SOUDAN- At their regular meeting on July 18, the Breitung Town Board heard from several residents of South Street who experienced major sewer backups during the June 18 storm that dumped over seven inches of rain on the area. A sewer pump station, located at the intersection of Junction Rd. and South St. was overwhelmed by the water entering the system, and pressurized sewer water came up through toilets and shower drains in the basements of nearby homes.
“What can be done so this never happens again?” asked Karen Wellander, who lost everything in her basement during the storm, due to damage and contamination from the contaminated sewer water. She noted she had similar issues 26 years ago.
“It was amazing how fast the sewer water poured in,” Wellander said. “It was just shooting up. There was no time to plan for anything.”
Supervisor Matt Tuchel, who also oversees the community’s wastewater system, said the basement flooding issue was directly correlated with the elevation of the basements on South Street, some of which are lower than the nearby lift station.
Tuchel noted that it was not township policy to reimburse homeowners for property damage due to sewer backups, but that homeowners’ policies might cover the expenses, if it was part of their policy.
Kalee Bjorgo said she did have insurance for sewer backups, but it only paid the cost of cleaning up the mess. “There was nothing to reimburse us for everything that was in the basement,” she said.
Tuchel said a long-term solution would be expensive, perhaps as much as a million dollars. This would entail putting in an equalization basin, essentially a small pond adjacent to the lift station, that would hold excess rainwater until the lift station could process it. That solution was recently installed in Gilbert, Tuchel said.
Another option would be installing backflow prevention valves in individual homes, but Tuchel said more research is needed to determine if this is a solution that would work in that area. Another option is a manual valve that would need to be shut off if flooding was happening. But this option totally shuts the outflow, as well as inflow, of sewer, so when it is closed, drains in the house cannot work. These valves can require regular maintenance so they don’t become stuck open, rendering them useless.
“There is nothing simple in solving this problem,” Tuchel said.
“This level of storm hadn’t been seen before,” Tuchel said. “The entire town’s water was coming to you, unfortunately.”
Town chair Tim Tomsich said homeowners should keep track of the time they spent cleaning up, keep receipts of any purchases to clean and/or replace items, and to take plenty of photographs.
Tomsich said the township is looking at funding that would pay for up to 75-percent of the cost of doing improvements while replacing damaged infrastructure, such as increasing the size of culverts to handle increased water flow.
Township officials were set to attend a meeting with St. Louis County to discuss flood-related expense reimbursements for the township.
“We hope to find a solution before the next 100-year flood event,” said Tomsich.
St. Louis County has a website set up to help homeowners who had flood damage find resources and assistance. Visit https://www.stlouiscountymn.gov/, and click on “Information for property owners affected by recent storms/flooding.”
ATV, dirt bike complaints
A South Street resident asked the board if they would have the police conduct more enforcement on South St. and Junction Rd. for ATV and dirt bike traffic on the two gravel roads, both located south of Hwy. 169. The resident cited the danger to pedestrians and pets, as well as the danger to teenage drivers who were driving recklessly.
“I think they feel free rein at night,” the resident said. “No cops are around. They are going up and down Junction Rd. I would like to see some enforcement.”
They added they are mostly worried about the safety issue, and they understand that younger teens do need a place to safely ride.
Tomsich said he had seen the same behaviors on Church St. and the bike trail to the ballfield.
“We have asked the police department to work more off shifts,” Tomsich said. “And they have been giving out tickets.”
Part-time officer Jim Battin, who was at the meeting, said people should call 911 to report infractions. Battin said law enforcement needs to witness the infractions in person, they just can’t rely on a video or photo.
“You can remain anonymous, it’s the state law,” Battin said.
“A lot of kids believe since St. Louis County allows adults on county roads outside of municipalities, that kids can drive wherever they want,” Battin said, who noted that the rule only applies to those with drivers’ licenses.
The June Breitung Police Report did contain two citations for juveniles operating an off-road vehicle on the highway.
In other police department news, the department cited two drivers for speeding, one for 77mph in a 60mph zone, and one for 91 mph in a 60mph zone. An adult female was arrested for DWI on an outstanding warrant from another county.
Stuntz Bay Road
The contractor has informed Breitung Township that they will not be closing the Stuntz Bay Road during upcoming construction, but that people should expect delays, and sometimes these delays will be “significant.” The contractor had previously told the township they wanted to close the state park rear access, which would have prevented those with lake access properties getting to and from the Stuntz Bay boat landing.
The road will be passable at night.
The start date for the project is still up in the air, and it may not be until late August or in September.
Animal ordinance
The board also approved changes to the township’s animal ordinance. In Soudan proper, the ordinance permits up to three animals per dwelling, and in addition up to 12 chickens (no roosters) or 24 quail per dwelling. No cows, horses, goats, sheeps, mules or other domestic or barnyard animals are permitted without written application and a special permit from the township.
Animal licenses are required for cats and dogs and are available at the clerk’s office. A new lifetime license has been adopted, which costs $20 for a spayed/neutered cat or dog, or $30 otherwise. Annual licenses are $5 for spayed/neutered, or $10 otherwise.
Bike trail
The township did receive a $20,000 planning grant from the Blandin Foundation for work on completing the paved loop trail between Soudan and Tower. The loop includes the Mesabi Trail section between Tower and Soudan, Breitung’s paved trail to the McKinley Park area, and then Tower’s paved trail from Hoodoo Point back into Tower.
Currently there is a little over a mile of the 6.5-mile loop that goes along the Hoodoo Point Rd., which does not have a wide enough shoulder to safely ride a bicycle. The total cost estimate for engineering planning and environmental review is $43,200. The township will also be applying for a $20,000 IRRR grant for this project. The remaining costs would be split between Breitung and Tower.
An application for construction costs for the extension of the paved trail will be submitted next year to the DNR and IRRR.
Other business
The board agreed to have a timber sale on an approximately 10-acre parcel by the McKinley Park gravel pit. The city of Tower will also be logging some city land in that area. The logging will help facilitate the test drilling needed to determine the suitability of the area for a rapid infiltration basin for wastewater treatment. The area should not be visible from the bike trail, but heavy equipment may need to cross the bike trail to access the site. The board will look into options to make sure the bike trail is not damaged. The wastewater board is also planning on logging an area by the water plant, to open up more area for a planned solar panel installation.
The board’s next meeting is on Thursday, Aug. 15 at 6 p.m., with the continuation of the annual meeting and setting of the township’s 2025 levy at 7 p.m.