ELY- Ely’s arts and culture scene drives positive economic outcomes for Ely. That was the message from Ian Francis Lah, who spoke to the city council here last week. Lah is Executive Director of the Northern Lakes Arts Association and he had statistics to bolster his presentation, made on behalf of the Ely Cultural Alliance and the Ely for Ey Leadership Conference.
Citing data from the ProPublica nonprofit database, Cause IQ, and a 2019 study for the National Governors Association, Lah noted that rural performing arts organizations such as those in Ely attract more outside visitors than those in urban settings, which drives economic activity through admissions, dining, and other related expenditures. “Cultural expenditures in Ely surged from $776,544 in 2019 to $1,305,909 in 2022, marking an impressive 68.2 percent increase,” said Lah. “Attendees at cultural events in Ely spend $6 for every $1 they pay for tickets and participation. This year alone, that accounts for over $500,000 being spent at local businesses.”
Lah invited the city council to the meeting of the Ely Cultural Alliance on Nov. 19. He also extended an invitation to the Boundary Waters Connect Ely for Ely Leadership Conference on Nov. 18.
In other matters of business, the city council:
• Heard the report of the Library Director Rachel Heinrich that the library will be closed on Friday, Nov. 15, and Monday, Nov. 18, while the carpet is replaced.
• Heard the report from both Heinrich and Fire Chief David Marshall that children showing up in costume at the library and fire hall on Oct. 31 will receive Halloween treats.
• Heard a report from Marshall regarding the brush fires on Oct. 1 and Oct. 4 along the Trezona Trail. Both are thought to be human caused. The first fire, next to the Vermilion campus of Minnesota North College, was covered in the Oct. 4 edition of the Timberjay.
The second, smaller brush fire was “less than a tenth of an acre” Marshall said. It occurred between the Trezona Trail and Miners Lake, close to the Ely Rec Center. The Timberjay was at the scene of this fire and interviewed the reporting party but chose not to cover it due to its small size. Marshall said that both fires are under investigation by the Department of Natural Resources.
• Heard the unwelcome but necessary reminder from Police Chief Chad Houde that calendar parking begins on Nov. 1, where vehicles must park on the odd side of the street on odd-numbered days and the even side of the street on even-numbered days.
• Approved the promotion of patrol officer Bradley Roy of the Ely Police Department to police sergeant.
• Approved a request for continued support services for the Ely Area Community Foundation’s Community Hub Building on Miners Dr. for HVAC and snow removal. In exchange, the foundation has granted $7,500 to the Happy Days Learning Center on behalf of the city for 2024 and will continue to provide this credit in 2025.
• Appointed Mary Groeninger-Helms to the open seat on the tree board with a term expiring Jan. 31, 2027.
• Approved a recommendation from the projects committee to have the city attorney arrange a deed transfer for the residential properties at 334 and 350 W. Chapman St. to the city. According to Ely Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski, the property, which is next to the water tower, belongs to the Pollock family. All but one of the older members of the family have passed away. The remaining family lives on a rural farm in Missouri.
“They’re just looking at the options for them to get rid of it,” Langowski said. “I told them, ‘Why don’t you list it for sale?’ They said, ‘Well, we live on the farm a long way away. We don’t really want to deal with that.’”
Langowski suggested they could deed the property to the city and the family was open to the idea. City council member Jerome Debeltz asked if the property could be used for city needs, like providing housing, and Langowski said yes.
• Approved a reconnaissance-level survey of historical properties at a cost of $7,867 from the Duluth Archeological Survey. The survey will fulfill a state requirement before the city can begin construction on ambulance and fire garage buildings. The survey is required by the Minnesota State Historical Preservation Office to determine if the construction will impact any historic buildings in Ely, despite the lack of any in the immediate vicinity of the construction site across from the former railroad depot site. The nearest historic buildings are the Pioneer Mine and the former Ely Community Center building on Harvey St.
“It isn’t adequate just to acknowledge those are not within the project’s purview,” said Langowski. “I don’t see any way around it. I’ve tried to beg and plead and complain to the Department of Admin but to no avail.”