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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Hoodoo Point upgrade approved

Marshall Helmberger
Posted 2/15/17

TOWER— The Hoodoo Point campground will be hooked into the Tower-Breitung wastewater system under a $290,000 upgrade of the city-owned recreational facility located on Lake Vermilion. The council …

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Hoodoo Point upgrade approved

Posted

TOWER— The Hoodoo Point campground will be hooked into the Tower-Breitung wastewater system under a $290,000 upgrade of the city-owned recreational facility located on Lake Vermilion. The council gave the go-ahead to move forward with the project, which the city will finance with a revenue bond.

City Clerk-Treasurer Linda Keith said annual bond payments should run approximately $25,000, with about $20,000 of that to be financed through additional campground revenues. The upgrade includes the construction of seven new seasonal sites, which will all be equipped with sewer, water, and electricity. City officials anticipate installation of the new sewer line will take place after spring thaw, while construction of the new campsites will begin in the fall, once the 2017 camping season is over.

The campground currently has its own well and independent septic system. The campground will continue to use its own water source after the upgrade.

In other action, the council approved a request to add three additional hours per week to the deputy clerk’s schedule. Terri Joki-Martin currently works 32 hours per week, but that will increase to 35 hours based on the council’s decision. City officials had hoped that the city’s transition to a new ambulance billing system would reduce the workload of the deputy clerk and save the city some hours. Clerk Keith said the system has saved time, but not as much as she had anticipated. But Keith noted that the extra hours would be billed back to the ambulance service and would not come from the city’s general fund.

The council also approved a resolution accepting a $125,000 grant from the IRRRB to the Tower Economic Development Authority to help bridge a funding gap being experienced by Tower Vision 2025. The funds would be available for lending to TV 2025 to pay for architectural work and marketing materials to advance pre-sales of the 18-20 town homes currently slated for the site. The funds, once repaid, would be available as a revolving loan fund to help advance further development at the harbor and elsewhere in the city.

In other economic development activity, TEDA president Marshall Helmberger informed the council that the group has made significant progress towards opening a childcare facility. TEDA and the Tower-Soudan Community Development Corporation are currently working with the St. Louis County School District in hopes of locating a facility within the elementary school. TSCDC board member Troy Swanson also serves on the school board and he is spearheading talks with the district about the plan. The TSCDC, as a community non-profit, would hire the staff to operate the facility. The business plan is currently under development, said Helmberger.

In other action, the council:

• Heard from Councilor Kevin Fitton about a youth mental health training set to be held March 30-April 1 at the Vermilion Country Charter School. The three-day event will feature experienced trainers providing insights on a wide range of mental health issues affecting young people, including coping strategies, chemical dependence, and suicide prevention. At least one day of training will be open to the general public.

• Approved the second reading of an ordinance extending Mid-Continent’s cable franchise for another ten years.

• Completed the 2017 city reorganization, appointing Doug Carter to the Forestry Board and the Gunderson Trust, and Stephanie Carlson to the Public Utilities Commission. The council also added Jesse Gornick to the Gunderson Trust and the Gambling Commission.

• Discussed but took no action on a possible new ordinance proposed by Mayor Josh Carlson, who said he wants to ensure that funding requests to the IRRRB by community groups are coordinated with the city and meet the city’s objectives. He said Ely has a similar ordinance in place and he would bring sample language back to the council.

• Approved the annual pay equity report, which found the city in compliance.

• Approved switching credit card processing providers for Hoodoo Point from Paypal to Central Payment Processors, due to a lower processing fee from the new provider.

• Approved a resolution certifying 2017 water and sewer budgets.