ELY—The Ely City Council approved the first reading of a new ordinance that assigns zoning to 14 unzoned parcels within city limits and scheduled a public hearing on the new zoning assignments for April 1 at 5:15 p.m.
These unzoned parcels include the location of the new Ely Regional Trailhead Building, a city-owned parcel that will be classified as public (P1) land. The unzoned parcel immediately to the south, which belongs to the Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, hosts part of a parking lot and the steep slope down to S. Fourth Ave. W. It will also be zoned as P1. Two unzoned residential parcels for the homes at 355 and 357 W. Harvey St. will be zoned as R1. Two unzoned residential parcels at the western edge of city limits, at 1884 and 1886 Shagawa Rd. W., will be zoned as shoreline mixed use as they front onto Shagawa Lake.
The other eight properties belong to the city and are located mostly in the undeveloped areas to the east of the Jerome Debeltz softball fields. These will be zoned as either open space or public land.
In other business, the city council:
• Approved the formation of a negotiating committee to work on a lease agreement with the Ely Chamber of Commerce, which leases their offices from the city. The council, noting that another agenda item also called for negotiating with the city’s employee unions, added that negotiation committee to the motion, thus approving both committees in one vote.
• Approved the purchase of a Board Safe Dock for the ADA compliant kayak launch at the new eastern access area for Miners Lake. City council member John Lahtonen questioned whether the cost of the dock was funded by the city. “This project is funded by the Department of Natural Resources on a reimbursement basis,” responded Ely Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski. “We won’t order (the dock) until DNR approves of the reimbursement. So, we pay upfront and then DNR will reimburse our costs, so Ely will spend no net city funds.”
• Voted 6-0-1 against a recommendation of the tree board to allow non-resident John Lindquist to tap four silver maple trees on the second block of E. Conan St. The tree board no longer approves of tapping maple trees within city limits. It made an exception for Lindquist’s request because the four trees are slated for removal this spring, so the question of damaging city trees is moot.
Lahtonen made the case for turning down Lindquist’s request, not because it lacked merit, but because the city should enforce it’s no tapping policy equally: “My only concern is that you can have four trees that have taps on them, and then somebody two blocks down, who hasn’t heard (that you can’t tap trees in Ely) wants to tap. I think it’s a slippery slope, and it should be all or nothing.” The rest of the council agreed and voted accordingly.
• Approved the hire of Josh Pohlman as an equipment operator trainee, pending a pre-employment physical, drug testing and background check.
• Approved the advertisement for bids for the clean-up project at the Depot redevelopment site. The project has received the DEED grant for the clean-up, for which the city is the fiscal agent.
• Heard the report from Langowski that the recycling bins next to the Jerome Debeltz softball fields are sited on ground that saturates during the spring thaw. “There may be a bit of mud by the recycling bins. If it gets too muddy, we’ll put up barricades and close the area temporarily.”
• Heard the report of Fire Chief Dave Marshal that enough snow has now melted that burning permits are now required.
• Heard the report from Police Chief Chad Houde that the police department has a drop box for unused medicines on the first floor of city hall. Langowski added his plea for Ely-area residents to utilize the medicine disposal box: “Please, don’t dump unused medicines down the toilet. It just isn’t good to send that stuff to the wastewater treatment facility, which isn’t designed to handle it.”
Houde also reported that the police department has locking storage boxes at no cost for people who need to prevent small children from accessing medicines, courtesy of St. Louis County. Those interested can pick one up at the police department office on the first floor of city hall during office hours.
• Approved advertising for the new hire of a full-time police officer.
• Approved the second and final reading of Ordinance 389 to amend the sales price of city-owned lots 9 and 10 in the East Spaulding First Addition plat. The approval came after a public hearing where no one testified for or against the price change. The lots were formerly $33,000 and $29,000 respectively. The new price is $25,000 apiece or $38,900 if bought together. The two adjacent lots share a wetland area which reduces the land available for residential development.
• Approved the first reading of Ordinance 379, which would vacate a 33-foot right of way on Beacon Hill that the city no longer needs. The right of way is between the Tower View Estates and Ahola plats, just south and east of the radio tower next to S. Third Ave. E. The vacated right of way will be split between the landowners along the Tower Estates and Ahola plat boundary. The city council scheduled a public hearing on the new ordinance for April 1 at 5 p.m.
• Approved the following claims for payment: city of Ely and Ely Utilities Commission claims through March 18 for $106,795 and a $266,559 pay estimate from Max Gray Construction for the Ely Regional Trailhead Building.
• Approved the appointment of Linsey Dare to the open mid-term seat on the Ely Park and Recreation Board. Her term will expire on Jan. 31, 2026.
• Approved the new utility rates recommended by the Ely Utilities Commission. The city council held a public hearing before the Tuesday meeting where two residents posed questions about water lines and water quality, but did not comment on the rates themselves. The new rates are available online in the agenda packet for the March 18 city council meeting at ely.mn.us.
• Approved a letter of recommendation from Max Gray Construction, the general contractor for the Ely International Hotel project, to award a contract for $381,913 to VCI Environmental for selective interior demolition plus asbestos and hazardous materials abatement. The abatement work is being funded through an Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board grant, for which Ely is the fiscal agent.