility of securing the chairs to the back deck with cable, but no action was taken.

It was decided that someone from the library board be appointed to report to Ms. Bean after meetings regarding

what types of maintenance and other things that need to be done.

Also discussed at the Finance Committee meeting was paying for a $400,000 to $500,000 project to convert the old medical center building into housing for city employees. The estimate includes $100,000 for furnishings and a new electric system.

The city wants to begin remodeling October 1 and had hoped to sell two condominiums for $800,000 to pay for it, but it received no bidders for the condos. The committee will recommend to the City Council that the units now be offered for sale individually, one for a minimum bid of $375,000 and the other for $350,000.

Mr. Konicki suggested that if all efforts to sell the condominiums fail, the city can borrow money from the Capital Projects Fund to pay for the project. He also suggested using a building authority to manage the project. The city Building Authority is still in place from the new fire hall that was built on Market Street.

The committee also discussed getting a credit card for the city. Mr. Konicki suggested that it only be used in an emergency and that Mayor Doud have executive power to use it, with a $2,500 limit. He added that Mayor Doud and committee chairman Mike Hart be the only city officials authorized to sign the card.

Mr. Konicki will present an audit of finances to the Mackinac Island City Council Wednesday, August 9 at 6 p.m.