It was a chilly evening that brought 14 Fall Lake residents out for the regular township meeting.
Transfer site attendant Dean Barrett said the site has already been busy. Residents have been stopping in for sand bags due to flooding. Pit run sand is available.
Barrett had a list for the board that included cleaning up the gravel from plowing so mowing can be done. He asked about the office having postings of the new supervisors and meeting dates, and he would like to have a window cleaner and rags to wash the windows to ready the site for the season.
Clerk Cheri DeBeltz showed pictures of Winton Point Road, which was flooded and prevented the supervisors from inspecting it any further for their road report. The board will contact their contractors and possibly Minnesota Power about options to remedy the flooding situation.
DeBeltz said she had been contacted about garbage on Sunset Road. The garbage may have been left by a person or a bear dragging it from someone’s property.
Supervisor Craig Seliskar said this wasn’t a township issue and that the county sheriff could be contacted. Others in the audience suggested adopting a road pick up like other area roads.
The board received MSA’s recommendation to award the materials testing quotes for the Sunset Road connector to Northeast Technical Services.
Cindy Smyka, Fall Lake representative on the Ely area joint powers lodging tax board, spoke about proposing tourism governance reform. She proposed contacting an unbiased third party to engage in highly structured, objective processes, designed to give the joint powers board and the administrator a foundation.
Smyka said a binding document is needed that defines clear roles, board jurisdictions and rules for communication. She asked for Fall Lake’s support in pushing the joint powers to authorize and engage in tourism governance reform.
A resident asked if the lodging tax board would be receptive to these suggestions. Smyka said she spoke to many lodging taxpayers in Fall Lake Township and they are in a three-way split – done with the lodging tax, go with Lovin’ Lake County, or straighten out before the summer season starts.
There was no support from the township board at this time. Smyka will bring her proposal to the next joint powers lodging tax board meeting on May 18.
The community center group is looking for additional funding and supervisor Roger Murawski will be the contact person.
Discussion on capital improvement projects was tabled again until the board can talk with Jason Chopp of SEH Engineering.
Seliskar named the top roads that need attention. They include Sunset Road, Garden Lake Road, the Cloquet Line and Winton Point Road.
Super visor Hudson Kingston attended the RAMS meeting and discussed school funding with Rep. Roger Skraba. Kingston said he received his Minnesota Association of Townships magazine, which listed training sessions. He asked about attending. Some sessions are online. Seliskar said that if there was a session he was interested in attending, to check a date.
Murawski said driving around and looking at all the township roads was very interesting.
Seliskar has reached out to St. Louis County about working with them in ordering chloride. He said one of the supervisors would have to escort the chloride truck on Sunset Road.
“A lift is needed on the Cloquet Line at the county line in a soft area that ruts up in the springs,” said Seliskar.
The township will look into obtaining a type of rock that St. Louis County has used in similar situations.
There was a detailed report of the five-hour tour of township roads. Many roads need grading, brushing, ditching, culvert need cleaning out, etc. Seliskar said road sweeping will be done by Hegfors, and brushing will be done as time allows. Crack sealing will be done later.
Seliskar said the next section of Sunset Road is on the list for state funding, but there is no guarantee of getting it.
Lastly, Christoph Ender said there will be a rotating schedule of aquatic invasive species boat-washing stations beginning at Fall Lake this coming weekend and continuing for two weeks. Then it will be moved to Moose Lake, then to Snowbank Lake each for two weeks. This rotation will continue through the summer until September.
In correspondence:
• Received a donation packet from the Ely Events Group for the Ely 4th of July Parade and the 4th Annual Rock the Park. $1,000 was approved.
• Received information from the Minnesota Association of Townships board of directors that John Upton would be representing district 10.
• Received a notice for a sealed bid timber auction scheduled for June 2.
• Received an ARDC comprehensive economic development strategy survey from RAMS.
• Received the Lake County soil & water conservation district Newsletter.
• MN Association of Townships advocacy alert to email state legislators on township road and bridge funding.
• Information from RAMS director Paul Peltier on impacts of iron mining trends forums to be held.
• Information on two grant writing workshop opportunities by IRRRB.
• Thank yous received from the Ely Winton Historical Society, End of the Road Archers and Ely Community Resource for the support they have received.
• A request to support the Ely Little League. $400 was approved.
• A request to support the Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club in their purchase of posts and signs. $1,800 was approved.
• Local Board of Appeal and Equalization was to be held on Thursday, May 7 at 1 p.m.
• Morse/Fall Lake Fire meeting will be held at the Morse town hall on Wednesday, May 20 at 6 p.m.
• The next regular township meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 3 at 6 p.m.
• Lake County board of commissioners committee of the whole will be held at Fall Lake town hall on Tuesday, June 16 at 6 p.m.
