City agrees to request demolition funding for Your Boat Club marina

MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018 — In the first meeting of 2018, the Tower City Council gave its full approval to applying for demolition grant funds from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) at its regular Monday, January 8 meeting. The funds will be used to assist new Tower marina owner Your Boat Club, which purchased the Standing Bear Marina on the East Two River last November, commence improving the property. Luke Kujawa, CEO of Your Boat Club asked the city to seek the demolition grant so renovations of the marina can commence this winter and continue into the spring. Kujawa detailed demolition priorities to the city and is seeking $110.000 in IRRRB funding. It is expected that the city will soon forward a grant request application to the IRRRB through the Tower Economic Development Authority.

The city council unanimously approved permitting the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Lake Vermilion Penguins Snowmobile Club to conduct a snowmobile safety training Field Day for area youth on the Tower football field. Young people, aged eleven-years-0ld, and older, can complete their training and qualify for a snowmobile safety certificate which becomes valid on their 12th birthday, at this March 3 Field Day.

Each Year the Lake Vermilion Guides League conducts a raffle to support its annual community activities, including Let’s Take A Kid Fishing event and Military Veterans Fishing Day. The city council gave its unanimous approval to the Guides League application for a Minnesota Lawful Gambling permit to conduct its 2018 benefit raffle.

The city council gave its approval to making a $250 donation towards the 2018 St. Louis County Fair.

With somewhere over half of the Hoodoo Point Campground upgrades having been completed before the winter weather stopped all work until spring, Jayson Chopp, Short Elliott Hendrickson , Inc, (SEH, Inc.) recommended that the city council approve payment of $88,297.75 to Utility Systems of America. Chopp told the city council that the inground infrastructure was mostly completed before freeze-up, leaving electrical work, sewer connections and water lines to be completed in spring. The total project contract with Utility Systems of America is set at $412,391. The city council unanimously approved paying the current bill. The city council also gave its approval to entering into a new agreement between SEH, Inc and the city to have the engineering firm conduct work on behalf of the city’s upcoming Lamppa Manufacturing facility to be built in Tower. Estimates for engineering services to complete design work, permitting, bidding and site infrastructure are at $150,000. “ønce the site and building parameters are selected, we will provide an updated scope and fee to match the actual project scope,” SEH, Inc. wrote the city council.

In addition to all of its committee reports, the city council acknowledge correspondence from the Minnesota Department of Health. The Department of Health informed the city that it is required to continue to collect water samples to monitor total trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids until thes numbers consistently fall below state mandated levels.

Tower Ambulance Service Director Steve Altenberg told the city council that he was starting to investigate the purchase of a new ambulance. The oldest ambulance unit in the service’s fleet is now eight years old, altenberg told the city council.

Concluding the city meeting Mayor Josh Carlson asked each city alderman to come back to the next meeting, January 22 with ideas for appointments to the city’s many boards and commissions. “Look over the commissions and committees,” Carlson urged. “Look for new faces,” Carlson concluded.