Twenty-seven people turned out to vote in the Lutsen Township Election on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. Election judges Mary Thornwall, Nancy Hansen and Joan Hall were on hand to oversee the process. Hansen is handing a ballot to voter Jerry Lilja.
The Lutsen Annual Meeting at the newly expanded Town Hall on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 went relatively smoothly with only a few items that brought debate.
The meeting kicked off with the nomination of Henry Welch as moderator. After the Pledge of Allegiance and the waiving of reading minutes from last year’s annual meeting and a number of special meetings, the township tackled a list of donation requests.
Policy change gives more privacy for voting
At the suggestion of Town Supervisor Ginny Storlie, the votes on donations were conducted on a paper ballot this year instead of by a show of hands. In September 2012, after the August continuation of the town’s 2012 annual meeting, the board agreed to change the way it handled voting.
At that September meeting, Storlie said she was uncomfortable with how the vote pledging $10,000 to the Superior Cycling Association had been handled.
Storlie said last year the town board had not had the opportunity to consider the donation, which was to be used as matching funds for a Minnesota Legacy grant to build single-track mountain bike trails. Storlie said she would prefer that anyone seeking funding from the township would bring the request to the township the month before the annual meeting. Storlie and Supervisor Marland Hansen said after the meeting that they had heard from citizens who felt uncomfortable with everyone knowing how they had voted.
Birch Grove donations debated
The first request for a contribution of $3,500 for the Birch Grove Foundation was passed with minimal discussion with a vote of 15 – 1. Foundation Director Patty Nordahl noted that this is the same amount requested last year and shared information on the variety of activities that take place at the community center in Tofte, ranging from supporting the school, senior programs, and the skating rink to offering computer access and providing space for Sawtooth Mountain Clinic visits.
The second request, for $5,000 from the Birch Grove Community School, met with a barrage of questions for school board members and Director Diane Blanchette. This is the first time the school has asked for financial support from Lutsen and Schroeder.
Concerns were expressed over the school’s finances and Blanchette explained that the school has worked very hard to deal with state funding delays and decreased funding because of declining enrollment. She said in 2011-2012 expenses were cut by $38,490 through a variety of saving measures that included changes in transportation and cuts in salary. Blanchette said the school has tried not to impact the educational program.
Questions were asked about declining student enrollment and Blanchette said there are currently 28 students, down from a high of 48. “How do you keep it viable without higher numbers?” asked Val Groth.
Blanchette replied, “That’s Birch Grove’s history. Parents and community members came together long before we were even a charter school because enrollment was a problem, but people wanted a school in our community.
“If Birch Grove wasn’t here, some folks might send their kids to Silver Bay. Then they would more than likely send their kids to Silver Bay through high school. That would be detrimental to Cook County,” said Blanchette.
Val Groth said she supported choice for parents, but added, “In some ways, I feel this is taxation without representation. Without a school board we elect, I feel like we don’t really have a voice.”
Blanchette quickly replied, “We have a vacant seat on our board!” She encouraged Groth and anyone else who had questions to come by the school and ask.
School board member and grandparent Colleen Brennan said, “It’s not a choice of choosing a charter school over a traditional school. It’s about having a school in the community so these young children don’t have this long bus ride.”
Another citizen noted that the families on the Gunflint Trail have one of the longest bus rides in the county.
Blanchette pointed out the expense to taxpayers, compiled with data from County Auditor Braidy Powers. According to the handout distributed, a taxpayer with a property of $200,000 would pay an additional $3.40 in support of the school.
The ballots were finally distributed and counted, and the donation was approved by a vote of 11 yes, 5 no and one undecided vote.
Fourth of July fireworks donation decision postponed
Moderator Welch called attention to a letter from the Town of Tofte requesting a $1,500 donation to support the West End 4th of July celebration held at the Tofte Town Park. The request is an increase from the 2012 donation of $1,000 and the Tofte letter explained that it sought an increase to help cover the cost of additional music for the celebration.
Paul Goettl asked if there was a breakdown of how much goes toward the fireworks and how much goes to the band. “Are we paying the whole thing?” he asked.
Diane Blanchette and Patty Nordahl, who were involved with planning the celebration in their roles at Birch Grove, said businesses donate to the Birch Grove Foundation and the foundation contributes as well. Blanchette said she was not certain, but she believed the band cost about $3,000 last year. The fireworks were quite a bit more, Blanchette said.
Goettl said it would have been nice if someone from Tofte had given the town more information. He moved to table the decision on the donation request until the township’s continuation of its annual meeting in August.
The motion passed with two nay votes.
Cemetery donation also delayed
Supervisor Marland Hansen, who serves on the township cemetery committee, said that group was thinking that it might need a contribution of $2,000. He said he would rather discuss it at the August continuation of the town meeting but asked citizens to keep it in mind. All agreed to table that donation request.
The donations to Birch Grove are part of the proposed 2014 budget of $185,070.36. The budget will be reviewed again and approved at the August continuation.
New supervisor
Election judges Mary Thornwall, Nancy Hansen and Joan Hall presented the election results, noting that 27 citizens had voted and one ballot was spoiled. Treasurer John Groth was re-elected with 26 votes. Tim Goettl was elected to the supervisor seat with 23 votes. Two ballots were blank and one write-in vote was cast for Kyle Nelson.
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