janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com
IRON MOUNTAIN Dickinson County adopted a resolution Monday protesting “undue burdens” placed on businesses as a result of Michigan’s pandemic restrictions.
The board debated the topic during a Zoom meeting that featured a weak audio feed for some participants. The resolution was a late addition to the agenda and no copy was provided to The Daily News before the meeting or within hours after adjournment.
The action appears similar to a measure approved earlier this month in Delta County, declaring it a sanctuary county for businesses affected by COVID-19 shutdowns.
Likewise, the Dickinson board said it would not single out or harm any business owner that opens an establishment while taking responsible precautions.
janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com
THE DICKINSON COUNTY BOARD will have a public hearing tonight at the county courthouse in Iron Mountain on the proposed $9.9 million general fund budget for 2021. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)
IRON MOUNTAIN Dickinson County will remain under a state of emergency for COVID-19, the county board decided Monday.
Although the rate of new cases is down from when the declaration was reinstated in late October, it should be kept in place, said Pete Schlitt, the county’s emergency services coordinator.
A key reason, he said, is to designate public works employees as “essential,” which gives officials flexibility in responding to storms and other disruptions. The declaration also allows the county to share pandemic resources with other agencies and governmental units, he said.
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THE EAST LEG of Enbridge Inc.âs Line 5 pipeline near St. Ignace. The line runs under the Straits of Mackinac. (Dale G Young/Detroit News via AP, File)
IRON MOUNTAIN Dickinson County adopted a resolution Monday in support of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline, urging completion of a tunnel replacement project with no disruption of service.
The resolution comes in response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent demand the company shut down its oil pipeline that crosses the bottom of the waterway connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.
“We can’t give up this fight,” said Commissioner Joe Stevens, saying a shutdown would severely restrict propane supplies in the Upper Peninsula, leading to price hikes.