Only one elected township official, Tim Goettl, was on hand for the February 27, 2014 township meeting. Ginny Storlie and Marland Hansen were both away on personal business while former township clerk Amity Goettl subbed in for Hansen at the meeting so a quorum could be met.
Birch Grove Foundation Executive Director Patty Nordahl came before the board and gave an update about Birch Grove Foundation and its role in running the Birch Grove Community Center.
“There’ s been a lot of confusion about what the foundation does and what the school does. We are trying to improve communications about what our role is and what the school’s role is,” Nordahl said.
Last year Lutsen donated $3,500 to the Birch Grove Foundation for programming, (senior lunch, boot hockey, exercise classes, pizza night, concerts, etc.) Nordahl said someone would be coming to the annual meeting on March 11 with another request for money.
Currently the town of Tofte owns the Birch Grove building and leases it to the Birch Grove Foundation. The foundation manages the building and grounds and leases space to the Birch Grove Community School, a K-5 charter school, and a few other smaller enterprises.
The charter school is in its ninth year and has been hit hard with declining enrollment. As the largest lessee, the school will pay the Birch Grove Foundation $32,000 for 2013-2014 to lease 4,780 square feet. Nordahl said when the charter school first began it paid $48,000 in lease fees, but that was due to a larger student enrollment.
Total cost to operate the building is about $62,000 per year. Tofte helps pay for maintenance and cleaning. Last year Schroeder donated $3,100 to also help defray expenses.
Recently four families with children attending Birch Grove Community School moved from the area, two from Cook County and two from Lake County, with another from Lake County planning to move soon. The loss of those students has greatly impacted the school’s budget this year, and will affect the budget for years to come, said Nordahl
“We would like the building to pay for itself, “ said Nordahl, adding that the Foundation is trying to determine what is a fair price to charge for lease space. The building has 16,000 square feet of leasable property said Nordahl.
“As a board we would like you to know that we are 100 percent behind the school,” Nordahl added.
While no action was taken, the Lutsen board asked Nordahl to make sure whoever comes to the annual township meeting brought information about how much the other townships donate and how much money the foundation needs to keep the building and school solvent.
In other Lutsen Township business
. Lutsen Fire Chief Paul Goettl said his crew had responded to two or three motor vehicle accidents and one chimney fire during the previous month. He said four firefighters received training in a 12-hour class held at the Lutsen Fire Hall last month and it cost the township “the cost of 10 pizzas and some pop.” Trainers and other firefighting crews came from throughout the region for classes, Goettl said.
. Kristin Wharton, Active Living Steering Committee (ALSC) coordinator for the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and the county coordinator of the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) gave a brief presentation about Sawtooth Mountain Clinic’s Moving Matters program. The program focuses on finding safe walking/biking/hiking/running paths to help both pedestrians and motorists.
“We want people to be out and to be safe and active,” said Wharton.
Wharton is in charge of the Moving Matters program. It has spread countywide with meetings held monthly. Wharton said several West End people now attend meetings, but she invited the board and staff to come to meetings or to send ideas that might help the program. Of particular concern, said Wharton, are the areas where pedestrians walk near or cross Highway 61.
“We try to keep the meetings short and sweet. Consider yourself invited,” Wharton said.
. Town Clerk Silviya Duclos asked the supervisors to consider insuring the building and contents located on the township’s Grand View Park. Currently they are not covered by insurance. The supervisors asked her to bring back quotes and they will make sure the contents and building will be insured.
. Supervisors accepted (with thanks) a donation of $2,500 from the Grand Marais Fire Department and a donation of $12,000 from Minnesota Power to the Lutsen Fire Department toward the emergency trailer.
. Treasurer John Groth brought up a matter about a legal bill sent to the township. The bill was submitted by an attorney that Supervisor Ginny Storlie had talked to about the Lutsen cemetery committee.
“This was a question that I could have answered,” said Groth. “If she was asking this as a township supervisor she should have called our attorney. We pay annual dues for this and it wouldn’t have cost the township anything. If she was asking for the cemetery committee then we should take this $475 bill off of our donation to the committee and then if they need more money they can come and ask us for it.”
The board agreed with Groth and the bill will be taken off the town’s contribution to the cemetery at the March 11 annual meeting.
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