06/17/2019- With the level of Lake Michigan and Green Bay approaching record highs, the City of Menominee and its residents are facing problems on multiple fronts. On Saturday, at the invitation of City Manager Tony Graff, State Representative Beau LaFave and former State Senator Tom Casperson, now on Senator Ed McBroom’s field staff toured the city’s waterfront to see the issues up close.
They toured the area near the lighthouse where an April storm displaced much of the rip rap, causing the road to flood regularly during storms. Access to the lighthouse for tours and the boat landing there has been restricted by the road closures.
La Fave says the state needs to address that area soon.
They also met with Jim Kudlicki of the Marina Management group who told them the high waters caused some damage to the piers last winter, and he fears the problems could be much worse next winter. First Street resident Tom Kuber showed the officials the problems he and neighbors are having as the waters are coming over the rip rap on their shores during storms. Kuber would like to look at placing large boulders off the shore to reduce the wave action by the time they reach the shoreline.
Graff says the representatives did suggest some additional source of funding that may be available to the city to work on the issues due to the high water levels.