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First up in a nearly two hour meeting Oct. 15 was questions on the use of the Ron Castellano Arena.
Erica Hoheisel spoke to the council on behalf of the Babbitt Figure Skating Club. She pointed to the Ely Arena being temporarily closed for repairs so Ely teams are using Babbitt’s arena.
“While we are glad to see the arena get more use, the change has negatively impacted the Babbitt Figure Skating Club,” said Hoheisel. “It has resulted in decreased hours for the month of November. We’re asking when December first comes we go back to the hours we had for years.
“The shift of schedules has many families upset and on edge about the season. We’d like to reassure families that come December 1st, the Babbitt Figure Skating Club will take priority at the arena, even if Ely’s arena is not complete. We are at risk of losing many skaters and a few coaches with our current schedule. We would like to see Ely hockey at our arena after our scheduled times if needed.
“We were also informed that the arena will be closed on all holidays and are not allowed to use it. For as long as I can remember, we’ve been able to be in the arena on holidays. We have just not been able to have the ice cleared by the Zamboni. We as a club are more than happy to complete the air quality test that is needed to be done daily. Caitlin (Stern) in the past has trained a few board members to help with this,” said Hoheisel She presented the council with a contract that had been changed from the previous year.
Erica Hoheisel asked that the BFSC have a set number of hours and times for arena usage, that the club run open skating and have control over concessions.
She asked that the contract be approved which would also allow Ely to be accommodated through the month of November.
The council later approved Hoheisel’s proposed contract from the Babbitt Figure Skating Club for the arena usage.
Also speaking to the council was Jim Zupancich who talked about the proposed marina project.
He questioned the proposed location and spending $197,000 in taxpayer money to do a study.
As someone who has operated a dock business for 30 years, Zupancich said he contacted a representative of Floe, a Minnesota company that builds docks.
“He told me we could build a marina out there right now for 12 boats for probably $35,000. And I’m thinking, you could do that, you could rent it off for $200 a month per slip, for four months a year, times 12, you’re looking at $9,600,” said Zupancich.
“My company would will probably pull it in for $600, take it out for $600. So you’re looking at a plus of $8,800 a year for a $35,000 investment. Five years you have it paid for it. If you’re looking at something like that, and Floe would design something for us that would work pretty well. Just saying a $190,000 to a feasibility study in taxpayer’s money is in my opinion, is somewhat absurd.”
An email from Bollig Engineering addressed flooding issues that damaged homes on Locust Drive.
The report said there were culverts “many were in poor condition (severely rusty, collapsed, filled with dirt). Some of the areas that appear to be flatter (based on elevations) seem to have an opportunity to be corrected if culverts are replaced.”
The company recommended replacing the damaged culverts and doing some ditch regrading.
Council member Glenn Anderson said he wanted to table the issue until a FEMA representative could meet with the city.
Anderson said there were culverts and ditches removed in the Poplar Drive area by a previous land owner.
“So, when you look at this and then they’re looking for a ditch, we either need put a ditch in there, or again, there was actually two driveways that used to go into that area and they totally took them out,” said Anderson. “FEMA is coming to take a look at what’s stopped that water from going where it should have.”
Zupancich said the problem created flooded basements in the Locust Street area. He questioned the proposed solution.
He said the water is coming in from the Locust Street side, not from the south.
“The water’s coming in from the front of the street. It’s not coming in from the backside where the school is. The water was pouring in Kirsten’s house, pouring through the wall and a little spray holes coming out of the walls from the front of the house, It’s coming in from the front not where the beavers are dammed up, it is coming in from the front,” said Zupancich.
He said damages to homes in the Locust area total over $50,000.
“If we can’t fix the ditches as a homeowner because the city owns the ditches, and you guys are responsible for this, then who is responsible for the damages in these homes?”
He said the problem needs to be resolved right away.
“And we can’t be let’s call FEMA, let’s get this done. Call somebody to fix the drains if you would please. You know, it’s terrible. If you filled in those dishes, we may not have an issue ever again, because the water will go back to the other homes,” said Zupancich. “The water is going the wrong way.”
He said the water flows from Ivy to the north and ends up on Locust along with the water from Poplar.
There’s seven people involved with flooding their houses in this neighborhood. I’m begging you to get this fixed before we have to pay again. Please.”
Zupancich said one option would be to put in a connection to Fountain Hills Park.
Council member Joe White agreed and said something needed to be done now.
JasonChoppofSEHEngineering was at the meeting and said his company has looked at storm water issues city wide and how water can be moved through town. He said he has also identified funding to help find a solution.
Zupancich said the city would be liable for future damages.
City attorney Mitch Brunfelt said that wasn’t the case and cities have discretionary immunity. He said if the city was sued the city has insurance to cover that situation.
White asked Chopp if it would be possible to find a solution before the frost hits the ground.
Chopp said it would take some time to look at the situation and come up with a solution.
“I think there’s a lot of moving parts here to really understand what the flow is through the town in the best way to get it out,” said Chopp.
White pressed for a quicker solution.
Chopp said rerouting the water to an area like Fountain Hills Park “may help, but if you reroute too much water now, you end up moving your flooding problem to a different location because it can only handle so much.”
Zupancich pushed again for the city to “use the $2 million in equipment sitting in a city garage, you got guys to operate it.”
Anderson argued with Zupancich that the city spent money on an engineering firm to come up with solutions.
Kirsten Traut also asked the council to take action before her home is damaged again. She said her insurance didn’t cover the damages.
She asked that the council approve action as outlined by the Bollig Engineering report.
“So if we have this assessment that says this could help, why can’t we take the next step?” said Traut.
Anderson said he wanted to wait until a meeting could be held with FEMA. He said there may also be permits required.
Mayor Duane Lossing said he would like to see something done but lamented that Street Supervisor Tony Chamberlin wasn’t at the meeting.
“I think that right now would be the direction that we should go to try to push this and see what Tony can do. If he can get a piece of equipment over there, and at least change the elevation of that ditch,” said Lossing.
White pushed a motion to have the street department and the PUC to collaborate to do some temporary fixes that don’t require a permit from the DNR. Lossing seconded the motion.
“I think it’s a short term solution to a long term problem, but I think we should move forward with it. We can’t have them put up with this baloney every year,” said council member Jim Lassi. “So I think until we have a definite plan in place, we should do whatever we can to alleviate the flooding.”
The motion passed unanimously. The council later approved having SEH Engineering approve for a grant from MPCA to look at the city’s stormwater problems.
