ELY- The highlight of the Dec. 20 Ely City Council meeting wasn’t even on the agenda. Rather, Ely’s mayor and clerk-treasurer shared some intelligence on federal funding that may be coming to the Ely area for ambulance and emergency services.
“In the appropriation bill that just passed the Senate (earlier on Dec. 20), there was $1.3 million for Ely area ambulance and Ely emergency services,” clerk-treasurer Harold Langowski informed the council. The same bill included $1.2 million for United Way Iron Range Childcare. Langowski cautioned that these amounts were not final nor certain since the bill still needs to pass the U.S. House and be signed into law by President Biden. The funding, if ultimately approved, could help the Ely area ambulance service, which is facing huge financial deficits.
The city, the Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, Winton, and other area townships have agreed to contribute additional funds to keep the service afloat for now. Roger Skraba, in his last meeting as mayor, said how the ambulance service would access that additional money was a top item of discussion at the Dec. 13 meeting of the Ambulance Joint Powers Board. “What happens is that all that money that gets put into the account that the city keeps, and when … the ambulance service needs the money, they come to joint powers, we authorize it and it gets allocated,” Skraba said. He added that the board wants to ensure better financial accountability. “We impressed on the ambulance board that we need an audit before we go any further … so there will be a trail of where the money goes.” Langowski said that the details of setting up an audit would be one of the main agenda items for the board’s January meeting.

Skraba’s last meeting
Since the Dec. 20 Ely City Council meeting was Skraba’s last as Ely’s Mayor, council member and Mayor-elect Heidi Omerza presented him with the key to the city. Skraba described his stint as mayor as the most fun he’s had in office and thanked the city staff for their help and support.

Other business
In other business, the council:
• Heard from Police Chief Chad Houde that citizens should call the police department when a vehicle is parked on the wrong side of the street during winter calendar parking rules but can’t be moved because of mechanical problems. “The police department has a procedure for this,” Houde explained. He cautioned that callers should use a non-emergency number, or can call 911 and inform the dispatch that it is a non-emergency request to contact the department.
• Approved recommendations by the Airport Commission for signs costing $2,730, a change order for $351,125 and a pay application for $412,205 from Ulland Brothers for work on a taxiway, and a five years of consulting services agreement with TKDA. TKDA is also the current provider of airport consulting services for the city’s airport.
• Approved eight recommendations from the Ely Utility Commission, including passing the EUC budget, paying ISD 696 $13,543 for energy conservation improvements, and paying for equipment and services provided since the last city council meeting.
• Approved the internal posting for the position of second assistant fire chief since the current holder of the position is looking to move on.
• Passed the second reading of the ordinance to rezone the former Minn. Revenue Building from industrial to C-1 Commercial.
• Approved claims for payments for the city and EUC for $1,142,089, for Greater Minnesota Parks and Trails 2023 membership dues of $165, two invoices of $26,980 and $11,129 from AE2S for the waste water treatment plant improvements project, and an invoice of $5,610 from SEH for work on the Prospector ATV trails.
• Approved the city’s budget and final tax levy for 2023, settling on a six percent increase over the 2022 levy.
• Approved three negotiated employment agreements with the two unions representing the city’s police officers and staff.