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A special meeting was held Tuesday for the Fall Lake town board to interview four residents who expressed interest in filling the open supervisor’s seat, which was open vacant due to the recent resignation of Sheila Gruba.
The seat was to be filled by an appointment for one year, then an election will be held to fill the remaining one year of Gruba’s term.
The board interviewed four candidates Tuesday night and then voted to choose Adam Masloski over Henry Jacob-Gordon, John Pierce and Hudson Kingston.
Following the interviews the board first decided to adjourn, but then rescinded the motion and held an open meeting where supervisors Eric Hart and Craig Seliskar discussed who their choice would be.
Hart and Seliskar appreciated Jacob-Gordon’s passion about the history of the township and that he is a people person, but no experience in government.
Hart liked the business aspect of Masloski at the nursing home. Seliskar liked that he had experience on the Winton council, very similar to Fall Lake, and had a financial and management background.
“With everyone we had here today,” said Hart, “Adam would be a good choice.”
Next was Pierce. “He did make it pretty evident that he was actually not interested in the position, which is a bummer,” said Hart. “He would have made a great choice in my book to have on the board.”
“He has great qualities,” said Seliskar. “I have worked with John in the past for the board on certain things, such as the parking area on Snowbank Road, the Cloquet Line and stuff like that.”
“He would have been a great candidate, and hopefully in a few years if something comes up, he will run,” said Hart.
Both Hart and Seliskar expressed their disappointment in Pierce being out of contention at this time, but felt they had to honor his request.
“There may be things that come up that we could utilize him for or reach out to him for additional guidance,” said clerk Cheri DeBeltz.
“He might be a great resource to the board,” Seliskar added.
Hart felt Kingston would also be a good candidate.
“He regularly attends meetings, is active with the community, is on the library board, and shows interest in the community center,” said Hart.
Hart and Seliskar both agreed Masloski and Kingston were the top two candidates for the position, but Kingston had sent an email saying that township and library meetings may overlap, and he felt he would have to leave the library board.
Seliskar said he wouldn’t want to put a person in a position where they had to make such a decision.
Seliskar then made a motion to appoint Masloski for the one-year position, with Hart’s support. DeBeltz made a call to Masloski with the offer and he accepted.
be accessible to the public. He is aware of the issues, saying broadband has been taking years to complete. His other interests include ATVing which will benefit the township by people who want to stay at resorts.
Pierce came to the area in 1981 for college, and built a house in Fall Lake Township in 2001. He said he was retiring from the Forest Service this year, and wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.
He said he was willing to help the township in any way he could, but was on the fence about serving at this time as a supervisor. Pierce said further down the road he may be interested in being a supervisor.
Kingston said he didn’t grow up in the Ely area. As a kid his family moved around a lot, but he has always considered Ely his home. His parents moved back into his grandparent’s house in Fall Lake Township, and that is where he lives now.
He said Fall Lake Township is a unique and wonderful place and he would love to be of service to the township. Kingston attends township meetings and said he learns something new about the issues.
He said Fall Lake Township is a unique and wonderful place and he would love to be of service to the township. Kingston attends township meetings and said he always learns something new. He said the discussion the board had on the Power Dam Road had him looking up statutes on his phone to see how roads work.
He is excited about the community center building project and interested in obtaining grants and resources for the building. Kingston mentioned he has a legal background.
Kingston asked about rescheduling meetings if a supervisor couldn’t attend a meeting. Hart said just two supervisors can meet, but meetings can be rescheduled to accommodate all three.
Pierce asked about the relationship with Lake County. Seliskar said with Commissioner Joe Baltich, there has been an easier flow of information, but the county has always been good to talk to and get responses. He said the township gets direction from the county. He said they get direction from the county, and supervisors sit on various committees, such as ambulance joint powers, fire department and RAMS.
Hart told the interviewees about the short course training for supervisors, clerk, treasurer and new supervisors. The township pays for any expenses involved.
Prior to the decision, each candidate discussed why they had applied for the supervisor position.
In the township election held on March 11, Seliskar was the only candidate on the ballot.
Masloski moved to the Ely area about 20 years ago. He is currently the Boundary Waters Nursing Home Administrator where he has worked for 18 years. He moved to the White Iron Villas five years ago. Prior to that he lived in Winton.
Masloski was a Winton councilor for seven or eight years, giving him experience in small government. He has a strong background in finances and management.
When he saw the opening for the appointment, he said it was something he would like to do and offer his help to the board.
Jacob-Gordon, a resident of Fall Lake since 1987, mentioned the historic value of Fall Lake Township with the reminder of the pictures on the town hall wall. Many of the pictures are of the area where he lives, near the old Ojibway Mine site. He said he has had an interest in serving on the board, but he never wanted to challenge a supervisor for the position.
Jacob-Gordon, who works at Zup’s Food Market, said an important aspect of being a township supervisor is to
