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The Town of Morse board held a short meeting on Monday.
The board approved moving forward with a funding plan for $91,000 for new SCBA equipment for the Morse-Fall Lake Fire Department.
Clerk Nick Wognum said the most cost-effective route would be to have Morse lend the money to the joint powers board.
“We have looked into borrowing the money locally but there would be some legal fees involved which would drive the costs up,” said Wognum.
He suggested charging interest at the same rate that would have been earned on a certificate of deposit.
Treasurer Mary Ann Lekatz said currently the CDs the township has are paying four percent.
Supervisors Bob Berrini and Terry Soderberg approved of the plan which will go to the Morse-Fall Lake board on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Morse.
Soderberg said there needs to be a clear understanding that the monies have to be paid back each year with two payments per year over four years.
The board discussed a meeting of the Ely/Kawishiwi Fireshed Partner meeting held earlier that day at the Forest Service office in Ely.
There was a discussion on the Community Wildfire Defense Grant and projects in the Town of Morse.
Berrini discussed the process that has been ongoing for some time to determine areas that need to be treated to create fire breaks.
Soderberg noted the emerald ash borer has made it to Virginia and that Ely might be eligible for a grant to try to stop it.
Also, for the Fernberg project, which includes logging and prescribed fires, the USFS received 2,300 comments including 1,700 form letters from an environmental group. They plan to have a decision by the fall.
The board did approved the Community Wildfire Defense Grant plan. There will be a clearing project near the Morse-Fall Lake fire hall.
There was a discussion on Frontier Communication on doing fiber work in the township and whether a permit was needed. There were concerns about damage to township roads and that there be advance notification before any work begins.
Soderberg said he contacted the city of Ely about paving Ahola Road and they don’t have funding at this time.
Berrini said Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar has a bill for ambulance funding that she has introduced this session. There have been questions raised on how the funding would be disbursed.
Soderberg said there have been two meetings with mediators between the Lodging Tax Board and the Tourism Bureau.
He said Abby Dare is the new representative from the Tourism Bureau.
The letters to go to non-compliant property are still being reviewed. Township resident Beth Chapman explained there is new software that will help administrate the process which seeks to go after short-term rental properties that are paying directly to the county.
