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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

City starting to look for funding for water main replacement

Catie Clark
Posted 3/8/23

ELY— A report by Ely Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski on possible funding to replace the city’s drinking water supply line was the most substantial item of business in an hour-long city …

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City starting to look for funding for water main replacement

Posted

ELY— A report by Ely Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski on possible funding to replace the city’s drinking water supply line was the most substantial item of business in an hour-long city council meeting here on Tuesday.
Langowski reported that the city has initiated the process with Eighth District Rep. Pete Stauber to receive federal funding for the replacement of Ely’s nearly five-mile-long potable water supply line, which runs from Burntside Lake to Ely. “The original was built in 1932 with upgrades in the 1950s and 70s,” said Langowski. The intake infrastructure is approaching its end of useable life and requires replacement, at an estimated cost of $4.5 million. The prospects for the funding aren’t clear, since Congress typically receives many more requests for project earmarks than it ultimately funds. At the same time, with Republicans now in charge in the U.S. House, there has been pressure to reduce or even eliminate congressional earmarks.
In other action, the council:
• Approved scheduling one Ely Utilities Commission (EUC) meeting on the fourth Wednesday of every month.
• Approved a one-year contract extension at $500 per month for Mick Shusta, who provides water quality services to the city.
• Approved a conservation improvement rebate of $368.81 to St. Louis County for an LED lighting upgrade.
• Voted to make the Ely Area Ambulance Joint Powers Board meeting on March 28 a special meeting of the Ely City Council. This is a formality which makes it possible for city council members to attend the meeting without violating the Minnesota Open Meeting Law.
• Approved sending Ely Librarian Rachel Heinrich to the 2023 American Library Association annual conference. The money for the trip was from a donation to send Heinrich to the ALA conference in 2020. That conference was canceled due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the money was set aside for a future ALA conference trip.
• Approved a mortgage for a $10,000 residential rehab loan for John and Susan Leonard to fix the sewer line at 127 W. Chapman St.
• Appointed Lucy Soderstrom to the Heritage Preservation Commission, Abby Dare to the Park and Recreation Board, and Scott Kochendorfer to the Police Commission. The council also noted the appointment of Jen Westlund of the Ely School Board as the Park and Recreation Board member for ISD 696. The city still has open seats for the Police Commission, the Tree Board and the Telecommunications Advisory Board.
• Approved issuing a letter of support for the Hwy. 169 spot safety and mobility improvements project to receive federal 2024 funding. The details of the project were presented by Bill Erzar on behalf of the Hwy. 169 North Task Force. The work proposed will improve alignments and grades in four areas between Soudan and Ely which have elevated accident rates.