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There is nothing like road concerns to bring Fall Lake Township residents to the monthly township meeting. Over two dozen citizenship attended the meeting to discuss the vacating of the Power Dam Road and the Cloquet Line.
The May 8 meeting lasted over three hours.
Minnesota Power has requested the vacation of 300 feet of the Power Dam Road that Fall Lake has maintained to the Minnesota Power gate for numerous years. This is needed for an easement for a substation and to Minnesota Power’s 10 platted lots which they plan to sell. Deb Kellner, Minnesota Power’s real estate agent said there is history of rights through the easement.
A vacation hearing on the Power Dam Road to Minnesota Power’s Hydro Plant was addressed at a Fall Lake Township meeting in July of 1994, but there is no record that this vacation was registered with Lake County.
Susan Wold was in attendance and expressed her concern of increased traffic on the Power Dam Road. Wold was not too concerned about traffic to the new substation, but with the prospect of selling the 10 lots and having them developed was of great concern to her.
The Power Dam Road goes through Wold’s property at the junction of the Fernberg Trail and the Power Dam Road. It has a bunkhouse and seven campsites for customers of Cliff Wold’s Outfitting on the west side of the Power Dam Road. Ryan Olson and Cliff Wold Outfitting leases the property from Susan Wold.
In Wold’s email to Fall Lake Township, Wold stated her concern for safety and that 10 lots with cabins or year-round homes, and possibly VRBO would increase the traffic to unsafe levels that would affect Cliff Wold customers.
She said she hoped another road could be built that didn’t cross her property.
Supervisor Sheila Gruba suggested contacting the township’s attorney about whether the road can be listed as a public road. Clerk Cheri DeBeltz will contact the attorney.
Cloquet Line issues
Even with a major fix of the Cloquet Line three years ago, a problem has occurred. Beginning on the St. Louis County portion of the road and going about a quarter mile, soft clay has pushed up the timbers in the road and created a near-impassable road situation.
Supervisor Craig Seliskar said to the numerous residents living off the Cloquet Line area that the road is too wet to do much.
“We have permission from the land owner to cut trees and brush on both sides of the road in this area to help in drying the road,” said Seliskar.
Gruba said it might be a good idea to contact the contractor TKDA and ask what were the boring samples for this area.
Dan Hernesmma said to check what the elevation of the road was when samples were taken. “The swamp is still frozen,” said Hernesmma. “There is no place for the water to drain.”
The board said a temporary fix of hauling some gravel and grading should be done until they reach out to contractors to cut trees and get ditches cleared.
Tom Erchul, St. Louis County engineer, was present and said St. Louis County would be applying chloride to its portion of the Cloquet Line in June. Fall Lake will check on chloride prices and see about Fall Lake applying it at the same time.
Jim Weinzierl made that comment that the Cloquet Line is a road supported by taxpaying residents, but there are several non-taxpaying, non-profits that increase the traffic on the road.
Lodging tax discussion Cindy Smyka, Executive Director for the Ely Area Tourism Bureau, explained the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Lake County’s lodging tax.
The MOU addressed Lake County’s collecting of 3% lodging tax and 1% event tax. The total of all tax collected is from Fall Lake Township area. Fall Lake contributes greatly to the 1% event tax but has been unable to access those funds largely due to the fact there are few places in Fall Lake to hold an event.
Since 1986, Fall Lake Township had collected lodging tax for the Ely Area Lodging Tax District. Lake County started their 4% lodging tax that included a 1% event tax in 2020. Fall Lake had no choice, they had to join Lake County’s 4% lodging tax.
Commissioner Joe Baltich said Fall Lake needs to use the tax to our advantage.
“There are some shortterm rentals operating under the radar that are not in compliance.” Said Baltich. “Fall Lake isn’t getting good advertising. More is done for the North Shore area with advertising for Black Beach, Split Rock Lighthouse, Tettegouche State Park, and Gooseberry Falls. Our advertising is for the Boundary Waters. That’s a big area that you can’t just walk up to and visit.”
Ironically, Fall Lake received a funding request from the Lake County Chamber of Commerce for a Breakfast for Heroes event.
DeBeltz looked up the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, and Fall Lake isn’t even listed on their webpage.
There is Granicus software that can identify where the lodging tax is coming from in Fall Lake Township that would benefit Fall Lake. There are unidentified shortterm rentals that are having online travel agencies such as AirBNB and VRBO pay their 4% lodging tax to Lake County. Recent monies coming back to Fall Lake was short $10,553.
It was suggested Lake County fund Cindy Smyka to use Granicus to identify short-term rentals based on parcel numbers. There would be cross comparison of where the tax is coming from in Lake County. This would also be a way to force compliance of the 4% lodging tax.
“Right now,” said Gruba, “there is no way to know if the lodging tax is being paid.”
It was also suggested that short-term rentals not have AirBNBs and VRBOs collect the tax.
Community Center
Debeltz gave an update on a proposed community center for Fall Lake.
The committee met on April 26 to do something on a bigger scale. They decided to visit other community centers to see what other communities have.
The group plans to visit the Clair Nelson Community Center in Finland. The next step would to see if there are grants available.
Baltich said he spoke with IRRRB Commissioner Ida Rukavina and was told the USDA does grants for rural community centers.
The township will place ads in the Ely Echo for open meetings to further discuss a community center.
Township road inspection A review of the supervisors’ inspection of its 19 miles of roads determined they all need grading. Sod needs to be removed from the edges of roads to allow proper drainage, and some culvert need replacing. Seliskar will reach out to the USDA for beaver management on the Cloquet Line, Shady Lane and Sunset Road.
RAMS and EMS and LRIP Gruba attended the RAMS meeting and said their number one issue is EMS funding. Their next meeting will be held on June 27 with a tour of Mesabi Metallics.
A Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) meeting will be held on the Sunset Road. Locust Lane needs to go through a new road process. This needs to be confirmed with township attorney.
The board discussed the township purchasing Warren Johnson’s property, but will contact Dave Johnson as well to see if he is interesting is sell his property.
Gruba said there is tax forfeited land that the parking lot is on, and that Lake County should be contact to see about purchasing this land for one dollar.
Dispersing of recreational funds was tabled until the board could obtain clarification on how the funds are to be dispersed.
In other business the board:
• Discussed that Dean Barrett said Jerry Jussila will not be able to work at the transfer site. A schedule will be worked out. Barrett showed a picture of the new sign holder for the garbage bins which should clarify what goes into the bins. He said a bear had visited the transfer station but didn’t do too much damage. Bag sales are going well and the brush pile is growing. Lake County will bring a new oil barrel and provide a cover for it.
• Received and accepted a bid from RC Seal Coating for crack cleaning and sealing.
• Received an email from a land owner regarding an undeveloped road to his property. The township is not required to pay or build a road. He would have to go through a new road process.
• Received an email from Lucky Boy Services that their rates remain the same as last year.
• Received a notice from T-Mobile for the proposed construction of a 440-foot telecommunication tower off the Fernberg Trail.
• Passed a conflict-of-interest resolution.
• Heard a Wildlife Strategic Planning meeting will be held on Monday, May 20 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m at the Fall Lake Town Hall. The public is welcome to attend.
• Set the next regular Fall Lake Township meeting will on Wednesday, June 5 at 6 p.m.
• Heard the Lake County Board of Commissioners meeting will be held at Fall Lake Town Hall on Tuesday, June 18 at 6 p.m.
