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Ontonagon County commissioners approve $134,058 courthouse-door payment, personnel moves and ARPA budget amendment
Summary
At its April 15 meeting, the Ontonagon County Board of Commissioners approved a $134,058.55 payment for the courthouse door project, hired airport maintenance staff, appointed a jury-board member and adopted a budget amendment reallocating ARPA/CARES funds for sheriff department uses; all recorded motions carried unanimously.
Ontonagon County commissioners met April 15, 2025, in the circuit courtroom and approved a package of routine business including a $134,058.55 payment to Ruotsala Construction for the courthouse door project, personnel appointments and a budget amendment reallocating ARPA/COVID/CARES-authorized funds.
The board, chaired by Carl Nykanen, approved the agenda and the minutes of the March 18, 2025 meeting. Newly appointed Prosecuting Attorney Rudolph Perhalla introduced himself during the public-comment portion of the session; the minutes record the introduction but no substantive follow-up discussion.
Commissioner Cane moved and Commissioner Bourdeau supported formal payment of $134,058.55 to Ruotsala Construction for the courthouse door project; the motion was recorded as carried on a 5-0 roll call vote. The board also approved hiring Bruce Seid as airport maintenance effective April 17, 2025 (motion by Commissioner Bourdeau, supported by Commissioner Store) and appointed Andrea Aho to the jury board effective May 1, 2025 (motion by Commissioner Cane, supported by Commissioner Nousiainen). The board publicly thanked Greta Longhini for 40 years of service on the jury board.
The board adopted Ontonagon County Budget Amendment No. 2025-02 (motion by Commissioner Nousiainen, supported by Commissioner Store). The amendment lists the following ARPA/CARES-authorized line items: COVID/CARES $75,303.86; Sheriff Department — vehicle $73,656.21; Sheriff Department — equipment repair/maintenance $1,827.65. The minutes state these amounts reflect ARPA funds spent from Jan. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 that were obligated by Dec. 31, 2024; the meeting minutes do not show a combined grand total for the amendment on the printed table.
The board approved a letter of support for the Village of Ontonagon to purchase a sand/plow truck through Congressionally Directed Spending, and agreed to allow Commissioners Nykanen, Bourdeau and Store to attend the UPACC spring conference (motions carried on recorded 5-0 votes). The board also approved the county’s 2025 equalization valuation on form L-4024 and updated MERS Health Care Savings Program participation agreements for employees.
Other approvals recorded in the minutes included a $150 advertising placement in the MI-TRALE map and acceptance of a Remonumentation proposal from Timberline Land Surveying for 11 corners for $19,800. The board approved payment of presented bills and payroll: the minutes list current bills totaling $86,356.01, prepaid bills of $280,179.07 and payroll totals of $188,241.88 across the funds specified in the record.
The meeting adjourned to the call of the chair at 4:25 p.m. The minutes are signed by Chair Carl Nykanen and County Clerk Stacy C. Preiss. A special public hearing is noted to begin May 6, 2025; those proceedings begin in the subsequent transcript entry but are not recorded in detail in these minutes.
Notes: All motions recorded in the minutes are shown as carried; where the minutes list a 5-0 roll call it is noted above. The meeting agenda as printed lists additional motions (for example, a motion to hire a park manager and other personnel items) at the top of the minutes; the board actions summarized here are those explicitly recorded as approved in the meeting proceedings.
