The Lutsen Town Board started its meeting on Tuesday, July 15 by tackling a number of fire department issues. The discussion followed a hectic day for the Lutsen Volunteer Fire Department.
Fire Chief Paul Goettl gave a report on the inventory of fire department equipment. He said the inventory was completed at the fire department meeting the night before. Goettl said the department believes it has $317,000 invested in trucks, the self-contained breathing apparatus system, and other equipment. However, noting that the fire department had responded to three emergency calls in two hours that day, he said, “In all the commotion, I forgot my inventory sheets.”
The board agreed to contact the insurance company. Supervisor Tim Goettl said he would also talk to the insurance company about possibly reducing the amount of the deductibles on the fire trucks.
Goettl told the town board that during the fire meeting firefighters pulled the 1974 LaFrance fire truck out of the hall and “water flew out.” He said the truck is leaking so badly it is of no use to the fire department. “Prior to it leaking we could take it to a fire scene and have 1,000 gallons of water. But now it is just taking up space.”
Goettl said it might be possible that someone could crawl inside the tank and weld it, but he said it would likely start leaking next to the mend. He also said parts of the truck, such as the ladder could possibly be removed and used on another vehicle. Supervisor Andrew Beavers asked if not having use of the truck makes the fire department vulnerable. Goettl said no, it was a backup truck. “That’s why we needed the new fire truck,” he said.
The board asked Goettl to come up with a plan of action for the old LaFrance truck before the next town meeting on Tuesday, August 12.
Old radios were also discussed, as Lutsen, like most of the emergency response organizations in Minnesota, has converted to an 800mhz communication system. Goettl said the Lutsen Fire Department has four or five truck radios that were once worth about $1,000, but are “not reallly worth anything” said Goettl.
The department also has several handheld radios that only work on the VHF radio system.
Treasurer Groth, also a firefighter and a Cook County Law Enforcement dispatcher, said the county may be interested in the handheld radios. Fire Chief Goettl said he could contact other counties to see if they would like to buy radios, but added that he didn’t think anyone would want to pay for them. Supervisor Tim Goettl asked if one of the local resorts or the Lutsen Ski Patrol could use the radios. “Maybe just let them have them,” he said.
Fire Chief Goettl said he would contact them to see. “We could do that. They do a lot to support us,” he said.
Finally Fire Chief Goettl gave a report on the Lutsen Fire Department booth at the West End 4th of July celebration in Tofte. “We sold a lot of fish,” he said, joking that firefighters were eyeing up the minnows that Commissioner Bruce Martinson had on hand for the 4th of July minnow races.
Goettl said the money raised at the fish fry goes for firefighter relief, for tools and toward new vehicles.
Trash problems at park
Acting Clerk Silvyia Duclos told the board that people have been leaving trash in the town park. “They have been putting beer bottles and dirty diapers in the fire pit—yuck!”
Newly elected Supervisor Beavers asked if there was a trash receptacle in the park. “If you give people an option of putting things in the trash, maybe they will,” he said.
Groth said the consensus in the past was to not have trash receptacles because that leads to pile, of household garbage being left there. Other citizens concurred and Beavers suggested putting up a couple of “strongly worded signs.” Groth agreed, “A sign would at least bring awareness of the need to take your trash with you.”
Beavers added, “It’s a nice place, treat it like a nice place.”
Big rock concerns on the Caribou Trail
Commissioner Bruce Martinson told the board that he had heard from consituents concerned about a large rock on the Caribou Trail on the south side of Caribou Lake. Martinson said the rock could be blasted and removed by Lamb Construction. He suggested that the township pass a motion requesting that the county hire someone to remove the rock.
Beavers said, “I have no expertise in removing rocks from the road right of way, but it does seem to be in a precarious position. It could roll out into the road someday.”
Martinson agreed and added, “The main concern is the possibility of sliding into it in the winter.”
Supervisor Goettl said he didn’t think the township bore any liability because it is a county road. However, he said since it is in the township, he would like to see it removed. A unanimous motion passed to ask the county to remove, or hire someone to remove, the boulder.
Township website wanted
Lutsen Supervisor Ginny Storlie said she had been looking at other townships’ web presence. She said Tofte has a “fabulous website” and Schroeder is considering getting one. She said if you search the Internet for Lutsen township, you are directed to the county website and it contains outdated information.
Storlie said she will talk to Tofte to see who designed their website. Groth suggested asking for a community volunteer to build a township website.
However the township does it, Supervisor Beavers said, “It should be done.”
The next meeting of the Lutsen township board will be a continuation of the March 2014 annual meeting on Tuesday, August 19 at 6 p.m. at the Lutsen Town Hall. The regular monthly meeting follows.
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