ELY- The Ely City Council meeting on Tuesday evening got off to a raucous start when Mayor Heidi Omerza commented that Ely had once again made the news with an elaborate April Fools prank that was the work of several people. The gag was the announcement that the International Mosquito Center was coming to Ely.
The pranksters had lawn signs made, either for or against locating the International Mosquito Center in Whiteside Park and planted them all over Ely on Monday evening. They also created a Facebook page for the center. Ely’s Historic State Theater changed its marquee to read: “Ely for mosquitos.” The Ely-Bloomenson Hospital posted its opposition to the center on Facebook, with a graphic stating “Your blood, your choice,” and posting, “As one of the leading suppliers of blood products in the community, EBCH is opposed to this project.”
Omerza stated her stance as “anti-mosquito” but asked city council member Emily Roose, who was one of the pranksters, to explain the mosquito center initiative.
“This morning, it was posted on the ‘What’s Up Ely, MN’ Facebook group that there’s a new project going in at Whiteside Park,” Roose said. “Then, on April 31, there will be a town hall meeting to discuss this project … there are different people in town that are either supporting or against the mosquito ecosystem.”
City council member Al Forsman remarked that he was not pleased to see a sign in opposition to the mosquito center planted on the lawn next to the entrance to City Hall. “What about those of us who are in favor?”
Omerza asked if the Parks and Recreation Board had anything to say about the project. Adam Bisbee, who is the city council Parks and Rec liaison, remarked, “We had a last-minute meeting on this and it’s meeting opposition. We’re not keen on the idea … there may be some action. We’re not happy.”
Roose, who was handing out “Pro-mosquito, Pro-Ely” buttons before the meeting, was one of several people who orchestrated the April Fools prank. Like other gags and hoaxes that have come out of Ely over the years, the International Mosquito Center was covered nationally on CBS News with a 15-second spot after being picked up by WCCO in Minneapolis. Ely has a tradition of attention-grabbing pranks that gained national attention, including when Ely seceded from the U.S. to join Canada in 2009 and when the community campaigned to bring the Olympics to Ely in 2016.
In other business, the council:
• Heard a report from Ely Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski that the county did not have a start date yet for repaving Harvey Street, explaining that the job has not been sent out for bid yet. “We won’t have a start date on the construction,” Langowski said, “until after the bids come in.”
• Heard a report from Forsman on the dates for upcoming hazardous waste collection days hosted by St. Louis County. The county will accept household hazardous waste at the Ely Joint Public Works Facility on June 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at the Northwoods Transfer Station on Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The county will accept business hazardous waste at the Northwoods Transfer Station on June 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Businesses must have pre-approval from the county before bringing their waste for disposal. Call the county environmental services department at 218-741-8831 for more information.
• Heard from Mayor Omerza who issued a proclamation declaring April to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month, as part of a county-wide effort to improve awareness of this issue. “Our Sexual Assault Awareness Month is intended to bring awareness to the fact that sexual violence is widespread in this public health district,” Omerza said, “for individuals, families, community members, and communities as a whole. Child sexual abuse, exploitation, rape, and sexual harassment impact all communities. As seen by the national statistics, one in three girls and one in six boys will be sexually violated by the age of 18. One in five children is solicited sexually while on the internet. One-third of all sexual cases in northern St. Louis County happened to children 17 years and younger.”
• Heard a request from Ely Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Eva Sebesta for the city to support the week of April 21 as International Dark Sky Week. Ely is the gateway community into the Boundary Waters, which was the largest Dark Sky Sanctuary in the world until being surpassed by the 2.5-million-acre Oregon Outback Dark Sky Sanctuary in March 2024. The city council voted in favor of the request.
• Approved a recommendation from the Ely Planning and Zoning Commission to go ahead with the fuels mitigation project to create a 10-acre fuel break in the west end of town. Fire Chief David Marshall explained that the fuel break was not a clearcut: “Everything six inches in diameter will be removed.” The fuel break will be on city property plus “a couple of acres on private property owned by the hospital in the same area that would also be part of this project.”
• Heard a report from the Ely Utilities Commission, or UEC, that they did not approve a requested removal of a streetlight at 1402 N. 19th Ave. E.
• Approved $500 to be paid to Ely Area Television for additional filming in February.
• Approved the renewal of Todd Crego’s contract for another two-year term at a monthly rate of $1,750 and an hourly rate not to exceed an additional $600 per month for additional filming of events and meetings.
• Approved sending a letter of support to extend franchise fees to broadband services, noting the decline in the number of people who subscribe to cable. Currently, cable franchise fees pay for the services provided by Ely Area Television to broadcast local meetings and events on cable TV. Expanding the franchise fee base would help Ely Area Television stream on the internet as well as broadcast on cable and post to YouTube.
• Approved the hire of temporary seasonal employees for the summer.
• Approved placing city council members Roose and John Lahtonen, Mayor Omerza, and EUC Commissioner Tony Colarich on the city negotiating committee along with Ely Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski and City Attorney Kelly Klun. The committee will negotiate upcoming contracts with local unions representing city employees.
• Approved the revised second reading of Ordinance 389, regarding the sale of lots in the East Spaulding First Addition plat. Klun explained that revision was necessary to correct an error.
• Approved the second reading of an ordinance to vacate a city right of way on Beacon Hill near the radio tower. The details of the properties affected were covered in the March 21 edition of the Timberjay.
• Approved the second reading of an ordinance to zone 14 parcels which were previously unzoned. The details of the properties affected were covered in the March 21 edition of the Timberjay.
• Approved the following claims for payment: $392,565 for city and EUC claims through April 1, and $5,637 for the Ely Community Resource.
• Approved a temporary liquor license for the Ely Folk School for Semer’s Beach on May 7 for the school’s spring bonfire event.
• Approved the city clerk-treasurer to work with the Ely Events Group on rerouting the Fourth of July parade because of the scheduled repaving on Harvey St. The council also approved the police department to work with the Ely Events Group on the necessary permits and arrangements for the fourth annual Rock the Park even in Whiteside Park on July 5 from 4-11 p.m.