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The Babbitt city council held a marathon meeting March 4 where topics ranged from a current mining issue to regulating feeding deer.
Jeff Hanson of Clearwater BioLogic gave a presentation on his proposed sulfate treatment grant project.
WICOLA (the White Iron Chain of Lakes Association) requested a letter of support for a grant application.
Hanson said Birch Lake is listed as impaired for mercury and sulfate levels.
He proposes to build floating units that would treat the sulfate levels in the lake. He said this can even be done in the winter under the ice and that his company has done work in some mine pits already.
“We did successfully reduce 100 milligrams per liter to less than three milligrams per liter, even in winter,” said Hanson.
He said the process is not complicated, basically adding food for the bacteria to process and iron.
“It’s a low capital, scalable system, and it’s locally produced, right here, nutrients for that, direct iron, renewable energy. Sulfate can be removed with Minnesota bacteria, Minnesota iron and labor,” said Hanson.
He said the project would be an on-site demonstration test alongside the Dunka River on Scott Road. He said 5,000 to 7,000 gallons for water can be done through the grant project.
“We believe the costs are going to be extremely low because the product we’re producing the iron sulfide is a valuable product for mitigating remediating mercury in many different applications,” said Hanson.
He said Babbitt, Ely and the Town of Fall Lake are being approached to support the project.
Ely rejected the request to support the application and then voted to oppose the grant request.
Council member Jim Lassi questioned Hanson.
“I noticed you sort of allege that the sulfate comes from Northshore?” asked Lassi.
Hanson said the data shows it comes from the Dunka River, and if you go up beyond Northshore on the Dunka River, there’s not elevated levels.
Council member Duane Lossing asked why the mining companies aren't the first ones on the list to support the project if it is so cost effective and beneficial.
Hanson said it was an issue of timing since the application had to be in by March 19.
“Had you be able to come and say that there’s support from Northshore Mining, it would be very easy for us as a community to take a stance. That company is very important to our community,” said Lossing.
Mayor Andrea Zupancich said she had issues with the language in the grant application.
“It does seem a little bit against mining, and that’s just one of my concerns,” said Zupancich.
“The NGOs that are not supportive of mining the Friends of the Boundary Waters and the things of that nature are gonna take your data and without the mine having say or participated in this, they’re going to get creamed by this and you’re gonna impact the copper-nickel mining that’s getting ready to go on over here,” said council member Joe White. “We have no input on what happens with the mining. I mean, you want our support. These mining companies support our community. They’re our lifeblood. And if they don’t have a say, this is just me speaking a lot, and I’m going to be upfront. I work in the mining industry. So I support mining, responsible mining, safe mining, but if they don’t have the say in the game, I can’t support supporting anything else that’s going to exclude them when people that are going be seeing this information are going use it against them.”
Hanson said WICOLA didn’t want to request support “from either the mining company or the NGOs on the other side of the fence.”
Lassi also questioned the location for the testing being so close to Northshore.
“I can just imagine the fodder for the environmental groups when you see your rig parked out there by the Dunka there a short ways away from Northshore and they’ll hop all over this with their lies and their false propaganda like they always do,” said Lassi. “ I just cannot support that location or the project. I’m not a friend of the Friends of Boundary Waters. Their main objective up here to put a kibosh on all mining whether there’s copper-nickel or eventually go after Northshore. And that’s their goal. Anything they’re for, I’m against.”
Hanson said he lives on Birch Lake and that “I’d love to lower the sulfate levels in Birch Lake, lower the mercury levels in the fish and get rid of this as an issue for blocking mining.”
Hanson said he thinks mining companies will support the project once they see the sulfate removal can be done outside a laboratory. He said his company has worked with Cleveland Cliffs and NewRange Copper Nickel.
Lassi made a motion to not support the project which was seconded by White.
“Until we get the companies that are going to be impacted by the study involved, I don’t think we can support it,” said White. “I think that they have a right to be involved before we let go forward.”
The Babbitt city council voted unanimously not to support WICOLA’s request for LCCMR funding.
The council also discussed annexing the Hideaway Bar in order to provide city water and sewer.
City clerk-treasurer Robecca Jaeger said the change would cause the business to pay higher property taxes. She said one option would be to phase the increase in over up to six years.
The council passed a six-year step-up rate to pay the city rate of property taxes.
Timber Bay Lodge and Houseboats is being sold and is also requesting annexation and hooking up to city services.
A report shows the cost would be more than $320,000.
There were three proposals from engineering companies in the council packet including the city’s current engineer SEH Engineering for $33,500. The other two were from Bollig Engineering for $55,000, a company Jaeger has been advocating and JPJ Engineering which did not have final figures.
There was some confusion over whether the issue was ready to move forward and that there wasn’t a letter from Timber Bay asking to be annexed. The matter was tabled.
The proposed deep winter greenhouse project was presented to the council by Heather Hohenstein of the Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability. She said it is a prototype from the University of Minnesota and is a low-cost to heat. There is one in Finland, MN already.
Hohenstein said they have looked at two lots on Mulberry Lane with one that would work for the project. She said they are looking for a partnership with the city for the land.
Lassi said the planning commission endorsed moving forward with the project, which was originally planned for school property.
Hohenstein said there is a plan to work with the school district and the students but that the public could be involved as well.
She said the building would be 25 feet by 25 feet and that it has a 50-year lifespan.
Lassi asked for a memorandum of understanding so the project could move forward. Hohenstein said she would get back to the council on more details.
Jason Chopp of SEH advised the council on applying for funding to develop an industrial park. He said the IRRRB has funded these requests for business development sites.
The city has two parcels, one at 6.45 acres and the other a 40 that could be viable.
Chopp provided a detailed, 11page report on an assessment and evaluation of the Babbitt Ice Arena. He said there weren’t any major issues found, mainly general maintenance. He advised putting funds into a budget to address needed repairs.
The council discussed proceeding with quotes to remodel the loading dock area to make it a fitness center as proposed by Recreation Coordinator Caitlin Stern.
Lossing said there is a need for daycare in small communities including Babbitt. He said he would like the city to look at the north wing of the Municipal Building where the History Center and Rummage Sale are located. As for the fitness center idea, Lossing said he would like to keep the loading dock for future use.
“I’d like us to look at all of our options before we stick too much into one thing,” said Lossing. “We need to look at this as a bigger picture, I think.”
Stern said she is basically looking for a way to improve the fitness center.
An ordinance to prohibit feeding deer within city limits was discussed. Zupancich said this is not about deer as much as it is about “bringing the food source in for the wolves. They’re still going to come into town, they’re still going to eat plants, they’re still going to eat all the apples off my tree. It’s just more so of safety for the community and children and also pets, those are my reasonings behind this, and I know other towns are adopting the same thing.”
Lossing said he had nine deer across from his house the previous night.
Lassi said there are people feeding deer and that brings them into town and through other people’s yards. He did ask about not starting enforcement until the fall. Lassi said that would include Benville as well.
Changes were added to have the ordinance start Aug. 1 and not publish the full ordinance.
The deer feeding ban passed with Lossing voting no.
With the sticking point being a lack of funding, the council did not move forward with purchasing new docks for the Babbitt Beach.
White did point out that the quote from Jimmy Z’s ($11,965) was much cheaper than the quotes from Docks on Wheels ($23,960) and the MN Dept. of Corrections ($34,550).
The council discussed the public meeting on the new playground at the Central Park location at 4 p.m. on March 18.
The council complimented Stern for her work on the project and for securing the funding.
A resolution that established standing committees was approved as well. The changes include having four members from the public on the Library Board and one council member.
Elaine Postudensek voiced concern that the Library Board is now listed as a committee. She said there are currently five members from the public.
The language also doesn’t allow meetings of committees, commissions and boards before 3:30 p.m. Lossing said the time issue was the most important to him.
“The biggest change is so all the committees are meeting (later in the day), so we can get younger people involved in these committees, and so working people can, if they have personal issues that they can make it to them without missing a day’s worth of work,” said Lossing.
Lassi spoke out against the time requirements saying the Planning Commission usually meets at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m.
“We have a hell of a hard time getting people to serve now, you still have a vacancy,” said Lassi.
“Well, I just don’t agree with the campground committee being 3:30 the cemetery committee 3:30, the planning commission 3:30, I don’t like it. It’s not been that way and I don’t see a need to change it,” said Lassi.
The council passed the resolution but did increase the Library Board to five public members. Lassi was the lone no vote.
Zupancich also pushed for the council to look for state grant funding in 2025. She suggested the proposed industrial park be included. Other projects that could be included would be the buildings at the beach and the Municipal Building.
In other business the council:
• Questioned the overtime report where there were incorrect dates listed.
• Canceled the standing council study session and rescheduled council meetings for the first and third Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m.
• Voted to increase the Fire Relief Association pension to $1,900 per year.
• Accepted Isabelle Mattson’s resignation as the Teen Center attendant.
• Accepted Joe White’s resignation as the assistant ambulance director and offered the position to Erik Houle. White said he will still be on the department.
• Approved ambulance director Mike Jaeger’s attendance at the EMS Leadership Academy.
• Approved a 20-year land use license for the Babbitt Snowmobile/ ATV Club.
• Approved purchasing a heat pump for the Municipal Building for $8,243.
• Will pay the Babbitt PUC for utility costs over the past two years at the campground for $8,704.11.
