Traffic through Lutsen may be slowed this summer due to the work on Highway 61, but the nine miles of road repair and new overlay will be much appreciated when it is finished. Drive slowly and be careful for the hardworking men and women doing this important work.
Lutsen Township supervisors Ginny Storlie, Tim Goettl and Andrew Beavers reviewed the current fee structure for renting the town hall/community center building and concluded the rates should be changed.
Previously the hall was rented for $100 to big groups and $25 for small groups. The problem occurred in deciding exactly what constituted a big group and what defined a small group, and because of this there were questions asking why someone received a lower—or higher—rate than someone else.
The new rate was set at $25 for governmental groups; $50 for county residents who pay taxes in Lutsen; and $100 for out-of-town folks who want to rent the building for weddings or events. Anyone renting will have to pay a damage deposit and will get it back only if the building is left in tip-top condition.
Parking lot and roads report
Tim Goettl said he had talked with Greg Gastecki, the civil engineer employed by Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc. about paving the town hall/fire hall parking lot. Following their discussion Gastecki measured the lot and sent a proposal to the township for paving, said Goettl.
“Greg measured it at 8,900 square feet. He said Thoreson’s would put class 5 down first and then put 2½ inches of blacktop on for $15,510. They won’t seal it though because the seal coat guy they use from Two Harbors said he’s in the midst of selling his business,” said Goettl.
Previously the board had talked about asking another contractor to bid on the work since that company is working on Highway 61 projects, but attempts to reach them or hear back from them haven’t proven fruitful, said Goettl.
“Do we want to get this done sooner or later?” asked Goettl.
Beavers and Storlie agreed that they wanted the work done in the near future, and voted with Goettl to hire Thoresons to do with work.
In attendance at the meeting was West End Commissioner Bruce Martinson who came with a schedule of the roadwork taking place on Highway 61 in Lutsen.
Construction includes bituminous mill and overlay with culvert replacements. It began June 9 and will continue into the fall. Mill and overlay will start in early August, said Martinson.
Cook County Highway Engineer Dave Betts and Russell Klegstad came before the board and went over the county’s road/bridge work proposed for the next four years.
The biggest job that will affect the West End will take place on Sawbill Trail in 2016 when 8.35 miles of road will be paved.
Originally that stretch was going to be graveled in 2015, but after review Betts and Klegstad decided to pave it because, “We can’t keep up with the grading. We can pave it and get it off the grading schedule. Originally this road was built to be paved, but I understand there was some controversy about that. That was more than 20 years ago but in the meantime the traffic on that road has increased dramatically.”
“There is a lot of traffic on this road for a gravel road to handle,” said Betts.
This summer brushing and mowing began on the Sawbill Trail and is moving east across the county, said Klegstad.
Because the cost of calcium chloride went up the county wasn’t able to purchase as much as they hoped, said Klegstad.
“When we do a calcium chloride project we will do the hills and corners if that is all we are able to do. I know the public likes it for dust control, but we like calcium chloride for its erosion and dust control,” Klegstad said.
Klegstad said the Caribou Trail would be plowed several hours earlier this winter and Tim Goettl complimented him on the plowing job done on his road and on the Caribou Trail this last winter.
Betts said he has projects that need to get done but will cost $26,900,000, and that money isn’t anywhere to be found. Because most of the money highway departments receive is generated from the gas tax, and because people are driving less and driving automobiles that get better gas mileage, there isn’t enough money to go around, said Betts.
Hospital renovation open house to be held in Lutsen
Also at the meeting was Cook County North Shore Hospital Board Member Tom Spence who invited the board to attend an open house to discuss the proposed hospital/care center renovations on August 23 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Lutsen Town Hall.
Similar meetings will be held countywide to get the public’s input into the proposed $20 million renovation for the Cook County North Shore Hospital and Care Center.
“The architect will be there to answer questions. We are spending the summer developing a concept and design for the facilities,” said Spence.
“So this is going forward?” asked Goettl.
“Yes. I can tell you right now these costs won’t go on your taxes. We will be able to fund much of this with increased reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid. The remodel will be set up so that at three or four places along the way we can stop it if we need to,” said Spence.
EMS director report
Emergency Medical Service Chief Fred Schmidt said his department has had seven calls this quarter, “which is down, but good.”
He said Lutsen received a backboard from the hospital and he bought new medical supplies for the new truck.
Because EMS volunteers are supposed to have their hepatitis shots, Schmidt has been looking into who will have to pay for them. So far he has found out that the county won’t foot the bill, so the township might end up bearing those costs.
Fire chief’s report
Lutsen Fire Chief Paul Goettl said his crew participated in the May Day training held at Tofte on May 31.
“We did a lot of water pumping and tore apart two to three cars with the Jaws of Life. I’ve been working on the inventory and I should get it done next week. The last time it was done was four years ago. If I had to guess I would say it will come in around $300,000, and not $90,000,” said Goettl, referring to the current figure assigned to the fire hall’s equipment.
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