REGIONAL- On the heels of a legislatively directed award of $50,000 in Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Department funds for their food shelf, the Bois Forte Band got more good news on Tuesday straight from the IRRR board itself.
Board members approved an application from the Band for $356,579 to assist in rehabilitating three homes in the Vermilion sector of the Band’s reservation.
“This is part of a larger project of seven homes to be rehabbed for Bois Forte,” said Carol Burr, Bois Forte Planning and Community Development director. “This program will help provide additional housing to band members, and hopefully assist in housing employees for the Band. Bois Forte Planning and Community Development Department has been assisting the Housing Department with the program, and put an application into the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Department. We want to thank the IRRRB for their generous support of our Bois Forte Housing Program and look forward to working with IRRRB in the future.”
The IRRRB will supplement $497,929 the Band has committed to the project, bringing the total amount of investment in housing to $854,508.
Another North Country project, the improvement of the sanitary and storm sewer system on First Ave. and Church St. in Soudan in Breitung Township, got a boost of $33,652 to their initial IRRR award of $75,000 due to construction bids coming in $90,000 higher than originally anticipated by the township. The IRRR will be footing $108,652 of the project’s $344,000 price tag. A new sewer line, storm sewer, and road reconstruction will reduce road surface runoff and infiltration issues.