BREITUNG- Keith Mattila is Breitung’s new full-time maintenance assistant. He started on the job this week. Mattila was one of two finalists and was unanimously recommended by the hiring committee. Mattila will start at 90-percent pay for a two-month probation period and will increase to 100-percent when he receives an air-brake endorsement on his commercial driver’s license.
Mattila is well-known in Tower-Soudan, having worked at Vermilion Golden Rule Lumber for 30 years. He said he decided to apply for the maintenance assistant job for the variety of work, and also the benefits that come with the union job. Mattila lives in Soudan, now back in his childhood home. It could be said Mattila is carrying on a family tradition, as his father, Chuckie Mattila, was a Breitung supervisor, head maintenance worker and fire chief.
“He would spend the day building the (Breitung) roads and then go work the midnight shift at Minntac,” Mattila said.
In other news, the town board:
• Did not take action on an opportunity for grant money to install a waterless aquatic invasive species (AIS) cleaning system.
• Heard that CW Dirt Works is grading the skating rink and laying fabric and plastic down to improve efficiency of flooding and rink quality.
• Will advertise for temporary part-time rink attendants.
• Received $18,902 for police state aid from the Minnesota Department of Revenue to subsidize pension costs.
• Received $13,252 for fire state aid from MDR to subsidize pension costs.
• Received a $4,000 grant from the Minnesota Power Foundation for air tank replacements for the fire department.
• Received a donation of two scrapbooks from John and Bernice Puncher and donated them to the Tower-Soudan Historical Society.
• Will submit a permit application for concrete dock platforms to replace the three platforms at McKinley Park that are in poor condition.
• Interviewed and approved a new fire department member, pending a physical and background check.
• Heard that the township’s cleaning person will be taking a leave of absence and planned to have another person shadow her, fill out an application, and assume her duties on a temporary basis.
• Heard that an automatic light sensor is angled in the wrong direction. The township is working with the original contractor to resolve the issue.
• Received an estimate from Range Cornice for gutters above the post office backdoor, with an alternate estimate for the entire back of the building. The board will get an additional estimate from ABC Construction.