Shane Begley of Begley Wireless Consulting Services informed the Schroeder Town Board on January 10, 2012 that Minnesota Towers Inc. would be erecting a tower on Minnesota Power property off Johnson’s Trail in Taconite Harbor. Its first tenant will be AT&T.
Begley said he was at the meeting to answer any questions people might have about it “and get you folks’ blessing on it.”
The tower will be 190 feet — not tall, according to Begley. Its coverage area, determined by the height of the tower and the surrounding topography, will be about six miles—whatever is in its “line of sight.” When asked if placement on top of a ridge would make the coverage area larger, Begley said that areas in valleys could be missed when a tower is located too high on a ridge.
Eventually, a series of communication towers will carry messages up and down the shore from the Lutsen ski hill to Tofte, Taconite Harbor, Finland, and Isabella. Lake County has supported the installation of all the towers that have been going up, Begley said.
Minnesota Towers will rent to multiple tenants in order to get the quickest return on its investment. Begley expected the tower to be built in July or August. Business project
Community volunteer Jim Boyd went before the board to ask for its support for a business expansion and retention project with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. The Extension Service program is designed to help communities improve their economies and develop plans for ongoing success.
One of the goals will be “nurturing the businesses that are already here,” Boyd said. He would also like to see Cook County retain and attract young people. He pointed out that enrollment at ISD 166 used to be over 1,000 but is now below 500. “We can’t continue to get grayer and grayer and grayer,” he said. “That’s not sustainable.”
Boyd declared that he was not downplaying tourism but said we can’t have all our eggs in one basket. To work, the project will need involvement from all sectors of the county.
Supervisor Roger “Bill” McKeever said he believes the county needs new businesses that pay living wages. Board chair Ross Willson said the broadband infrastructure coming to the county could make more high-tech and telecommuting jobs possible. He added that the federal government considers a living wage in Cook County to be over $22 an hour.
Supervisor McKeever said zoning regulations would need to change in order to enable businesses to locate here. He said starting a business involves much more red tape than ever before. “You’ve got to eliminate the laws to bring business in,” he said. He wouldn’t be able start his well-drilling business with the way things are today. “I’m just glad I’m as old as I am!” he said.
The Cook County economy needs to diversify, Boyd said, and bring jobs that pay wages that allow people to buy and maintain homes. He heard that a group of women in Blue Earth has been hired to answer phones for Harvard University after hours. That’s the kind of thing he’s talking about, he said.
The board unanimously passed a motion in support of the business retention and expansion project. Fire department criticism
With more than half a dozen firefighters at the meeting to show support for Fire Chief Phil Bonin and the department, Supervisor Willson responded to a letter he received from an anonymous writer making allegations about the protocols and leadership of the Schroeder Fire Department.
Willson stated that he spoke with Fire Chief Phil Bonin, the state fire marshal, and Sheriff Mark Falk about the complaint. He indicated that he believes department procedures as well as individual calls are being handled professionally and expressed no concerns with the department as a result of his inquiry.
The envelope had a falsified return address, Willson said, which he found out is a felony when done to hide the sender’s identity.
“Things will be resolved,” Willson said, “because I’m not one to back down.”
Retired firefighter John Heinzen said, “The fire department is a very positive thing for the community.” Being this negative is just wrong, he said, commending Willson for his support of Fire Chief Bonin and the department. Supervisor Tina McKeever thanked the firefighters in attendance for all their volunteer work on behalf of the township. Sanding township roads
Supervisor Bill McKeever said he talked to Curt Laboda, who works for the Cook County Highway Department, about getting the county plow driver to make the call when sanding is needed on township roads. Laboda will talk to his superiors about it, McKeever said. If they have an unusual need or a spot that especially needs sand, township representatives can call the county as well. He said he knows there will be times when the county isn’t sanding but the township roads need it.
County Commissioner Bruce Martinson said he talked to Highway Engineer David Betts about the procedure for getting township roads sanded. Betts was comfortable authorizing the Highway Department plow driver to sand township roads when sanding nearby county roads. He requested a letter from the township asking the county to sand at its discretion, Martinson said. Father Baraga’s Cross
Supervisor McKeever had no news to report on working with the Catholic Diocese to enhance the Father Baraga’s Cross area, but he said he would like to see a shelter as big as possible if they’re going to the trouble of building one. Why not put a fire pit in it, too? he asked.
“If you’re going to do it,” Deputy Clerk Gale Ring said, “why not do it nice?” Township elections
Clerk Carol Tveekrem made mention of township elections coming up in March. She pointed out that Schroeder elections do not involve a lot of voters, adding that two sets of fingers and toes are usually enough to tally the votes.
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