“We’re hurdling over mouse turds.”
An exasperated Heidi Omerza voiced her frustration Tuesday, as the mayor and the rest of Ely’s city council served as the referee of sorts in a spat between a pair of committees that they oversee.
The city’s new trailhead building, as well as the city-owned building that most recently housed the Ely Chamber of Commerce, served as the backdrop in apparent confusion over the role of the committees, and the authority they do or do not have.
In the end, the council gave the city’s historic preservation commission the lead role in developing the display plan for the new trailhead building in consultation with other groups including the Ely Chamber of Commerce.
The council also gave the city’s parks and recreation committee the authority over rules and regulations at the trailhead building.
Finally, the council rejected a historic preservation commission request to do a feasibility study on the pros and cons of selling or retaining ownership of the Basswood Log Cabin site at 1600 East Sheridan Street and seek public input before proceeding with any sale of the property.
Instead, the council informally reaffirmed its decision to engage a Realtor to market the property for a potential sale.
Those decisions were easily the most contentious and drew the most debate during the regular council meeting, and the controversies related to them seemed to frustrate the council members, particularly the mayor.
“We have a beautiful building and I think if we all respect each other in this room, I can work with anybody in this room,” said Omerza. “Let’s take a deep breath and move forward. We can figure out how to get the best of all of us, let’s get the best displays possible and figure it out.”
At issue was whether the parks and recreation committee, by leading on rules and regulations, might have the authority to supersede the historic preservation commission’s role when it came to displays in the new building.
Harold Langowski, the city’s clerk-treasurer, tried to sort out the roles of the two groups.
“I see the HPC leading a group of individuals, parks and rec, the Chamber, the trails groups, to come up with a display plan that will then be approved by the council,” said Langowski. “I see then parks and rec working on rules and regulations of public space and what events might be held there, what groups, whether there are reservations, rentals, that sort of thing.”
Langowski also reiterated that all city committees are in advisory roles only to the council and have little formal authority, and that committee recommendations ultimately may be accepted, or rejected, the council.
Council member Al Forsman agreed and noted that committees “make their recommendations and we would still maintain oversight in case we don’t like what you’re proposing.”
The council used that authority in declining to approve an HPC recommendation that a feasibility study be done and public input be sought before deciding whether to sell the log cabin property where the Chamber was housed for decades.
Forsman noted that any sale of city land must be approved by ordinance and the public could weigh in at that time.
Council member Emily Roose added it was too late to reverse course now, given council action to proceed with a possible sale, but indicated that a different process might be appropriate in the future.
Pam Turnbull, co-chairperson of the HPC, had earlier lobbied for the council to slow down and change course, and pressed for city officials to take HPC input before moving to sell the property.
Turnbull said the HPC was surprised and blindsided by the council’s decision, and noted disappointment that the commission was not consulted in advance.
The council approved two other HPC recommendations - one to pursue copyright and reproduction rights for the Prusheck painting on a wall in City Hall in order to protect the city’s interest in possibly merchandising and fundraising. Another was to send the painting to the Midwest Art Conservation Center for assessment to provide certainty as to the condition of the panting and to determine restoration costs.
