Hello everyone and welcome to another normal Marquette summer. I say normal because you never know what it’s going to be like. Maybe warm or maybe not so warm. So far it looks like this one is on the not so warm path. Either way, it usually works for all of us that have been around for a long time. No matter what, we seem to be able to participate in the normal summer activities and make the best of what we have. I think we’ll all agree that Marquette always seems to produce the best.

For those of us that work for the City, probably our most prominent summer activity is road and other construction. Outside of our usual road maintenance projects, the most prominent is likely the new infrastructure at the Lighthouse Park. The City Commission has been working hard at establishing this park as something the City can be proud of and has spent the last 12 months deciding how to do it. This summer, you will see a new entrance to the park via East Arch Street off of Lakeshore Boulevard, as well as a new multi-use path and two new parking areas. One parking area will be in front of the lighthouse buildings and the other, which incorporates a small cul-de-sac, will be in front of the Maritime Museum. The old Coast Guard Road that leads to McCarty’s Cove will be abandoned, however the Multi-use path will remain along that route.

The City Commission has also made some other significant decisions in the area of construction that will, in my opinion, be significant assets to our community. The first is the reuse of the old dock pilings located in the lower harbor just off of Founders Landing. This is a project that has been in the works for about 20 years and is a requirement by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), formerly the Department of Environmental Quality, as part of the overall Founders Landing project. The public will be able to enjoy two new piers for recreation, including boating, kayaking and fishing.

The boating public will also see the beginning of our pier replacement project at Presque Isle Marina. This is also a project that has been in progress for the last several years and is a long time in coming. I am also happy to say that the Commission has established a stable funding and maintenance schedule to allow us to keep both marinas useful and functional into the future.

The last project that I’d like to mention is the recent City Commission decision to move forward with the relocation of Lakeshore Boulevard between Wright Street and Hawley Street. This is a highly traveled section of our shoreline road system that has been under constant attack from Lake Superior in the form of erosion caused by wind, waves and generally harsh weather. The Commission has committed, as part of the first phase of the project, to move the road inland and away from the effects of Lake Superior and has committed $3 million from the 2019-20 budget as part of a match to a recent $2.5 million grant awarded to the City.

Overall, the City of Marquette is moving forward in a very positive way and I hope and encourage all of you to enjoy the many good things that we are experiencing. Enjoy your summer, I know I will.

Well, it looks like we’ve moved beyond the exceptional winter that we had this year and are well on our way through spring and, hopefully, into summer. A sure sign of spring around here is the end of the NMU school year which is generally around the first week in May. By the time you are likely reading this, NMU will have completed their graduation process and the students will be on their way to enjoying the long-anticipated summer time fun.
Often that summer time fun is still in Marquette and is situated around our many public parks and related summer time activities. One of the more popular activities that is often considered a must see, or in this case a must do, is the jumping from Blackrocks at Presque Isle Park. Some even consider it a rite of passage and say you haven’t really experienced Marquette unless you’ve taken the leap.
The popularity of this area has created a few concerns for us that are urging attention sooner than later and have prompted changes to the area that will probably be in place by the time summer visitors start to venture to the park. The two main problems facing the park are parking and environmental impacts, mainly erosion; both which are caused by the high volume of visitors. Visitors should be aware that there will likely be new and more restrictive parking regulations in the park by the time the park opens for the season. Additionally, there will likely be new natural barriers in place to help control foot traffic and reduce the negative environmental impact.
The bottom line is, when visiting the park, pay attention to new signage and maybe even take the time to review new rules and/or ordinances prior to your venture. In any case, Presque Isle Park will still be a wonderful place to visit and enjoy. So, lets all do our part to keep the park enjoyable for all.

It seems that I always mention two things when I write this article, construction and the weather, and this time will be no different. I think that I can safely say in both cases that the news is positive. The good news regarding construction, other than we are pushing ahead with several of our planned projects, is that the City Commission recently made a significant decision about Lighthouse Park.
For those who are unfamiliar, Lighthouse Park is the old Coast Guard Station and Lighthouse that were traded to the City back in 2010 for the current location of the new Coast Guard Station. So this development has been a long time coming. The City Commission unanimously approved a plan to create a new entrance to the park from Arch Street, relocate the multi-use path, create new parking areas for visitors to the park and create additional parking for the Maritime Museum. This is a very significant first step in moving the long-awaited park towards more public access and use.
In regard to the weather, I’m hoping that, by the time you’re reading this, we’ve made the turn toward spring. We’ve had one of those winters that I remember from growing up in Marquette. To me, the 200 plus inches of snow that we have received so far is nothing new; however, it can still be a challenge and gets old really fast. The good news that I would like to mention here is the tremendous effort put forth by our City snow plowing crews. They have been working 12 hour shifts for several weeks now to, at the very least, keep pace with the snowfall. Granted, there are likely some citizens who are not happy with how we are handling it but, as the City Manager, I can’t think of a better method. So, if you see a snow plow driver thank them for their hard work, it will go a long way.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is looking forward to another good and productive new year. It’s hard to believe that it’s 2019 already. It seems like only yesterday that we were anticipating the turn of the new century and the awaiting the resolution of the possible Y2K effect. Which, as you are all aware, didn’t happen. It’s also the time of year where much of Marquette and the U.P. hits its stride with winter activities. Although there is often great anticipation for the summer season (what we at the City refer to as construction season) for some, winter is also a high point. And from what I can tell so far, the snow is not going to let us down. There is a lot to look forward to including: dog sled, ski and winter bike races, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and ice fishing, as well as many more activities that residents and visitors hold dear.
It is also time for City staff to take a breather, but usually not for long. This is the time of year when we get to work on everything that needs to be done once the snow melts. One of the biggest items on the horizon is the move of the old hospital to its brand-new building adjacent to the US 41-M28 bypass. It’s been a work in progress for several years now with many moving parts and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Many good people, including City staff, have worked hard to make it all happen.
To go along with the new hospital, we learned some good news in December that the old hospital was purchased by a local development group with some very impressive plans for the re-use of the property. From what I know at the time of this writing, I firmly believe that this development will be very good for the residents of Marquette and certainly the U.P. in general. All of us here look forward to seeing it all happen.
Things continue to look positive for Marquette for 2019 and we hope the same applies to all of our residents and visitors alike. There is a lot to be happy about and proud of, so go out and enjoy.