by Harmony Fisher
The Babbitt City Council ran a short meeting Tuesday evening, clocking in around 35 minutes.
The council approved a 7.5% levy increase as the preliminary rate for taxes collectible in 2027.
Mayor Andrea Zupancich said city officials put “a hard pencil to the paper” to land upon the figure, which will support a $3,422,451.34 budget for 2027 by raising over $1.6 million in revenue.
Levy discussions will wrap up by December, when the city will adopt the official 2027 levy increase.
The 7.5% number could decrease, but the council can no longer raise it following Tuesday’s meeting.
Babbitt will no longer offer the outdoor rink and warming shack during the winter months due to limited use.
“The people who go there love going there, but it doesn’t get a lot of use,” said recreation department director Caitlin Stern.
Stern said the decision could allow greater staffing capacity at the arena, saving recreation department employees from time they previously invested at the outdoor rink.
“It does take a lot of work to keep the outdoor rink running,” Stern said.
A motion to discontinue publishing council summary minutes in the Babbitt Weekly News ultimately failed, with only council member John Fitzpatrick voting in favor of the proposal.
Zupancich said the proposal was to save the city the cost of publishing the minutes via newspaper.
“We are trying to save money, and the minutes are available per law for anyone who’d like them,” Zupancich said.
“This is not to keep the public from seeing the minutes because the full minutes are available online,” Zupancich said.
The proposal would have allowed city residents to request a printed version of the minutes to be mailed to their residence at no cost.
Council member Jim Lassi said the proposal had also arisen several years prior.
“I was opposed to it then, and I’m opposed to it now. I think we should publish the minutes. Not everybody goes online,” Lassi said. “The Weekly is our official newspaper.”
Lassi advised limiting ad sizes instead.
“I understand it’s not cheap to put things in the paper, but a lot of people don’t go online, and they get that paper religiously and that’s where they get their information from,” Stern said. “The older demographic for sure.”
Fitzpatrick made the motion to discontinue publishing the minutes, seconded by council member Joe White, though White ultimately gave a “no” vote. Lassi voted “no,” while Zupancich and council member Duane Lossing abstained from the vote.
The council heard an update from clerk-treasurer Kirsten Traut on the contaminated water situation at a home on Garden Circle, which saw an influx of manganese into the plumbing system last year due to a faulty curb stop.
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) ordered the repair of the curb stop and the installation of a water filter at the residence. Homeowner Paula Shannon brought a jar of murky water before the city council on Aug. 4 and requested further action.
White and Fitzpatrick attended a PUC meeting to check in on the issue. Traut said the PUC agreed to test manganese levels at the Garden Circle home.
Traut said the test found an undetectable amount of manganese.
“The PUC is handling the situation, and we agreed to the water test,” White said. “At this time, I do not feel that the council needs to be involved in that at all.”
Rich Evenstad updated the council about ongoing easement discussions regarding access to his 27-acre property behind Cherry Circle.
Evenstad said he is considering full purchase of the old mining roadbed leading to his property, rather than maintaining it under city ownership and acquiring an easement.
Evenstad said all Cherry Circle residents would receive an easement to continue traveling on the road.
Babbitt Fire Chief Tony Chamberlin’s wages will jump from $500 a month to $700 a month, with an increase from $400 to $600 for Assistant Fire Chief Andrew Gerlovich and a boost from $150 to $225 for fire captains, per budget meeting discussions.
The council additionally filled the last open seat on the planning and zoning commission by accepting Elise Stage’s application for a term expiring Dec. 31, 2026.
