ELY- After months of little to no progress on the unsafe residence at 45 E. Boundary St., the Ely City Council scheduled a public hearing for 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, to discuss mitigation measures.
The single-family home sustained fire damage in an altercation on Sept. 13 between one of the property’s owners, Jason Gillson, and the woman living with him. The incident, which began as a dispute between the two residents escalated, with Gillson discharging firearms, starting a fire inside the home, then fleeing the scene with a pursuit by law enforcement that ended with Gillson’s apprehension in Waasa. Gillson was arrested and charged with five felony counts including the discharge of firearms within city limits, domestic assault, and arson. Gillson was scheduled for a plea bargain hearing on Feb. 12 which was rescheduled at the last minute for April 8.
The city’s building official, Douglas Whitney P.E., issued a notice of violation on March 7 for the property—one of several issued against the property since Sept. 13—giving Gillson and co-owner Mark Herman of Jacobson 30 days to fix the unsafe conditions. The notice states the property is out of compliance with Ely City Code and Minnesota building and fire laws.
Whitney made his determination that the property is unsafe based on the fire damage, the unsanitary and hazardous conditions inside the home, and the junk and debris scattered around the exterior of the home. The notice lists 15 specific items which must be met within 30 days. According to the notice, if the conditions are not addressed the city will hold a hearing on what actions it will take to remedy the unsafe conditions.
Given that Gillson and Herman have not mitigated most of the unsafe conditions and fire damage at the property since the Sept. 13 incident, the city council went ahead and scheduled the hearing for the first city council meeting date after the 30 days are up.
In other action, the council:
• Approved the recommendation from the projects committee to direct the City Attorney to work up a city ordinance committing the property at the old city garage site to the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority for the city’s workforce housing project. This is one of the many bureaucratic steps necessary for the housing project to go forward.
• Approved a recommendation from the projects committee to pay a $2,000 invoice from Maxfield Research for a housing study update.
• Approved a request from Bob Koschak to buy scrap poles, pipes, hydrants, and rails from the old city garage site and a pile of logs from the old city dump site for $952.
• Approved the first reading of Ordinance 376 2nd Series revising the Ely City Code Chapter 11, Section 4, on conditional and permissible uses for the city’s zoning districts. After the city council meeting, Deputy Clerk Casey Velcheff said the revised list of conditional and permissible uses will be posted to the city’s website. The city council will hold a public hearing on the revised planning and zoning ordinance at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16.
• Approved Ely and Ely Utilities Commission claims for payment for March 19 for $4,584.
• Approved the appointment of Ely resident Paul Dunnom, a retired St. Paul police officer, to the open seat on the Police Commission with a term expiring Jan. 31, 2026.
• Approved the on-sale and Sunday liquor license for the soon-to-open Frisky Otter restaurant at 302 E Sheridan St., pending proper paperwork, insurance and background check.