Sign ordered after Fall Lake worker bitten by dog at transfer site

Nearly a dozen citizens were in attendance at the regular Fall Lake Township meeting, including one who identified himself as a stranger. He didn’t state his name, but said he has been coming to the Ely area for years and enjoys seeing how local government works.

Supervisor Sheila Gruba made several additions to the minutes for better clarification on issues discussed at the July meeting. The minutes were then approved.

First addressed had transfer site attendant Dean Barrett saying someone had walked away with the site’s ‘Open Today’ sign. More open signs will be ordered, along with signs stating that ‘All pets must be on a leash or remain in your vehicle.’ This came about after Barrett was bitten by a dog at the transfer site.

Due to short staffing at the transfer site, the site will be closed on Monday, Aug. 12 but will be open on Election Day, Tuesday, Aug. 13 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The board supported ordering 500 gallons of propane from Range Cooperative, having received their price rate.

A bid was received from Phil Hegfors for replacement of culverts on Snowbank Road and for the gravel the project would require. The board decided to order the culverts but to table moving forward on the work until a later date.

Supervisor Craig Seliskar suggested board members review the Snowbank Road project area to determine when to complete the project, as their budget allows.

Gruba said a description of the reroute to be done on Sunset Road is needed before moving forward on that project.

As to the Power Dam Road, clerk Cheri DeBeltz reached out to the township’s attorney to clean up the vacation of the road that was started in 1994 but was never filed. DeBeltz said a plat map is needed to see if the Power Dam Road had been memorialized as a public road. If this was done, this would make the road a township road.

Resident Ed Seliskar has wanted to open up Locust Lane which has township property frontage.

Gruba asked if the township would be liable to pay anything when the road is opened.

DeBeltz will contact the township attorney for clarification if the township is liable to pay toward the building of the road.

Another issue off Locust Lane is the location of the township’s gravel pit that may need to be moved.

Seliskar said if he ended up using this gravel, he would replace it with gravel for the Sunset Road project.

Gruba spoke with Jeff Schulze about the amount of area needed for a new septic system at the town hall. Schulze said there was adequate space for a septic system.

Gruba then suggested the transfer site acreage would better accommodate a future community center. She said there is 40 acres there. Supervisor Eric Hart and Seliskar said the area was pretty rough.

Hart said the Warren Johnson parcel would be a good area for the community center. Seliskar agreed, and said the Johnson parcel would be an asset to the township.

Hart moved to purchase the Johnson parcel. The price would include the property value, surveying and closing costs. The board approved the purchase.

The community center group reported they had toured the Morse/Fall Lake Fire Hall. The township’s community center plan would of course be larger.

The group will do a walk through of the transfer site to see if there would be a good building site there. Concern was brought up about the previously run dump site that burned and buried the garbage.

Gruba attended the lodging tax meeting that discussed the Granicus short term rentals study. She said once this study is completed, Lake County will be brought in to discuss the 3% lodging tax and 1% event tax to come back to Fall Lake Township.

She said there was some brainstorming about how the 1% event tax could be used. The next Lodging Tax meeting will also include the Tourism Board in September.

Lastly, Gruba said a new winter event is being planned for the Ely area. Ely Dark Sky Festival will be held on January 10-11, 2025. An incredible opportunity to enjoy dark night skies with a variety of indoor & outdoor events. Learning about astronomy, astrophotography, winter recreation, and the wonders of the Northern night sky will be on the schedule of events.

Seliskar reported eight beavers had been trapped on the Cloquet Line and several beaver dams destroyed. Chloride had been applied on the Cloquet Line and on Sunset Road.

Seliskar also suggested the furnace and the mini-split be serviced as the air conditioning has not been working.

DeBeltz shared a report from Braun Intertec on area road drilling results. This was a followup of last month’s discussion on Braun Intertec doing a study of Fall Lake Township roads for a master plan to make them better. The board agreed this was a good start.

Correspondence:

• After the dispersing of recreation funds last month, several thank you notes were received from Ely’s Historic State Theater, Ely Community Resource, Ely Golf Club, Northeast Range/Ely Girls’ Golf Team, Northwood Partners and Ely High Kick Club.

• A request was received for recreation fund for the Ely Watercross. The board approved $500.

• Notice was received for District 10 Minnesota Association of Townships election meeting to be held on Thursday, Aug. 29 in Saginaw, MN.

• Primary election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 13 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• The next Morse/Fall Lake fire department meeting will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 6 p.m.

• The next regular Fall Lake Township meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m.