Because of yet another snowstorm, the Cook County News-Herald did not have a reporter at the January 13 Tofte town board meeting. Reached by phone on January 19, board chair Paul James commented on the highlights of the meeting. “The big disappointment was [that] the senior assisted living study came back as a no-go for Tofte,” he said.
Because Silver Bay has a new assisted living facility that still has empty beds and because the Cook County North Shore Hospital in Grand Marais is considering one, James said, “they did not feel that there would be enough need in Tofte to justify the expense, and they thought it would flounder financially.”
A study funded by a grant coordinated through the Cook County-Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) included Lutsen in the North Shore Hospital’s potential assisted living facility service area. “We can’t compete with that,” James said. “We don’t want to. We’re trying to do something for the community, for our people. …It may change in the future. Right now it’s been put on hold.” AT&T tower
Plans are progressing to site an AT&T communications tower in the cemetery. The unit would be called a “stealth tower” because it would be only 140 feet tall, have no lights, be held up with no guy wires, and blend in with the surrounding environment. “It’s new technology,” James said. He described it as the size of a Perkins Restaurant flagpole and said that a flag could be attached to it. A small equipment building—in line with Tofte design standards—will go up near the tower.
Space on the tower could also be leased to another company, such as Verizon Wireless. AT&T’s tower would complete coverage between Lutsen and Tofte, cover all of Tofte, and extend into Schroeder. It would allow people to operate high-speed laptop computers inside homes in Tofte and would allow people in Schroeder to pick up signals in their cars or outdoors.
“It’s going to be a huge improvement over what we have right now,” James said. “We’ve had nothing but positive comments from people so far. …It really would help the businesses in the area.”
James, who works for Lamb’s Campground and Resort, said people frequently come walking up to the registration desk saying, “My phone’s not working.” They are told they will need to use the pay phone, and kids present will ask, “What’s a pay phone?” People don’t even know how to use the pay phone and ask if it takes credit cards, James said. The phone company has told them that Lamb’s is one of the few sites that generates enough income from its pay phone to make it worth their while. Safety on Homestead Road
The board discussed safety on the Tofte Homestead Road, which is steep, heavily trafficked, and icy in the wintertime. “People are driving too fast on it,” James said.
James said he would be meeting with Sawtooth Outfitters owner Jeff Lynch, Bluefin Bay owner Dennis Rysdahl, Sheriff Mark Falk, and Cook County Highway Engineer David Betts or Maintenance Supervisor Russell Klegstad about widening and improving the road to increase its safety. “Everybody wants to make it be a safer road,” James said. “The road was never designed for that kind of traffic load, I don’t think.” Salvage yard cleanup
The township is working with the county and Joe Sanders in regard to cleaning up the Big Joe’s Salvage area fronting Highway 61. “He’s been asked to get all of the salvage vehicles off the highway frontage and move them all back to the permitted lines of the salvage yard,” James said of Sanders. “And all the fences need to be repaired.” Other items need to be hidden from sight and things like a building on wheels need to be properly permitted, he said.
“We’re trying to go through the proper channels,” James said. “You have the right to have a business, but there are zoning laws and everybody needs to follow them. …I think it’s a reasonable request.” Milliondollar properties are right across the street, he added.
In other news:
James reported that KGM Construction applied for a new conditional use permit (CUP) for the rock it is storing on the old Tofte airstrip. It has stockpiled more rock than the amount allowed in its original CUP.
The township is gathering quotes from legal firms interested in consulting with the township as needed. Quotes are being sought from local as well as out-of-county firms. James said the township needs advice occasionally on things like liability issues related to the annual Fourth of July celebration.
The township was using the services of another firm but decided to seek a new legal firm for reasons James declined to disclose.
The township is filing for exemption from celebrating Columbus Day, James said. This would enable them to hold a public meeting, such as the monthly town board meeting, on that day. Unless they filed to opt out of the holiday, the township would not be able to legally hold a public meeting on Columbus Day.
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