BREITUNG TWP - Breitung Township was awarded a $220,000 grant from IRRRB for renovations of township buildings.

The entire project includes a level access to the Post Office, a new accessible entrance to the town hall, remodel of the existing bathroom, construction of a new ADA compliant bathroom, replacement of storm sewer in parking lot, remodel of current fire hall to a community center, plus infrastructure, utilities and parking lot redesign.

The entire project will cost over one million dollars. The board also applied for a $125,000 grant from CDBG and will hear in January if that grant has been approved.

To cover the entire project cost, the township will likely be seeking funding in the form of loans or bonds.

State park

Board Chair Tim Tomsich recently met with Jim Essig, Park Manager of Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park, and updated the board on park news. Tomsich said the land swap to clean up boundary lines is nearly completed. The township will gain an acre. He said the state park will begin work on eight camper cabins near Armstrong Bay this winter.

The township will pave the portion of gravel on the state park entrance road. The state park envisions ATV campsites and a visitors center in the future

There was a discussion of placing a plaque at Armstrong Bay Day Use Area in honor of Jerry Nemanich, founder of Mesabi Bituminous. Armstrong Bay was the last project he worked on before passing away. Nemanich was a native of Soudan.

“Jerry always went above and beyond when he was working on projects in Soudan. He gave a low bid and did all kinds of little extras,” said township treasurer Jorgine Gornick.

In other business, the board:

Heard that the surface building generators worked successfully during the recent power outage.

Heard a request from Maintenance Director Dale Swanson for new lights on the front of the McKinley Park building.

Heard that Swanson’s new maintenance office (formerly the old police building) is now hooked up to electricity.

Heard from Supervisor Greg Dostert, who suggested getting a bumper to separate the ice rink into halves. He will bring pricing information to the next meeting.

Accepted changes to the firefighter and probation firefighter job descriptions, per attorney Jessica Durbin’s recommendation.

Acknowledged the new fire department organizational chart.

Approved a motion of support for the Tower area broadband project but will not be sending a representative of the board to the project’s steering committee.

Will review a draft of the new township employee handbook.

Learned that the question on the ballot to hire a clerk/treasurer must be split into two questions. The first must ask if the clerk and treasurer should be appointed. The second, if the clerk and treasurer positions should be combined.

The next Breitung township meetings will be Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. and Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m.