In spite of extended drama Tower City Council manages to conduct its February business over two meetings

February 11 and 25, 2019 — Following weeks of presentations at each local township, and input from each local governmental body which comprises it, the Tower Ambulance Commission is unified in presenting a new ambulance service agreement to township voters for approval at upcoming annual township meetings next Tuesday.

The Tower City Council has already approved the agreement, and subsequent three-phase increase to per-capita payments made by each local government on February 22.

For years the per-capita payment remained at $15 and has not kept pace with inflation. Now area township voters are being asked to increase that fee to $18.75 starting January 1, of next year. The raising it to $23.75 in 2021, and $29.30 in 2022.

The calculations of the subsidy will be based upon the 2016 state demographer report. These numbers demonstrate a population of 495, in Tower; 580, Breitung; 177, Kugler; 906, Greenwood; 279, Vermilion Lake; 226, Eagles Nest, and 147 in a small portion of Embarrass Township which are served by the Tower Ambulance. Fortune Bay Casino pays a flat rate of $8,750.00.

The city council approved hiring Jessie Gornick as the Fire Department Training Officer, replacing Josh Carlson who has served the department as Training Officer for the past several years. The city council accepted Carlson’s resignation with regret. Gornick is no stranger to the responsibilities for which he has committed himself, he is returning to the Training Officers position, having served Tower in this capacity before.

Retiring Fire Fighter Randy Johnson’s resignation was also accepted with appreciation for his 29 years of service by the city council.

The city council also, with regret, accepted the resignation of Nicole Carlson from service as a Tower Ambulance Service paramedic. It is expected, that at some point, Carlson will return as a volunteer to the Tower Ambulance Service when her work, coaching and family responsibilities are lessened, Ambulance Director Steve Altenburg told the city council.

The city council hired Marilyn Hannan, Cook, Minnesota, to serve the city as a new paid-on-call ambulance service member.

On February 28, the city council approved spending $8,195.34 for wetland replacement lands and withdrawal and easement stewardship fees required by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil to complete Pine Street rerouting and repairs to accommodate a shovel ready harbor trail project and the first building of a proposed harbor condominium development.

The city is expected to need to purchase additional banked wetlands should Tower Harbor Shores decide to give the city a green light to bid for infrastructure by its April 1 deadline. It is expected that the additional lands for the condominium development could cost the city upwards of another 30,000.

Earlier in the February 28 city meeting Mayor Orlyn Kringstad decried any knowledge or involvement in Tower Harbor Shores. This is simply not true. Paperwork negating his involvement in the limited liability company are not to be found at the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office and fully executed agreements negotiated by the previous city council in December have not fully been completed. The official record, as it currently remains, does not reflect Kringstad’s claims to the contrary.

On February 11 the city council approved promoting ––––, the city’s current maintenance worker to fill the vacancy which will be left by Maintenance Supervisor Dave Bjorgo upon his retirement on April 30.

On February 28 the city council unanimously elected to hire Ben Velcheff, Tower to serve as the city’s maintenance worker.

In other action, the Tower City Council:

* Instructed the city clerk to being three quotes to the table before it would decide to spend an expected $13,000 for a new furnace and on-demand water heater, replacing older equipment at HooDoo Point Campground

  • Approved spending $2,000 in a jointly –funded project with the Tower Civic Improvement club, to replace the civic center stove
  • Set the 2019 Board of Appeal and Equalization for May , 2019 between the hours of 4:00 and 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon. the board will convene at Tower City Hall City, Council Chambers
  • Approved the 2019 Sexual Assault Awareness proclamation
  • Approved a resolution the Highway 169 Task Force to encourage improvements to the highway between tower and Virginia, Minnesota during the summer of 2019
  • Paid $36,003.58 to Nordic Group North for harbor area trail work; $240,350 to Lenci Enterprises, Inc., additionally paying all of the other invoices presented for payment by the city.
TOP