Ira Water Contract, Medical Pot Moratorium, Historic Structure Bid Request to go Before New Baltimore Council

Servicing Ira Township residents with water, extending a medical pot moratorium and authorizing the bidding process for the evaluation of a historical building are on the agenda for Monday night's New Baltimore City Council meeting.

The council meeting starts at 7 p.m. in .

Water rates set for Ira

New Baltimore Mayor Larry Smith said early Monday ongoing talks with Ira Township will lead to the council's approval or denial of water rates for Ira residents. Under the proposed fees of $3.19 per 1,000 gallons of water, Ira residents would be charged the same amount as city residents. That additional money for the city means New Baltimore water customers will not be charged for previously anticipated water increases.

"We've been talking to Ira for over a year now," Smith said. "It appears that they just don't have enough water clients because of the rural area."

Noting many Ira customers have well water, the mayor pointed out township officials are interested in saving money on their full-time water plant by cutting hours of operation.

"They're going to run their plant for six to eight hours a day and we're going to supply them with water for 16 to 18 hours a day," he said. "Because of this, we won't have to raise water rates" for city customers, as was expected to keep up with costs.

Before the New Baltimore water plant was built in 2007, Ira Township and Chesterfield Township had supplied the city with water at different times, but this is believed to be the first time New Baltimore has serviced another town with water, Smith said.

Besides Ira, the city does not have the infrastructure in place to pump water to other communities, he said.

"We're only hooked up to Ira."

Extension on medical marijuana moratorium

Council is also scheduled to decide whether to extend the current medical pot dispensary moratorium to one year.

Under the resolution, medical marijuana dispensaries would be forbidden to operate in New Baltimore from February 2012 to February 2013. The resolution does not prohibit licensed doctors from prescribing marijuana compliant with state law, according to the document.

Last October, the council majority agreed to .

On Monday morning, Smith said state and federal stances on medical marijuana distribution give mixed messages that would be confusing for local law enforcement and residents.

"It's such a can of worms," he said.

Historic District Commission seeks bidding process approval

The city's Historic District Commission will also seek permission to to determine the safety, or lack thereof, regarding the former funeral home building on Main and Maria streets.

The commission is requesting council to allow it to obtain three proposals from licensed historical engineers or architects who can evaluate the former Christie Olszewski Funeral Home in the city's historic downtown.

A funeral home business has expressed interest in .

Check back with Patch for updates.