Ely council members rejected a committee request to place money in next year’s city budget to pay for a brochure.
After a brief debate on Tuesday, the council opted against placing $1,700 in the 2027 budget for the Tour Ely brochure and instead decided to have the city’s budget committee consider the matter later this year.
At issue was a request from the city’s heritage preservation committee, which came to the council table this week.
But council members declined to move forward on both financial and procedural grounds.
“I don’t feel this is an appropriate use of our city tax dollars,” said council member Al Forsman. “I think our city tax dollars are meant for infrastructure and providing necessary services for a city of our class.”
Forsman added that “we’re here to provide things that allow our community to develop and do what they do, and I think there are other agencies like the tourism bureau for things like that, or even the chamber of commerce.”
Council member John Lahtonen is the city’s representative on the Ely Area Lodging Tax Board, and he pointed to the recent award of lodging tax funds to VisitEly, also known as the Ely Tourism Bureau.
“I’m recommending this to go the Tourism Bureau,” said Lahtonen. “We just gave them $100,000 yesterday to promote Ely.”
At issue is a document that would be used by the HPC for tours of Ely, highlighting various attractions and historic sites and locations.
Forsman said that even if the council favored the request, the matter should first be taken up by the budget committee.
“Whether you agree with me or not it is something that needs to go through the budget process,” said Forsman.
Later in the meeting, Omerza and Lahtonen both took issue with a parks and recreation board recommendation to approve event permits for the upcoming Blueberry/Art and Harvest Moon festivals, with the provision that adequate trash receptacles be provided.
They moved to remove the wording related to trash receptacles and inferred the festivals were being singled out by the city board.
“To be fair it’s making it look like Blueberry/Art and Harvest Moon are problematic and they are not,” said Lahtonen.
Omerza concurred and noted, “There are people who pick up garbage for these events.”
In other business, the council:
• Accepted Hudson Kingston’s resignation from the library board and agreed to advertise for applicants for the open position.
• Approved special event applications for the Northwoods Summer Fun Run on June 21 and the Four on the Fourth race on July 4,
• Approved residential rehabilitation loans for Adam and Kelsey Borchert, and Louis M. Gerzin, after receiving reassurance that funds are available to make both $10,000 loans.
• Heard that two local businesses failed a compliance check related to underage tobacco purchases.
• Approved the reading of ordinances related to peddlers/mobile food carts/ mobile food vehicles, consumption and display, and permissible/conditional land uses.
• Approved the reading of an ordinance that establishes the state of Minnesota as the new collecting agent for the area’s lodging tax.
• Approved a parks and recreation recommendation to move forward in collaboration with the North Country Trail Association for a walking trail behind the trailhead facility.
• Approved a recommendation to authorize about $4,000 worth of environmental work at the Old Ford Garage, which will be turned into a parking lot.
• Authorized an increase in lease rates for hangars and garages at the Ely Airport.
• Approved the hire of temporary summer workers.
• Passed a resolution establishing an absentee ballot board for the 2026 elections.
