At the May 19 Lutsen town meeting, EMS Director Fred Schmidt gave a report on the Lutsen Fire Department’s presentation at the Cook County Emergency Services Conference. The fire department demonstrated the ResQmax rope launcher that can be used in water emergencies. Firefighter— and Supervisor—Larry McNeally demonstrates the rope launcher.
Some old-fashioned bartering took place at the Lutsen Town Meeting on Tuesday, May 19 in response to a request from Lutsen contractor Mike Rose, who asked to trade some landscaping work— moving rocks to serve as protective barriers around the town hall parking lot—for the LaFrance fire truck.
Clerk Amity Goettl said the township could make the trade, as long as it demonstrated that the reasonable value of the truck equaled the reasonable value of the work.
Noting the estimated price of $700 – $750 for the rock placements, Supervisor Andrew Beavers said he supported the proposal, “In my opinion, we’re getting two things taken care of at once for a reasonable amount.”
His colleagues agreed and a unanimous motion passed to exchange the old fire truck for rock placement at the town hall.
Birch Grove questions continue
Supervisor Tim Goettl said he had met with officials from other townships to discuss what and how the townships could contribute to operation of Birch Grove Community School in Tofte. Goettl said he was disappointed that the Minnesota Association of Townships was not at that meeting. He said four different attorneys have been asked if the townships can levy money to contribute to a school. He said three of the four said the township cannot.
Goettl added that at the township annual meeting in March 2015, Lutsen citizens voted to contribute $10,000 per year for five years to the school. He said another meeting is in the works to learn more about what the townships can do.
Goettl also said township officials had all requested a more in-depth budget plan from the school.
Supervisor Larry McNeally said, “No matter how the people vote, I’ll vote against this. I don’t think it’s fiscally responsible for the people of Lutsen; for the taxpayers of Lutsen. There is no doubt they do great things for kids, but we have to be fiscally responsible.”
Beavers said he would like to see more accountability. “At what point do you say it doesn’t work?”
Moving forward with petition for annexation
Supervisor Beavers said he is still pursuing the annexation of the Deeryard Lake, Cascade Beach Road and Hall Road. He said he had attended the county board meeting earlier that day to let the county know what Lutsen was doing. “I was given the go-ahead, so to speak,” he said.
Beavers said a petition signed by more than 20 residents in the area to be annexed needs to be collected. The petition is then brought to the town board for approval and then the county board for a 30-day comment period.
Beavers said he had learned that the cost to be included in the township would mean an additional $14 for every $100,000 in home value for taxpayers.
Supervisor Tim Goettl asked if there would be a public vote before annexation occurred. Beavers said no, but added, “Of course public input is very important. We don’t want to bring people into the township that don’t want to be included. I realize not everyone is going to be in favor of this and I’ll try to find ways to mitigate that. But his is how democracy works for the greater good.”
In other business
. Commissioner Ginny Storlie asked if anything had been done to remove a large rock on the Caribou Trail just before Ward Lake Road. Concern has been expressed that someone going in the ditch at that spot could be seriously injured.
Storlie said she would follow-up with County Engineer David Betts to see when the rock was going to be removed. Supervisor Goettl said there are also a couple of culverts on White Sky Road that are always getting clogged. He asked Storlie to have the highway department consider those as well.
. Clerk Goettl gave a report for Treasurer John Groth who was absent because he had to be at work. She reported that the town business checking account had $68,745.53. The building fund savings account had $5,113.02 and the Lutsen Fire/First Responders Truck Fund had $100,947.23. The current total of township funds was $214,805.78. . EMS Director Fred Schmidt gave a report on the Lutsen Fire Department presentation at the Cook County Emergency Services Conference in April. The fire department demonstrated the ResQmax rope launcher, which uses air from firefighter air tanks and CO2 cartridges to shoot a rescue rope up to 300 feet from shore. The ResQmax also propels a small rescue ring designed to inflate after three seconds in the water.
Schmidt said the people who showed up at the Grand Marais harbor for the demonstration were “pretty impressed.”
. Following up on last month’s hiring of Steve DuClos to clear brush from the area below the town hall at a rate of $30 per hour, Supervisor Larry McNeally said he and Steve DuClos had worked together and opened up the area in front of the town hall. They asked for, and received authorization, to clear the brush around the back of the fire hall/town hall building.
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