GREENWOOD TWP — The town board on Tuesday approved spending $15,000 for the tennis court resurfacing project. Recreation Committee President Paul Thompson outlined this year’s current projects, which will total $39,000, including a $10,000 matching grant from the IRRR and the $15,000 from the township.
“The tennis court is the major component of our IRRR grant request,” said Thompson. “The court is over ten years old, and we are starting to see cracks and water infiltration.”
He noted that once water infiltrates the asphalt surface, the damage becomes much more expensive to repair. Tennis courts typically need to be resurfaced every six years, he said.
The quote to repair and resurface the court was $17,000 last year. Thompson said the company that does this work is currently working in Cook, and by coordinating right now, they will keep costs as low as possible.
“The longer we wait,” he said, “the higher the cost will be.”
Thompson said he knows this was a last-minute request but said the tennis court project has been “on the table” for the last couple of years.
“This is the Greenwood Township tennis court,” said Chair Lois Roskoski. “This group of people (the rec committee volunteers) are amazing. They have contributed so much to the township. Now we need to do our part.”
Many township residents who use the tennis court attended the meeting to show their support for the project.
Township Treasurer Tammy Mortaloni said there is money is this year’s budget to fund the project.
The motion to pay for the resurfacing passed 3-0. Supervisors Paul Skubic and Steve Bradach were both absent from the meeting.
Supervisor John Bassing asked some questions about the tennis court surface. Thompson said a concrete surface would cost twice and much and still needs to be maintained. He said there are other higher-tech options out there, but they are even more expensive.
Thompson brought the board up to speed on other recreation projects this summer, including new wood chips at the playground, installing more concrete walkways, installing windscreens on the new pickleball courts, and doing some brushing around the tennis court.
He asked for permission from the board to install a Wi-Fi-extender to the pavilion area, which is in a low spot and has no cell service. People need to walk over to the town hall to access the public Wi-Fi at the building, he noted.
“This is a safety issue,” he said. “We would also like to install a security camera there.”
The camera could be publicly viewed, he said, and allow players to see if the pickleball courts were in use. The Wi-Fi would also make it easier for them to solicit donations, for example, because people could scan a QR code and then make a donation online.
The rec committee would pay for the cost of the Wi-Fi project, which he estimated would run between $1,500 and $2,000, and would be completed by TechBytes, the IT provider for the township. The system would run off the township’s existing public Wi-Fi channel, with no additional cost to the township. The board also approved having a link to the rec board’s website on the township website.
The board also heard from resident Steve Zaudtke, who talked about the successful banner advertising promotion at the pickleball courts. He said this will create a steady source of funding for recreation repairs and other projects.
“There is a sense of excitement from our business community,” he told the board. “They are excited to participate.”
Right now, he said, there are only a few spots left to sell, and most of the advertisers have committed to a three-year run.
“We are going to have a waiting list soon,” Zaudtke noted.
Thompson also talked to the board about creating a separate recreation fund, and he said the recreation committee would commit to donating $7,500 a year to the fund, starting this year, and then asked the township to commit an additional $7,500 per year starting in 2026. The funding amounts would be revisited each year, he noted.
Thompson said the rec board is working on plans for funding ongoing maintenance needs at the pavilion and recreation area. The board agreed that such a fund would be a good idea, and they voted to commit $7,500 to the fund, noting the amount would be reviewed each year.
The board flew through its regular business, with every vote unanimous.
Fire department
In fire department action, the board appointed department member Tammy Dowden as interim EMS captain, effective Aug. 1. The township will be advertising for assistant chief, fire captain, and EMS captain next month.
The board approved purchasing new EMS equipment for emergency airway management at a cost of $1,131 plus shipping.
Bassing reported that the fire department emergency responders have responded to 69 percent of 911 medical calls in Greenwood since the start of this year; this is down from a 92 percent rate last year. Bassing has expressed concerns about the department’s reduced numbers of EMRs.
Supervisor Craig Gilbert said the department is getting repair work done on one of the engines for fire boat one, and that he has notified both the Lake Vermilion Fire Brigade and Breitung that the boat is not fully functional, though it does run. The department also needed to get repairs done on the boatlift for fire boat two, which is housed at Birch Point Marine. He reported that new department member Brianna Lofquist has passed both required firefighting courses and the live burn trainings.
Fencing ordinance
John Urick spoke to the board about the possibility of enacting a fence ordinance. He said St. Louis County zoning, which covers Greenwood Township, does not have any rules regarding fencing. He talked about a problem faced by his mother, who has property on Birch Point Rd. A neighbor who built a 12-foot fence right on her property line, with the unfinished side of the wooden fence facing his mother’s maintained yard.
“This was a spite fence,” he said, noting that the neighbors also trespassed on his mother’s property, without permission, while building the fence. A spite fence, he told the township, is a fence erected by a neighbor who is annoyed with or wishes to annoy a neighbor and wants to completely obstruct the view between lots.
Roskoski noted that while the township could go through the legal process of adopting such an ordinance, they would need to consult with their attorney and would need a township employee to enforce it, since the township does not have its own zoning or police.
“I understand your frustration,” Roskoski said, “but if no one is enforcing it, nothing will be done.”
Other business
In other business, the board:
• Appointed Karen Saarela as the deputy treasurer. The deputy treasurer is chosen by the township treasurer and is trained to take over the duties, temporarily, if needed.
• Received a letter from the DNR regarding the township’s concerns over the changes planned at the Moccasin Point public water access. The DNR said they had consulted the previous township fire chief when the planning process began, who did not see a problem. The DNR said they do not plan on changing the design.
• Discussed having the clerk set up a system to set out signs at the pavilion noting when the pavilion had been rented for a private event.