It was a full agenda at the regular Fall Lake Township meeting with Supervisors Craig Seliskar and Hudson Kingston present. Supervisor Roger Murawski was absent due to a family matter.
Transfer site attendant Dean Barrett reminded all that the site will remain open on Wednesdays and Saturdays through September, but will be open only on Saturdays in October.
Jeff Goetzman, MSA engineer, joined the meeting and provided an update on the Sunset Road project. He said the road is now open to traffic, and they will begin paving the new entrance soon.
They will address signage, including a 25 mph speed limit sign. Regarding fire number placement, this will be done by contacting the Lake County Sheriff.
There were concerns about a ditch that may need a barricade where the old road was. Seliskar said in the case of an emergency the road needs better signage.
Kingston said he has heard from residents on Sunset Road who were originally opposed to the project are now for it.
After the Sunset Road update, clerk Cheri DeBeltz announced that she would be resigning from her position, which she has held for four years. Her last day will be by Dec. 31.
“I’m accepting a full-time position with a different job, starting as soon as I can,” said DeBeltz. “The full-time job is actually what I went to school for, and it will be eight to five, Monday through Thursday, giving me time with husband on the weekends now that we are empty nesters.”
DeBeltz said she is willing to stay on and help as much as she can with the transition of a new clerk.
The clerk position is a board-hired position, and the deputy clerk position is an appointed position.
DeBeltz will put together the clerk duties and the qualifications needed for an ad. If anyone is interested, they can contact DeBeltz.
Seliskar thanked DeBeltz for her service.
Lake County Commissioner Joe Baltich gave an update on the community center.
He said that in their recent meeting, they reviewed with Bolling Engineering how they would put together a presentation on what they are seeking to do. They discussed how to approach funding possibilities.
“We got some rough ideas down for costs for the building,” said Baltich. “And now we are starting to tighten it up a little bit so that we can ultimately come up with a closer number to seek funding sources.”
Baltich said they found out about a new grant possibility through cultural heritage.
“I don’t feel we are really close to anything yet,” said Baltich. “It’s still in the feasibility state.”
Once a presentation is put together, residents will vote on the community center project at the annual township meeting. It may not be this next coming year.
The board discussed the IRRRB’s road improvement for the additional $250,000 for Sunset Road. More information is needed.
This is a project that will not be done this year, and IRRRB needs to be contacted to see if there is a deadline for using this money, which comes from mining tax dollars.
The board received bids for the township’s snowplowing from four contractors.
After reviewing all the bids, the board decided to continue with Phil Hegfors & Son Construction for snowplowing of the Hwy 169 Corridor, and accepted Robinson Lake Trucking & Excavating’s bid for the Kawishiwi Corridor for the 2026-2027 winter season.
Summer maintenance of Fall Lake Township roads will be addressed at a later date.
Fall Lake Township will be holding a lodging industry social at Veterans on the Lake on Monday, Sept. 14 from 5-8 p.m. This is open to hospitality businesses within Fall Lake Township, including resorts and vacation rental owners. It will be a roundtable discussion. An RSVP is required.
Kingston said he led the chloride application on Sunset Road and on the Cloquet Line. He heard from some residents on Sunset Road that they did not like the chloride. Seliskar said there have always been people for chloride and people against it.
A notice was received from Lake County Planning and Zoning for the upcoming public hearing for the Silver Rapids conditional use permit.
The hearing will be held Monday, Sept. 21, at 5 p.m. at the Two Harbors Law Enforcement Center. The hearing will be live-streamed at the Fall Lake town hall.
Although Kingston said comments would not be allowed during the hearing, residents are welcome to make a comment, for or opposed to the Silver Rapids project, at the hearing and at the town hall. This was verified by Planning and Zoning.
Seliskar said the lift on the Cloquet Line would be done by the end of September.
He said he received a request from Hegfors about the need for four to five loads of class five to be hauled on Snowbank Road as there are problem areas. The board approved this request.
Treasurer Don Stocks will check on the cost paid last year for salt/sand mix and Seliskar will check on the cost as well and see if the township can get it from Lake County.
The board approved Teresa Sagen, Nancy McReady, Gary Nevalinen and Cheri DeBeltz as election judges for the November General Election.
In correspondence:
• Received an outreach from RAMS Executive Director to anyone interested in member connections to meet with them.
• Received information from RAMS about a program for elected leaders offered through Northspan.
• MPCA announced $1 million in grant funding to promote waste reduction, reuse, recycling, or composting. Applications are due Oct. 13.
• A letter was received from the township’s attorneys Couri & Ruppe of their hourly rate increase from $295 to $325 per hour.
• Information from Minnesota Discovery Center about a celebration of the Iron Range’s past, present and future set for Thursday, Sept. 17 from 5-9:30 p.m.
• Received the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation newsletter, The Ranger.
• Received from the Minnesota Association of Townships information about the 2026 Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) grant. Applications are due Nov. 25. Goetzman will look at potential road projects to submit for a grant.
• Received pricing for prebuy propane from Range Cooperative. The board approved their prebuy for 500 gallons.
• Received Ely Community Resource’s newsletter and request for continued support. $400 was approved.
• Received a request for support of the Ely Pickleball Club, $500 was approved
• The next Morse/Fall Lake Fire Department meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 6 p.m.
• The next regular Fall Lake Township meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 6 p.m.
