On Tuesday evening, the Babbitt city council accepted a $2,216 quote from Dryco Company to move forward with mold remediation in the Essentia Health clinic, following concerns brought up by a maintenance employee.
Mold was discovered along the exterior wall of two rooms inside the clinic, which is located in the Municipal Center and is rented by Essentia from the city. Dryco Restoration Services provided a cost estimate for remediation, as well as an indoor air quality assessment for three locations within the facility.
The Municipal Center has recently faced other moisture- related maintenance issues, including a backed-up pipe which flooded the hallway and an insect infestation in the police department’s light fixtures, pointing to a potential problem with the building’s pipe infrastructure.
“Dryco said that the mold and the water coming in on the exterior wall could be how things are sloped. It could be because it’s been windy and rainy the last couple weeks. It could be something dripping from the ceiling. It could be a broken pipe. They don’t know till they open it up for sure,” said administrative assistant Kirsten Traut. “But the exterminator did say that the bugs coming in through the ceiling are definitely because of leaks in the room.”
Insurance may cover the expense, said Traut, depending on which source the remediation company identifies as the cause of the mold contamination.
Regardless of the funding mechanism, the council hopes to remedy the problem.
“We don’t have any choice. We need to do something about it. We’re renting (the space) out,” said council member Duane Lossing.
Additionally, the council voted to change the hours for the city recycle center and cardboard shed amid ongoing problems with public dumping of unrecyclable materials at the facility. New hours aim to synchronize the recycle center and the cardboard shed so they openandcloseonthesamedays and times.
“This seems to happen every summer with people leaving stuff,” said Traut, “People are leaving bags and bags of trash, gas cans, tires, just anything you can imagine.”
The problems largely flare up during the warmer months when visitors head to town and increase the load on the city’s waste facilities.
“Once your guests leave for the fall or winter, we don’t have this issue,” said council member Jim Lassi.
The city of Babbitt has posted announcements on their official Facebook page at least twice this summer, emphasizing the recycle center and cardboard shed are for use only by the town’s residents.
Additionally, the specification is listed on the city’s website.
Lossing said he had previously contacted the waste service provider in an attempt to increase the number of dumpsters for use around town.
“You’d have glass, plastic, tin, cardboard and paper: four separate things,” said Lossing, citing the city of Gilbert's system as an example. However, the opportunity fell through due to Babbitt’s distant location.
“I’m not sure I agree with that, because we pay the same taxes as the other towns that are having that service,” Lossing said.
The city council additionally approved a conditional use permit for a small five- to six-lot hunting camp at a property on Virginia-Ely Road,pendingconditions whichthe planning commission will develop.
Ken Bissonette runs a guided bear hunting business on the property and hopes to eventually build a showerhouse for the clients who arrive during the hunting season, which typically lasts from the very beginning of September until mid-October.
The business does not officially qualify as a campground, said Lassi, due to its limited scope and size - which speeds the permitting process for Bissonette. The council will bump the permit back to the planning commission, who will determine conditions for its approval with regards to shower facilities, lot size, and season length.
“I don’t think they’re going to be restricted, but I think it’s wise that we get something down on paper we can all agree to,” Lassi said.
In other business, the council:
• Approved a motion to list the Mulberry lots on the city website.
• Accepted a quote from Abdo Consulting to provide training for the incoming clerk-treasurer.
• Rescheduled the city-wide clean up day for Sept. 13.
• Met as the economic development association and moved the Sept. 16 council meeting to Sept. 17 in order to coincide with the CEDA kickoff meeting.
• Approved a motion to proceed with the professional services agreement with CEDA for a strategic plan.
