Not much will change in the next year for the Lutsen town board after it adopted meeting times and compensation for meetings and mileage reimbursement that mirrored last year’s budget and protocol.
Once again compensation for supervisors, clerk, deputy clerk, treasurer, fire chief, assistant fire chief and EMS director will remain at $85 for regular or special meetings with an hourly rate for work outside meetings of $15 for supervisors and $20 for the clerk and treasurer.
Fire department and First Responders will receive $25 per call plus merit pay. Maintenance employees will receive $25 per hour.
The board received two identical bids for lawn mowing of township grounds, from Boyd (Bump) Blomberg of Caribou Cabin Service and Steve Duclos. After some discussion the board awarded the contract to Blomberg because his crew mowed last year and did a good job and because Steve’s wife, Silviya, is the town’s clerk. “It might look like a conflict of interest if he [Steve] were awarded the mowing. But I’m sure he would have done a good job,” said Supervisor Marland Hansen.
Hansen was again selected chairperson with Ginny Storlie selected vice-chairperson.
The Cook County News-Herald was picked as the official town newspaper with the Grand Marais State Bank designated as the financial institution for the town’s deposits.
The board again adopted the federal mileages reimbursement rate (56 cents per mile) for all town officers and employees.
Fire Chief Paul Goettl said his crew didn’t have any calls last month but had started to receive training from the Cook County Sheriff ’s office on how to use the new ARMER radios. “So far so good,” said Goettl.
The high-tech radios will allow emergency responders to communicate when they are out of cell phone or regular radio range.
Goettl also said his crew would host an open house on June 24 from 6-8 p.m. for the public. “We’ll make chili and the crew can show off the new fire hall,” said Goettl.
EMS director Fred Schmidt said his crew responded to three calls last month and he echoed Goettl’s comment about the ARMER radio training, “The deputy did a really good job teaching us about the radios,” Schmidt said.
The board then discussed a bid received from Mike Rose of $2,525 for an old pumper truck that is no longer useable for the fire department.
“The wheel and rims are worth more than that,” said Hansen of Rose’s bid. “I think we need more than that.”
“I think I have that information,” said Treasurer John Groth, who looked back in his records and said the township had paid $1,800 for the tires and rims six years ago.
“Look, who does more for the township, and especially the fire department, than Mike?” said new township Supervisor Tim Goettl.
“Who’s got time to find out what the truck’s really worth and who’s going to find a buyer? I think we should take it off our insurance and give it to Mike for his bid,” said Supervisor Goettl.
“What do you think, Paul?” asked Hansen to Fire Chief Paul Goettl.
“As a fire chief I don’t want to use it. It’s just gathering dust,” said Fire Chief Goettl.
Tim made a motion and Hansen and Storlie voted with him to sell the truck to Rose for $2,525 after the firefighters removed their radio and other gear.
Chief Deputy Leif Lunde of the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office talked to the board about the upcoming Lutsen 99er event.
“Race Director Adam Harju said he expects 800 to 1,000 riders this year, double what he had last year. I’m here to tell you that if you need more help, let me know,” said Lunde.
Because Harju couldn’t attend the meeting, Hansen read the letter Harju had sent to the board asking them to write a letter of support to the county board for the June 29 race.
Following the letter, Treasurer Groth said he thought the township should ask for a donation from Lifetouch (which sponsors the race) for the purchase of a Stokes basket and a two-wheeler that is used for the basket.
“There’s no way we aren’t going to get called in to help someone with that many racers on the course,” said Groth, adding that a Stokes basket and two wheeler would help them rescue injured bikers.
The board agreed with Groth and two letters will be sent from the township: one in support of the race to the Cook County commissioners and one to Lifetouch asking for a donation that can be used to purchase a Stokes basket and two wheeler.
In supervisor reports, Ginny Storlie requested that a cleanup list be formulated and posted for those using the new community center for meetings or parties. She also asked that a time be set up for an open house to show off the community center to the public, especially the snowbirds coming back, but Tim Goettl said, “Let’s do it at the open house sponsored by the firefighters. We don’t need to have two open houses.”
The board agreed with Goettl but the hours might be expanded for the open house.
Commissioner Bruce Martinson gave an update about future MNDOT road paving for the county in 2014 and was asked if any new details had come out about the case between County Attorney Tim Scannell and the county.
“There’s nothing new. Nothing that wasn’t in last week’s paper,” said Martinson.
Just before the meeting ended, Schmidt’s, Groth’s and Paul Goettl’s pagers went off and they hurried to aid a 69-year-old man suffering a heart attack.
As he left Groth said he would be back to sign off on the bills and other necessary paperwork. Then they were gone into the night.
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