The Babbitt City Council will move forward with planning for the Moon Acre tiny home community in the West Babbitt Development District, with location details in the works.
The leaders of the proposed community recently met with the planning commission to preview suggested boundaries for the tiny homes development. Discussions remain highly “preliminary,” said council member Jim Lassi.
“If you’re looking at going up 30 steps to get this project done, we’re probably on step one or two,” Lassi said.
Moon Acre representatives prefer a wooded area just west of the West Babbitt development, with the tiny homes initially projected to span across half of a 40-acre parcel in the area.
Moon Acre’s implementation could involve a reconfiguration of the entire West Babbitt blueprint, switching around planned streets to accommodate the homes. The city will take into account other interests as planning continues.
Council member Duane Lossing spoke to the possibility of establishing a light industrial district with highway frontage across from the Dollar General, which could provide a space for warehousing facilities to assist local mining operations.
“If Pulsar (takes off) or something happens, we’re not going to be prepared to capitalize on any satellite or supportive-type businesses that want to happen in our area if we don’t get something nailed down pretty soon,” Lossing said.
An additional priority for the planning commission will be to “look at” maintaining the location of the popular ATV and snowmobile trail which runs through the district, Lassi said.
Beyond a placement decision, the council will need to jump through a variety of hoops, including adopting a regulating ordinance and covenants, sorting out utility infrastructure and eventually drafting a purchase agreement.
Despite “hurdles,” Lassi remains optimistic about the plan, telling the council that the planning commission “looks favorably upon this development.”
“There’s a possibility that the tiny homes might just take off,” Lassi said, “It could be a mecca for tiny homes in the country.”
The council additionally engaged in further budgetary discussions at Tuesday’s meeting.
Clerk-treasurer Nancy Sanford presented a potential area of sav- ings for the city: retiree benefit payments.
While “digging into the budget numbers” this fall, Sanford said, she discovered an inconsistency with dental and health insurance premium coverage for two former employees — costing the city $500 per month, per retiree.
According to the city’s personnel policy, Sanford said, the city is no longer required to contribute to an employee’s health and dental benefits after the individual's termination date.
After one employee’s retirement, a previous council allowed for extended benefit coverage on the city's behalf while the retiree continued providing contractual services. This contract ended in December 2023, after which the city continued paying "unauthorized" benefits to the retiree for 10 months, Sanford said, before the council made a motion in October 2024 to continue paying the benefits.
The other retiree falls under the same job classification, meaning she must be “offered the same benefits at the same rate," Sanford said.
Lassi encouraged the council’s decision to table the discussion in order for the first retiree - who worked for the city for 30 years - to have the opportunity to “present her position.”
A decision will be made at a later meeting on whether or not to continue supplying the two former employees with health and dental benefits.
In other business, the council:
• Renewed a lapsed fire protection service agreement with Stony River Township
• Scheduled an interview with a police chief candidate for Nov. 25 at 4 p.m.
• Hired Brian Orcutt as a casual laborer to the street and recreation department to assist with winter plowing
• Accepted donations to the Ron Castellano Arena and the Babbitt Campground and RV Park
• Referred the topics of a potential industrial park and the tiny homes community to the Economic Development Authority steering committee for further review
