.jpg)
The Town of Morse board took care of business at the June monthly meeting.
Supervisors were glad to see paving was well underway on three township roads.
Supervisor Terry Soderberg said Mesabi Bituminous had been out that day blacktopping Tek Road, Somero Road and Stebly Road. There have been several township residents who have said thanks for the work being done.
The board discussed the work being done early in the year along with other area paving projects including Zup’s and Samz parking lots.
For the third time the board passed a joint powers agreement for the Ely area lodging tax.
Soderberg said Stony River Township has asked to be released from the agreement. This caused the agreement to be rewritten for the third time.
The township’s lease with Midco next to the Ely Golf Course was on the agenda as well.
Clerk Nick Wognum has been in contact with K2 Towers, which purchased the equipment from Midco and took over the lease.
He said K2 is looking at various options to develop a greater income stream and/ or return the property back to the township and work with Treehouse Broadband.
K2 proposed a revenue sharing agreement where the township would get 25 percent of all revenue. K2 is looking at leasing space on the tower there to other companies.
Soderberg went over the discussions with the DNR over the parcels Morse purchased on the Taconite Trail and recovering expenses incurred from the purchase. Soderberg called DNR Assistant Commissioner Bob Meier after the meeting when no resolution was reached.
A letter from the city of Ely explained the proposed project of replacing the city’s water line from Burntside Lake.
The city plans to replace 25,000 feet of the water line and the board is concerned about any possible damage to West Shagawa Road.
The board passed a motion to require the city to reconstruct the road where the water main will be replaced.
Supervisors also discussed the PFAS water problem on Brisson’s Point and the possibility of putting a water line to residents past the Forest Service seaplane base.
Soderberg said the city has made it clear the properties would not be connected to city water without annexation. He said residents have made it clear they are not interested in being annexed.
The Wildfire Defense Grant workshops was discussed. The last one was held on May 20 at Fall Lake. Supervisor Bob Berrini questioned how much would be left for the actual work on the project. The board decided to go after separate mitigation plans for Morse and Fall Lake.
In other business the board:
• Heard the clerk and treasurer Mary Ann Lekatz on upcoming election training on June 21 in Virginia and June 26 in Duluth.
• Approved ordering 14 culverts for township roads.
The board went over the State Demographer’s report that showed a 2023 population estimate of 1,148 and 568 households, down from last year’s 1,200 estimate.
• Approved a one year renewal of the management agreement with the Ely Golf Club.
• Reviewed a variance application from Susan Mc-Neely on Sunbeam Island to locate a sauna 30 feet from the lake instead of 100 feet. They have an approved peat filter septic system. The board took no position on the matter.
• Soderberg thanked township employee Butch Pecha for removing trees on township roads during the last couple of storms.
• Heard from Berrini say the ambulance non-profit doesn’t need any additional funding at this time. He said the building renovation project will go out for bids in July. Legislation passed in July will allow the Ely Area Ambulance Service to apply for $265,000 in special state funding.
