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A city council with two new members is settling in with new assignments and some division.
Members completed a series of housekeeping tasks Tuesday, during their second full meeting of the new year, including committee assignments of their own and filling some vacancies on city committees.
Filling four seats on the newly-formed Ely Green Team proved to be more of a formality, with seven applicants for the post.
Four candidates nominated by new council member John Lahtonen - Mary Louise Icenhour, Jodi Chaffin, Celia Domich and William Tefft - were all placed on the committee. Three other applicants were in the running: Barbara Jones, Megan Wind and Laurie Angell.
A motion to appoint Jones, made by council member Angela Campbell, failed for a lack of second while neither Wind nor Angell got as far as a vote.
Mayor Heidi Omerza recognized Lahtonen’s motion and the group voted on each of his nominees - one-byone.
Tefft gained unanimous support, while Icenhour (61), Domich (5-2) and Chaffin (4-3) got by in split votes.
Earlier, Lahtonen cast the lone vote against a motion to seek Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board funds for demolition work related to the repurposing of the Ely Bowling Center building, which is being eyed for a cannabis-based business.
“I can’t support this,” Lahtonen said, clarifying his ‘no’ vote. “For many reasons I can’t support this. I don’t believe we should be using government money to support an enterprise like this.”
CDBG Award
Council members got word Tuesday that the city has been recommended to receive $106,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for infrastructure work.
The money will help pay some of the city’s share of expenditures related to the upcoming Harvey Street Project.
“With that work, we’re going to be responsible for storm sewer, and we’re going to redo the water main between the Steam Bath and Senior Center on First Avenue,” said clerk-treasurer Harold Langowski. “Also the storm sewer between Grace Lutheran Church from Second to Third. That’s all pretty much ready to go. The county plans on bidding the project soon and it will be ready to go in the spring.”
In other business, the council:
• Approved the purchase of a Ford 4x4 chassis for a dump truck for the city’s public works department, from Lundgren Ford in Eveleth for $55,942. An Iowa dealership also submitted a bid.
Council members voted 6-1 with Al Forsman opposed.
• Received a year-end report from the Ely Fire Department.
• Passed a resolution allowing city officials and staff to attend meetings outside of Ely.
• Moved toward adopting a mandatory payroll direct deposit policy, and steering away from the issuance of paper checks.
• Approved the city fee schedule for 2025.
• Received statistics showing that city staff made $5,495 in passport sales last year, compared to $5,215 in 2023 and $4,200 in 2022.
• Approved, upon recommendation of the planning commission, a subdivision of a parcel owned by Mary and Newton Nickerson.
• Authorized per capita payments and an invoice for ambulance facility operations, as submitted by the ambulance joint powers board.
• Named Mike Banovetz the projects committee’s representative on the Ely Green Team.
• Gave council and staff authorization to attend a League of Minnesota Cities event at the State Capitol on March 6, and a Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities lobby day on Feb. 12.
• Agreed to seek bids for interior demolition work at the Community Center building, with bids to be opened Feb. 18. The work is being funded by the building owner as well as the IRRRB.
