Breaking News

CITY OF ELY-NOTICE OF
PUBLIC ACCURACY TESTING

Pursuant to MN Statutes 206.83, the City of Ely will be conducting a public accuracy test for its voting system equipment for the Special General Election to be held on August 10, 2021. The testing will take place at Ely City Hall, Council Chambers, 209 E Chapman St, Ely MN on Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 3pm.

Harold R Langowski
Clerk/Treasurer

Ely Echo
July 24, 2021

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

The City of Ely is calling for interested applicants to fill the following vacancies on the

Cemetery Committee
1- Mid term
*resident or non-resident

Library Board
1- Mid Term
*resident or non-resident

Telecommunications Advisory Board
1- Mid Term
*resident subscriber

For more information on the committees go to www.ely.mn.us - City Government – Commissions, Committees, Boards. If you are interested in serving on a committee please remit a letter of interest or fill out the “Application to serve on city commission” and remit to the Ely City Clerk’s Office, 209 E. Chapman Street, Ely, MN or email casey.velcheff@ely.mn.us by August 13, 2021 at Noon. Questions, please contact the Clerk-Treasurer’s Office at 218-226-5474 or 218-226-5449.

Casey Velcheff
Deputy Clerk

Regular Meeting Ely City Council – City Hall,
Council Chambers
July 6, 2021

1. CALL TO ORDER
The regular City Council Meeting on July 6, 2021 was called to order by Mayor Novak at 5:30pm.

2. PRESENT: Council members A.Forsman, Kess, Debeltz, Omerza, Callen, Campbell, and Mayor Novak
ABSENT: None

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Debeltz/Callen moved to approve the minutes from the June 15, 2021 Regular Council Meeting. Motion Carried Unanimously.

4. ADDITIONS OR OMISSIONS TO AGENDA:
A. Twin Metals Proclamation Updated
B. Addition 8.A Housing and Redevelopment Authority
Additions were added without objection.

ORDINANCE NO. 346, 2nd Series

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ELY, MINNESOTA, ADDING TO THE ELY CITY CODE, CHAPTER 20, SECTION 20.2.34, ENTITLED ZONING MAP AMENDMENT

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ELY DOES HEREBY ORDAIN:

SECTION 1. A new Section shall be added to Chapter 20 as Section 20.2.33, of the Ely City Code to read as follows:

SEC. 20.2.33. SALE OF LAND LOCATED IN THE EAST SPAULDING PLAT. The Council of the City of Ely is hereby authorized to sell land located in the East Spaulding Plat, on terms and conditions acceptable to the City Council and the Mayor and Clerk are hereby authorized to execute all documents and do all things necessary to effect the sale of that certain real estate described as follows, to wit:

Block Lot Total Price
2 8 $15,000.00
2 9 $18,000.00
2 10 $18,000.00
2 11 $18,000.00
2 12 $20,000.00
2 13 $18,000.00
2 14 $18,000.00
2 15 $15,000.00

Tuesday figures to be a special night at Veterans Memorial Field.
The Ely Baseball Association is inviting all veterans out to the ballpark for its annual Veterans’ Night celebration.
All veterans and military personnel will be admitted free for the Northeast Substate Division II playoff doubleheader at the ballpark, and they’re also invited to take part in the on-field veterans tribute that will occur at approximately 7:15 p.m.
Veterans will also be treated to a free meal and beverage from the ballpark concession stand, courtesy of the Ely American Legion Auxiliary.
Started in 2005 during a regional tournament that brought teams from several states to Ely, the veterans tribute has become an annual part of the summer baseball season in town and is usually held in conjunction with an American Legion baseball tournament.

Robert (Bob) Joseph Champa Jr., 70, of Ely, Minnesota, passed away unexpectedly at his home on July 20, 2021.
He was born to parents Robert and Helen Champa on October 30, 1950 in Winton, Minnesota.
He graduated from Ely Memorial High School in 1969 and went on to study HVAC at Dunwoody Institute.
Bob worked as a Hvac Technician for 30 years in the Ely area. He retired from Starkman Oil Company in 1998.
He enjoyed hunting & fishing, splitting and stacking wood on his wood pile, morning coffee at the GEL, and spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren who he especially loved sharing his outdoor passions with. Bob spent countless hours teaching firearms safety to the youth of Ely and was honored with an award for 40 years of volunteer instructor service by the MN DNR.

BREAKING:
A new closure in the BWCA west of Basswood to Crane Lake is in place as of July 17. There are currently seven wildfires burning in Quetico Provincial Park with the potential to spread into the Crooked Lake travel corridor and beyond Crooked and Iron Lakes, into more heavily visited areas of the Wilderness. Fire managers have identified two fires with a serious potential to spread across the border. Recent reconnaissance flights have indicated an increase in fire behavior with Canada’s fires, despite the lighter winds; fuels in this area are pre-heating and becoming more volatile. Closures will remain in place until fires in this region no longer pose a risk to the public. Visitor and firefighter safety is the number one priority during a closure due to wildfire.

In the middle of summer, The Ely Winter Festival board is looking toward winter and planning to create another festival Feb. 4-12, 2022. The festival draws thousands of people from the upper Midwest and beyond.
Board chair Chris Kloppenberg said, “After a smaller but successful 2021 festival, we are excited to be creating a traditional festival with a park full of snow sculptors and many outdoor events.”
The 2022 pin depicting a carver working on a moose snow sculpture was designed by local artist Nancy Ensley.
This will be the fifth festival where the festival will have donated $1 of the $6 price of a pin to an Ely Public Schools arts program.
Programs supported so far have been the art department, the instrumental and choral departments, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math). Proceeds from the 2022 pin sales will go to another arts endeavor for students. The other $5 is a vital part of being able to put on the festival.

The Prospector ATV project picked up another grant, this time through a federal program.
The Recreational Trail Program provides grants using federal monies through state agencies such as the Minnesota DNR.
This is the second time the Prospector project will benefit from an RTP grant.
“We knock on a lot of doors to get funding and this is the second time federal RTP dollars will be used for construction work,” said Prospector trail administrator Ron Potter.
The first phase of the Prospector Loop is nearing completion with around 250 miles of trail connecting the communities of Ely, Babbitt, Embarrass and Tower to the North Shore Trail System.
“After eight years it would be nice to kick back and enjoy what we’ve done so far but we’re full steam ahead on phase two with four trail connections and a bridge over the Beaver River,” said Prospector president Nick Wognum.