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Residents press council to stabilize Ruppe Building; council directs manager to contact owner
Summary
Public speakers raised safety concerns about the privately owned Ruppe Building; the council voted 6–0 to have the village manager contact the owner and request a meeting and documentation but voted down a separate motion to have the building inspector perform an inspection (3–3).
Rebecca Glotfelty told the council she is concerned about the condition of the Ruppe Building, which sits next to her Keweenaw Storytelling Center. Jeff Ratcliffe updated the council about the Houghton Landbank demolition project and said the village has one building on the list; Ratcliffe said the Ruppe Building needs stabilization this winter.
After discussion about private ownership and village liability, Trustee Virginia Dwyer moved, seconded by Pamela Que, that the Village Manager contact the building owner and request a meeting as well as paperwork including a certificate of insurance and a structural engineer's report; the motion carried 6–0. A subsequent motion by Dwyer, seconded by Que, to have the Manager contact the building inspector to inspect the property failed on a 3–3 roll call (Yeas: Dwyer, Germain, Ranville; Nays: Que, Smith, Tarvis).
Council members framed the decisions around the limits of village authority over privately owned property and the need to document structural risk. Manager Megan Haselden and the council will pursue the requested documentation and meet with the owner to determine next steps.
