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An effort to protect Ely from a potential wildfire gained some steam this week.
The Ely City Council got behind a project that would create a roughly 10-acre fuel break on the west entrance to Ely.
The $890,000 project, which would be grant funded, is backed not only by the Ely Fire Department and the city’s emergency management director, but also the St. Louis County FireWise program.
It was also endorsed by the city’s planning and zoning commission and got council OK at a brief regular meeting Tuesday at City Hall.
Gloria Erickson, who heads the FireWise effort, joined fire chief Dave Marshall and emergency management director Bradley Roy at a March planning session, and clerk-treasurer Harold Langowski provided more background to the council.
“The one project that has been a high priority is making a defendable boundary around populated areas,” said Langowski.
The land set aside for the project is a mix of city-owned property and two acres owned by Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital.
“Mainly here in Ely we are looking at the west end by the trailhead,” said Langowski. “At Fourth Avenue West a right-of-way exists and it’s a matter of widening that rightof- way...The last wildfire we had was in that direction a couple of years back.”
Ely is deemed a high-risk community for potential wildfires and the community’s low-income designation made it eligible for grants to fund the effort.
Bids will be requested yet this year and plans are for the project to proceed as soon as possible.
In other business, the council:
• Designated members Emily Roose and John Lahtonen, mayor Heidi Omerza and EUC commissioner Tony Colarich to serve on the city’s negotiating committee, with Langowski and city attorney Kelly Klun also participating.
• Approved the second reading of an ordinance approving a right-of-way vacation for Warren Johnson
• Revised an ordinance regarding the sale of lots in the East Spaulding First Addition.
• Approved a list of temporary part-time seasonal workers for the summer.
• Made note of upcoming household and business hazardous waste collection days, which are June 5 at Northwoods Transfer Station (business) June 12 at the joint public works garage (household) and Aug. 28 at the Northwoods Transfer Station (household); • Extended a contract with realtor Jim Burke until April 1, 2026, for sale of lots in the East Spaulding Addition;
• Heard a proclamation from Omerza recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month;
• Declared its support for International Dark Sky Week, which is set from April 21-28. Eva Sebesta, director of the Ely Chamber of Commerce, spoke about light pollution and efforts to preserve dark skies, including the use of light fixtures that minimize light pollution;
• Agreed to have city staff work with the Ely Events Group to assemble a new route for the July 4 parade, given road construction that will close part of Harvey Street.
Needed permits are also being pursued to put on the July 5 “Rock The Park” concert at Whiteside Park, which will go from 4 to 11 p.m.
