ELY— The city council here, in a meeting on Tuesday, set a June 17 public hearing to discuss options for addressing the ongoing blight at the 45 E. Boundary St. residence owned by Jason Gillson and Mark Herman.
The property has been in disrepair for at least the past two years after Gillson attempted to burn the house after becoming upset during a domestic dispute. Subsequent inspections prompted the city to declare the house uninhabitable and ordered Gillson to make a number of repairs. Gillson, meanwhile, was facing a myriad of charges stemming from the incident, which included a high-speed chase with police that finally ended in a field in Waasa Township.
Ely Building Official Doug Whitney told the council in a report that Gillson has failed to comply with a number of orders stemming from the fire and the efforts by the fire department to extinguish the blaze. While he has pulled permits for a new propane furnace, along with plumbing and electrical repairs, Whitney said the owners have failed to request inspections and that it appears that the work was never completed.
“At some point, we have to encourage the owners to do something with the property,” said Whitney. Mayor Heidi Omerza agreed. “It’s been two years, we need to get this going somewhere,” she said.
The hearing on the matter was set for 5 p.m. at city hall.
Harvey Street project
In other business, clerk-treasurer Harold Langowski updated the council on the scheduling for the upcoming reconstruction on Harvey Street. “There will be a lot of work happening in short order,” said Langowski. Equipment mobilization is scheduled for June 2, with milling expected to begin on June 4 between Central and 4th Ave E. Work is generally expected to move west-to-east along Harvey Street and will include rock blasting, new water main, and sanitary sewer. The project is expected to be completed by Sept. 26.
Lodging tax
Paul Kess reported to the council on Lake County’s apparent reluctance to release lodging tax dollars collected in the Lake County portion of the lodging tax district. He said it appeared that county officials were reluctant to release the funds, which are supposed to be collected by resorts and short-term rentals operating in the northern part of Lake County, mostly in Fall Lake Township. Kess noted that Stony River Township opted to pull out of the lodging tax district.
Kess also suggested that the city may want to request funding from the lodging tax board for possible staffing at the new visitors center under construction at the city’s west entrance. “Whether that’s for staff or operational costs or whatever that certainly, in my mind, would be a legitimate ask of the lodging tax board.”
Kess also noted that ongoing lack of communication between the city’s chamber of commerce and the city’s tourism bureau was being addressed through mediation. “You might remember that the lodging tax was sort of monitored and overseen by the chamber of commerce for 30 years or so,” said Kess. “It’s only in the last few years that there’s been sort of a tussle between them.” According to Kess, the mediation seemed to improve the situation, allowing for more communication and the possibility that they may be able to make a joint request for funding in the future.
In other business, the council:
• At the recommendation of the Parks and Rec Board, approved adding the canoe sculpture dedication at Whiteside Park, set for 2 p.m., July 1, at Whiteside Park, to the city calendar.
• At the recommendation of the Parks and Rec Board, approved moving forward with the development of a bog walk starting at the new west end visitors center, to be built in conjunction with the North Country Trail Association.
• Approved a recommendation from the budget committee to designate the recent $550,000 donation to the fire department to the equipment replacement fund.
• Heard a report from Fire Chief Dave Marshall on the ongoing fire danger in the region and Ely’s assistance in battling the Brimson Complex fires. He also explained the fire alert system, known as Ready Set Go, that St. Louis County has been using to alert the public during the latest fires. Ready is the lowest level of alert, signified on maps in yellow, meaning people should ready themselves and family to evacuate. Set, signified by orange on maps, means residents should be set to leave at a moment’s notice, and Go, signified on maps in red, means to evacuate now.
Marshall also noted that a wildfire had been reported on Tuesday on the Cloquet Line, near Cedar Lake. As of Wednesday morning, the fire was reported at 2.8 acres, according to the Watch Duty app.
• Agreed to repost an open officer position in the Ely Police Department after the final candidate in the previous round had opted to accept a position elsewhere.
• Approved a residential rehab loan to Louis Champa, contingent on his using a portion of the funds to pay an outstanding assessment of $2,021.80.
• Heard that Mayor Omerza had sent a letter to Sen. Grant Hauschild requesting his opposition to a proposed 3.1 percent cut in Local Government Aid. The letter prompted some pushback from council member Emily Roose, who questioned if the full council should have approved the submission of a letter. Langowski said it’s long been standard practice for the mayor to sign such letters during the legislative session, when issues may come up suddenly and require a quick response. He said maintaining LGA has long been a top priority for the city of Ely as well as the League of Minnesota Cities.
 • Approved a new lease between city and Ely Little League.
• Authorized sending a thank you letter to Bud Ahren for his several years of service on the Parks and Rec Board.