Outgoing fire chief Paul Goettl
The township meeting in Lutsen on February 16, 2016 opened with the clerk’s report, during which time Clerk Sharon Hexum-Platzer presented a few letters with requests for funding from various organizations. The requests were tabled for discussion during the budget meeting.
Following the clerk and treasurer’s report, Lutsen Fire Chief Paul Goettl announced that he was resigning his position as fire chief.
“This has been and continues to be a tough decision for me,” Goettl read from a letter he had prepared. “The position requires a great deal of time, devotion, and passion, all of which has slipped away from me.”
Goettl will continue to serve as a firefighter and said he hopes that his prior experience will be a valuable resource for the new fire chief. Goettl also reported that, following his resignation, Supervisor Larry McNeally was elected fire chief.
After Goettl’s report, Hexum-Platzer read a letter from a firefighter, Stephen Gray, who had been absent from the fire department’s meeting. He and another firefighter had been attending a state-required training at that time and, as a result, were unable to vote on both the new fire chief and the other officers who were elected.
“Paul Goettl is an outstanding fire chief,” Gray wrote. “I wish that he would take the time to reconsider his decision.” Gray went on to write that if Goettl, after further consideration, still decides to resign, the department as a whole should vote for the next chief.
Gray also explained the concern regarding having to choose either to attend the required training or go to the meeting where new officers are being elected.
After some discussion by the town board, it was agreed that the rules and regulations had been observed at the fire department’s meeting and a revote was not necessary.
“To me as a stakeholder, I think that we followed the rules to the best of our ability,” Supervisor Larry McNeally stated. “It [the regulations] specifically calls for no vote by proxy. It’s like changing the game halfway.”
While Supervisor Andrew Beavers acknowledged that the situation for the two absent firefighters was frustrating, he agreed with McNeally that the rules had been followed and there were no grounds for a revote.
“This is an opportunity to comb over the rules and regulations for the Lutsen Fire Department,” Beavers added, suggesting that the board revisit the rules for proxy voting.
McNeally will assume his position as the new fire chief the second Monday of April. Knowing the two jobs pose a conflict of interest, McNeally had prepared a letter of resignation to present at the meeting. However, since he does not take the new position until April, it was decided he would wait until the township’s meeting in March to officially resign, giving the board a little more time to find a new supervisor. In the meantime, John Groth will act as interim fire chief.
Deeryard Lake annexation to Lutsen Fire District
In his supervisor report, Beavers updated the board on his progress in getting the Deeryard Lake area included in the Lutsen Fire District.
“I’ve been in contact with [Auditor] Braidy Powers with the annexation with the Deeryard Lake association,” said Beavers. “I’m trying to decide now if I have a 100 percent of the people who live at Deeryard Lake and want to be part of the Lutsen Township.”
Beavers said to accomplish this task he needs at least 20 signatures on the petition. As of the time of the meeting, he still needed a few more signatures.
Beyond that, Beavers added it would be even better if they could get 50 signatures. Many part-time residents are not as eager to be included in the Lutsen Fire District. However, Beavers assured those present at the meeting that he is not giving up on the project.
Birch Grove Community School requests funding
One of the final items for discussion that evening was a funding request from Birch Grove School.
“We have not received the $43,000 that was awarded in last March annual meetings yet,” Caroline Wood, Birch Grove School director, explained. “Schroeder’s motion was to pay $10,000 in March of the awarded $20,000 last year and then $10,000 in June. And Tofte has tabled our request for funds that they received the same time you received this letter in hopes they might make their one time payment in July, which is after our fiscal year closes and could adversely impact the budget by $23,000.”
Since the beginning of the year, Birch Grove’s enrollment has increased. Until the end of the year, when the school is reimbursed by the state for each student, Birch Grove absorbs the cost for the new students.
With about $6,000 in delinquent accounts from a few students’ parents as well as some township funds coming later than expected, Birch Grove School faces some challenges.
“If we do not receive the money that we reported in our fiscal year in the year we were supposed to get it, we will close at a $22,000 loss and we will have to close out our fiscal year in statutory operating debt, which is a horrible thing to have to report to the state,” Wood stated.
Beavers made a motion to donate $10,000 out of the surplus fund as soon as possible to Birch Grove School, and the motion was passed unanimously.
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