Lutsen resident Tom Fredeen served as moderator at the Lutsen annual meeting on Tuesday, March 11, 2014. The meeting was attended by about two dozen residents who tackled some tough budget decisions.
The Lutsen annual town meeting took place the evening of Tuesday March 11, 2014. More than two dozen residents attended the meeting that followed the annual election. Andrew Beavers was elected as a new town supervisor by a narrow margin ahead of Colleen Brennan. Amity Goettl was elected as the new town clerk. A total of 55 ballots were cast in this year’s election.
Resident Tom Fredeen was nominated and approved to be moderator of the annual meeting.
The bulk of the meeting revolved around donations being requested from the township. Five different groups had asked for funds. Larry McNeally and Scott Platzer of the Lutsen Trail Breakers snowmobile club asked the township for $10,000 to put towards a $27,000 bridge repair across Jonvik Creek. Treasurer John Groth pointed out that the snowmobile club is a huge help to the Fire Department and First Responders, “They know the trails and they provide snowmobiles.”
Groth suggested that rather than budgeting for the $10,000 in 2015, which would delay the repair and increase the requested levy, the club ask the supervisors at the next regular meeting to fund the request from the current surplus the township has. Overwhelming support was shown for the funding with a vote of 24 to two.
Patty Nordahl of the Birch Grove Foundation spoke about their organization and their desire for a contribution of $3,500 from the township. The request to be included in the proposed 2015 budget was approved by a vote of 21 to four. Also consented to with a vote of 17 to eight was a donation of $2,000 to the cemetery.
A bit more contentious debate ensued over whether to give $8,000 to the Birch Grove Charter School (BGCS). The school, which covers kindergarten through grade five, currently has an enrollment of 18 children after the recent loss of five students. An additional 19 students from the area that are in the same age range attend ISD 166 in Grand Marais. BGCS employs 11 people, four of whom are full-time, including two teachers, making a student to teacher ratio of nine to one. The funding was approved by a vote of 15-10.
Groth reviewed the proposed budget for 2015, which will be voted on to become official in August 2014 when the annual meeting reconvenes. A comparison was presented showing the actual expenditures from past years compared to the budget of 2013 and 2014 as well as the 2015 proposal. The town and the Extended Fire District spent nearly $15,000 less than the budgeted $184,464 in 2013 including paying off the Fire Department tanker truck one year ahead of schedule. The annual payment on the truck was $8,500. The 2014 budget is $187,882. The proposed budget for 2015 including the approved donations currently stands at $169,420.
A request for $1,500 to go toward the July 4, 2015 fireworks display in Tofte was tabled until the continuation of the annual meeting in August.
County Commissioner Bruce Martinson made a brief presentation regarding the resurfacing of 13.9 miles of Highway 61 which will include widening a portion of the road shoulders. He also introduced new County Administrator Jay Kieft to the residents before having to hurry off to the Tofte and Schroeder meetings taking place at the same time.
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