Tofte Town Clerk Barb Gervais said work is progressing on the Verizon cell tower, and should be completed soon. “The cell phone tower is expected—supposed to be done—in two weeks,” said Gervais at the township October 9, 2014 meeting.
The 190-foot Verizon communications and cell phone tower is expected to be a boon to emergency fire and rescue workers and First Responders in the area, as well as to home owners, local businesses and travelers coming through on Highway 61 who want to use their cell phones.
“I thought it was going to be a stealth tower, but I guess not,” said Tofte Supervisor Paul James.
A cell phone tower for Tofte has been in the planning stages for five years. IRRRB grant sought for senior housing project
The board authorized Dick Grabko of Community Resource Development to apply for an Iron Range Resource and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) public works grant on the township’s behalf for $145,000. If received, the money will be used to complete the infrastructure for the town’s senior housing project.
Bids have been let to find contractors to perform well drilling and put in a road to the site that will hold six duplexes (12 units) that will be built by Dynamic Homes. The board hopes to have the houses up and ready for leasing by July 2015.
“You need to get a marketing plan and start marketing these houses now. You need to get out in front of this at least six to seven months and get a waiting list of perspective tenants before the units are done,” Grabko said.
He suggested using Dynamic Homes documents to help with marketing and told the board to look for a firm to take on this responsibility. He also gave the board a marketing plan designed by CRD and told them they could use that. He also advised them to “Take pictures of the building site now while the colors are out.”
Grabko said his company’s contract was up at the end of October, and if the board wanted him and his partner, Gary Lammpa, to continue, they would need to get it resigned. Currently the township is paying CRD $3,000 per month plus 5 percent of the bond with 2 percent going back to the township. Supervisor Jim King said the board would be holding a special meeting mid-October and suggested the board discuss renewing CRD’s contract there, which the board agreed to do. More discussion before approving Superior National at Lutsen resolution
The board was in the process of signing a resolution supporting the sale of tax abatement bonds for the Superior National at Lutsen golf course, but Supervisor King said the new document was confusing and given to the board in a different format from the first form. He asked to meet with Mark Sandbo, chair of the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) and Bob Toftey, the attorney who drew up the document, to go over the changes noted by the board and get everything clarified before the board signs the resolution.
Supervisors Paul James and Jeanne Larson gave King the go ahead to set up a meeting with Sandbo and Toftey and report back to the board at its next meeting.
Greenhouse siting under way
Before a proposed greenhouse can be placed near the Birch Grove Community Center, Cook County Assistant Planning & Zoning Administrator Dave Demmer, who doesn’t want to see it put up on wetlands, must first approve the site.
Jerry Gervais plans to meet with Demmer in the near future and discuss sites picked out by the board. In the past the board has talked about putting the donated greenhouse close enough to the building to be visible and to make it easier to get water to it. Also discussed was placing it between the senior housing and the center.
In other business:
. Once again the board approved a snowplowing contract with Randy “Cooter” Nelson, who was again the only bidder. The township will pay $95 a time for plowing the town parks and cemetery and $110 an hour to plow and snow shovel around the town hall/fire department. The board also awarded the snowplowing contract for the ice rink and warming house and snow shoveling for the Birch Grove Community Center sidewalks at a rate of $20 per hour to Sam Crowley.
. Supervisor King asked that a light be placed between the town hall and fire department to help First Responders and firefighters see better at night. Recently a man sprained his ankle when he was walking out of the town hall into the dark towards his car, said King. The board asked Gervais to write a letter to Arrowhead Electric to see how much it would cost monthly or annually to put up a metered light.
. Jeff Dillehay was hired to caulk around the lip of the skating rink at a rate of $22 per hour. Last winter the water would run off the rink before setting up, making it hard to make ice to skate on. James also said there were six scuttles on the rink made of wood that also might needed to be replaced. Dillenhay will also fix or replace and caulk around them if needed.
. Fire Chief Rich Nelson said his department received a 3,000-gallon pumper fire truck free of charge from Finland and the township can now retire the 5,000-gallon truck that is very hard to drive. The board authorized Nelson to sell the old truck on-line to the highest bidder. They also authorized him to keep the 5,000-gallon tank, which will be used as a reserve and placed in the ground in the park near the permanent pump the crew uses from the lake to fill up the tankers.
Nelson said his crews were training on how to put out chimney fires, and several members participated in fire training at Birch Grove School with the kids, otherwise everything was quiet. Search & Rescue crews went out on five calls in September.
. The board approved renewal of liquor licenses to Bluefin Bay, Surfside, Coho Cafe, and Mike’s Holiday in Tofte, North Shore Bottle Shop and Tofte General Store.
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