Anderson and Fitton take seats on the Tower City Council
Monday, January 9, 2017 — Brooke Anderson (Jankowski) and Kevin Fitton conducted their oaths of office and were seated at the first City of Tower meeting of 2017, held on Monday, January 9. Both new councilors were elected in the November general election. Once the new council was seated and the meeting was called to order, Mayor Josh Carlson expressed the council’s appreciation to William Hiltunen who had served the city as a city councilor for many, many years and to Joan Broten who had been serving on the council for the past several years.
Two agenda items proved to be controversial as the city conducted its business. Representing the charter school, Jody Summit requested that the city install a security intercom system which would permit the school to leave its door locked and “buzz in” people when they arrived at the school. “It seems like every other school does have a security door system,” Summit wrote the city council. “Is the school looking for permission to do this, or is it looking for the city to pay for it?” Mayor Carlson questioned.
“I am hoping the city, as the landlord, will pay for the system,” Alderman Fitton said. Carlson said that he would like to see the city pay down the remodeling loan, to a manageable level, before it considered spending any additional money on the building. It was noted that the city was not using the lease income to pay down that debt over the past five years. Joan Broten, who has served on the Tower City Council, until the new councilors were seated suggested that the school and the city seek outside funding—potential grants. Jeff Hill suggested that Homeland Security might, might possibly, have funding available for these type of security measures. “How much time do you have to go looking for grants?” Fitton asked.
“I have unwavering support for the installation, but the city can’t pay for it,” Carlson said. The city council voted to reject the request for funding in a motion made by Alderman Lance Dougherty and supported by Alderman Brad Matich. Alderman Fitton abstained from voting, as the motion passed with consent from all the other aldermen.
City Clerk-Treasurer Linda Keith requested that the city council consider allocating $1,500, to allow the city engineers to develop plans for a new office space to be located in the new emergency services building Breitung Township and the city hope to construct in the near future. The Mayor and Alderman Dougherty voiced strong objections to the idea. Their concerns included the high costs, and they voiced concerns that city hall should be centrally located on the Main Street. The construction costs, at approximately $200 per square foot, could near the $200,000 mark, should the city decide that it wanted to move the city hall office. In addition, the joint fire department, would be expecting rent payments which could total near $17,000. “Paying $17,000 in rent, this is a ridiculous idea,” Mayor Carlson clearly stated.
Keith was emphatic in her belief that a new city hall facility is needed. She cited the many problems experienced with the current building. Heat loss, electrical issues, and the crumbling front steps were all problems according to Keith. She said that the city council should consult city residents before rejecting the proposal. “I was put into my council seat by the people,” Alderman Dougherty said, “I have consulted the voters, I talk with them all the time.”
The city council and city clerk each adamantly defed their positions. The proposal was shut down when Dougherty said, “I get it, you want a new building, Linda.” Dougherty then motioned to not move forward on exploring a new city office. His motion was supported by Alderman Matich. When the vote was taken, the newly seated councilors, Anderson and Fitton, voted against the motion while Carlson, Matich and Dougherty voted in favor of “not moving forward on considering new city offices.”
Short Elliot Hendrickson (SEH) engineers, Jason Chopp and Matt Bolf, appeared before the city council to report on the work they have completed on the proposed Hoodoo Point Campground expansion and said that they were now concentrating on the sites in the center of the campground. The sites at the shoreline are really not possible to construct, according to the engineers, because of waterfront regulations. Concerns were raised about a private “tie in” at Mill Point Plat. Both the city council and engineers were perplexed as to the exact infrastructure at the “tie in.” That private project was developed prior to SEH serving the city as an engineering firm and the present council was not seated at that time. Jeff Hill was able to provide some details on the nature of that infrastructure and reported, “it was done correctly, and includes styrofoam insulation.” It is expected that the city will seek financing for the expansion by issuing bonds and that additional campground revenues will pay the bonds. The engineers cautioned that the project, in all likelihood, can not be completed by June 1, as the campground manager desires.
Passing its first resolution of the year, No. 2017–01, the city council reiterated, to St. Louis County, its support on replacing the old Iron Ore (Pine Street) bridge. Mayor Carlson said that he was still very optimistic that the state legislature will included funding for the project in the its bonding bill. “The city may have to spend money, up to $400,000, as its contribution to the project,” Carlson cautioned. The bridge project is part of the Tower Harbor Development master plan. “At first the project was funded, and then it was not. It’s unfortunate we are still looking for money for the bridge,” Carlson said. The motion to assure St. Louis County of Tower’s commitment was made by Alderman Matich and supported by Alderman Dougherty. The motion passed unanimously.
The city received an appraisal, on a city owned ll acre parcel of land in the Mud Creek Road area, from Stephen Abrahamson. According to Abrahamson, he determined that the land is worth $28,000 at the time of his December appraisal and offered three comparable sales to support his appraised value. Bud Van Deusen had requested an opportunity to purchase the land at the city’s November meeting and offered the city $7,500 for the parcel.
The city council discussed, at length, appointments to the various committees which conduct much of the city’s business. Mayor Carlson emphasized that he was only presently looking to determine which city councilors would serve on each committee, board or department. The balance of appointments will be presented for approval, by the mayor, at the January 23 meeting of the city council.
It is expected that the city will appoint a full new board to the Tower Economic Development Authority (TEDA). At present the entire five member city council sits on the TEDA board. In December Mayor Carlson told the city council that he had reached an agreement with Marshall Helmberger and that he would recommend appointing the entire newly formed Tower-Soudan Community Development Corporation to TEDA. As there are eight principals involved in the corporation, Carlson acknowledged that the city would have to expand TEDA to a seven person board. The corporation was formed by Helmberger and has been seeking to contract with the city to provided development services to the city. Carlson asked Marshall Helmberger to list the members of his newly formed development corporation. “It’s the same as the Main Street committee,” Helmberger said. At first, when pressed, Helmberger had difficulty in naming the specific members of the corporation but after some time he was finally able to name seven people that comprised the development corporation. Helmberger said that out of the seven members, Troy Swanson would be okay with not serving on TEDA. “He would still be willing to help, when needed,” Helmberger said. The council discussed placing Alderman Brad Matich to represent the city council on the TEDA board and reviewed the other names presented stating that it wanted representation from current business owners and city residents included on the board
Although some appointments have been reported elsewhere, in the city’s official newspaper, no action was taken on any appointments and any suggestions to the contrary is pure speculation.
In other action, the city council:
• Reduced its Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) grant application by $7,000. The IRRRB informed the city that it was unable to fully fund the city’s $46,000 request to implement improvements which would make Tower appealing to tourists visiting the area
• Authorized to allow Eveleth, Minnesota to receive $150,000 in federal airport funding which was earmarked for Tower. Clerk Keith reported that Minnesota cities work together, trading these resources, when funding for specific projects is needed. Because Tower does not have a shovel ready project in agreeed it would be best to allow Eveleth to utilize the funding nad get reimbursed at some point in the future
• Referred a request from T Mobile to place a temporary cell phone tower on the cit’s north hill to the city engineers
• Approved a request to transfer a airport hangar lease from Robert and Cynthia Poutre to the Poutre Revocable Trust
• Acknowledged correspondence from Ken Kube who has requested that his name be put into consideration for the position of city Blight Officer
• Appointed the Timberjay as the city’s official newspaper
• Accepted a Store Front Loan application from the Scenic Rivers Health Services clinic in Tower to pay for part of the canopy recently constructed over the clinic entrance.
• Approved donating $250, from the parks and recreation fund, to the St. Louis county Fair
• Authorized establishing new automatic payment processing access, for city water bills, at Frandsen Bank
• Acknowledged that a report was received from Gary Lamppa and Dick Grabko, Community Resource Development, LLC, on its survey of the proposed downtown commercial redevelopment assessment. According to the report eighty percent of the properties surveyed were substandard or dilapidated
• Approved moving forward on the proposed Downtown Redevelopment District and authorized the city to clerk to forward CommunityResource Development, LLCs proposal to the city attorney
• Approved a request for a gaming license so that the Lake Vermilion Guides League can conduct a raffle benefiting its Take a Kid Fishing program
• Approved issuing 2017 HooDoo Point Campground seasonal leases
• Acknowledged the receipt of a report from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources regarding the 2016 City of Tower special deer hunt