ELY – Federal funding is coming to the city of Ely for a portion of the water line and sewer improvements for the Ely school facility improvement project.
“I received a phone call last week from Sen. (Amy) Klobuchar’s office regarding the city’s application for a $245,000 grant,” Ely Mayor Roger Skraba said Tuesday night as he updated city council members on the funding.
The original grant application was for the installation of a new water main to the school campus, and has expanded to include sewer line improvements as well. “The sewer line runs underneath the water line, and if you are going to replace one, you might as well replace the other,” he said. “Anyway, we were successful in getting the original grant of $245,000.”
He was quick to acknowledge the support of Sen. Tina Smith and Rep. Pete Stauber.
“They were all part and parcel in us getting the funding,” he added.
Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski said the existing water line passes by the school campus on Harvey Street between Fourth and Sixth avenues.
“The plan is to replace that water line and then bring in a fire line, for fire protection, to the back of the campus on the stadium side. That would come from Pattison Street up the alley on Fifth Avenue,” he said.
“As the project planning progressed last summer and over the winter there is additional cost to that project, and I will be meeting with the school next week to discuss potential (funding) sources. There is still a funding gap there, but $245,000 will help in getting a big portion of that project done.”
According to the March 14 minutes of the city’s Projects Committee, the project grew to an estimated $826,345. The original cost estimate of $245,000, provided by the school district’s general contractor, Kraus Anderson, was increased due to the discovery of ledge rock and following the televised scope work in the sewer line.
“We want to make sure we have proper infrastructure on the campus to support their buildings,” Langowski said. “As we have discussed in the past, the line running through campus is theirs as it runs through their property. We do not have easement or right-of-way for it. So, any improvements we make we will have easement as part of that, and we will take on the maintenance. I think this would be a good thing for both the city and school.”
Skraba added, “We all want to help the school. This is fantastic for the school and we don’t mind being the intermediary. But at the same time, any other funding should come from the school district and not just the taxpayers of Ely.”
In another major project on the city’s to-do list, council members approved an engagement letter with Northland Securities supporting the cost analysis completion for a new ambulance service facility.
The Ambulance Joint Powers Board continues to look for possible funding options for the project, estimated to cost as much as $3.5 million.
Skraba said he was recently informed that State Sen. Tom Bakk developed a bill to request as much as $1 .6 million for a new facility.
“That would be a match with the other $1.6 million coming from the respective other (governmental) bodies,” he said.
Later in the meeting, Skraba added, “It’s time for us as a community, and I don’t mean just the city of Ely, but also Fall Lake, Morse, and the unorganized townships, to look at this as a levy district for the ambulance service. That would mean that $10 or $20 per person could be levied across the board. I think Sen. Bakk said he would get us $1.6 million, but we have to come up with the other $1.6 million. I think that’s where he’s going with this.”