Roger Skraba

ELY- Former Ely mayor and current House District 3A Rep. Roger Skraba was in familiar territory on Tuesday, dropping in on the Ely City Council meeting to give an update on the current session of the Legislature during open forum.
“The reason I’m here is I’m on Easter break and I have some time,” Skraba began.
He then dug into issues before the Legislature, including school meals.
“There are three bills trying to get through the Legislature where, if a family makes more than $156,000 a year, that those kids would not be eligible for free lunch, free breakfast. If that were to pass, there would be about $88 million available, and we’re trying to use those dollars to help the teachers’ pensions.”
Skraba commented that he is now on the Housing Committee, and he spoke of the uphill battle to get funds allocated to greater Minnesota and of using the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board to help that process on the Range.
“Right now, we don’t have enough money for housing, so we’re trying to get more. This morning, I spoke with Ida Rukavina, IRRR commissioner, about increasing the money from the IRRR for housing.”
Skraba described how the House and Senate haven’t come together yet on the budget and how the state is going to address a looming deficit.
“We have to cut something. What we’re trying to do is not cut the critical things that we use. Local government aid, LGA, should be fine.”
He discussed what might happen in the Arrowhead region if Gov. Tim Walz’s proposal to cut the state’s payments-in-lieu-of-taxes to local governments is approved.
“If PILT gets cut, Koochiching County’s taxes will go up about 20 percent across the board. Cook County, about 10 percent. Lake County, about 15 percent. St Louis County – I have asked Kevin Gray (St. Louis County Administrator) to find out what that percentage is going to be. We have enough public land in our counties that PILT helps offset our costs. So, if that money gets cut, a county can say, ‘Okay, we’re just going to cut other services down, and then it won’t be a rise in taxes.’ But if you try to keep the programs that you have funded now with less money, then something’s got to give.”
Library rumors
Ely Library Director Rachel Heinrich reported to the city council regarding rumors of possible funding cuts that spread on social media since last week’s library board meeting.
“No, despite the rumors, the library is not making cuts,” Heinrich began. “The library does not receive any direct federal funding. I am not going to stop buying books today. I am not canceling the summer reading program today. The implications of some of the things I saw online was that everything was going away immediately, and that’s not happening.”
Heinrich believed the confusion originated with a library board discussion.
“The board was being proactive about what we might do in the future, so we’re not scrambling at the last minute over funding,” Heinrich stated.
The board was looking at the effect that cuts to the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) might have on the library’s budget starting next year, Heinrich said. The library receives funding from the state, and the state library program receives most of its funding from the IMLS.
Heinrich described some of the reactions the library has received from patrons due to the misinformation.
“One lady called and asked that we not cut the summer reading program because she would contribute to it to keep it going.”
In other business, the council:
• Witnessed the swearing-in of two new Ely Police Officers, Charles Petersen and Ashlan Barthrope, by Mayor Heidi Omerza.
• Approved a Department of Natural Resources agreement to purchase a kayak dock and make improvements to the Miners Lake boat landing. DNR will provide up to $142,000 for the project.
• Approved lease agreements for the Ely Softball Association, the Ely Area Youth Girls Softball Association, the Ely Dog Park nonprofit, and the Ely Arts and Heritage Center.
• Approved a recommendation from the projects committee to allow Mark Hoppe to salvage the Quonset building at 50 W. White St. at no cost to the city. Hoppe must provide insurance for the salvage project, and work must be completed by June 30.
• Approved two payments to Low Impact Excavators of $41,820 for hauling contaminated materials at the former railroad depot, and $108,373 for infrastructure work at Voyageurs North Outfitters. Ely will be reimbursed for both payments by the IRRR, which funded the work through its brownfield cleanup and business development grant programs.
• Heard the report of Ely Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski that Harvey St. repaving will probably start “sometime in May.” St. Louis County will repave the street from Central Ave. to Whiteside Park. Ely will replace and upgrade subsurface utilities while the pavement is removed. The city will also repave Conan St. between Second and Third Aves. and replace the water main by the Ely Senior Center.
“Work will start as soon as a contract is awarded,” Langowski said. The county and Ely have received bids for their portions of the project. “We were pleased to see that the bids came in under the amounts we estimated for the work.”
• Heard a report from Fire Chief David Marshall on the fatal structure fire on April 1. Marshall also spoke on the need to do more frequent maintenance and cleaning of wood-burning stoves and furnaces. He also advised that all homes should have smoke detectors installed. “They’re cheap insurance and they save lives,” Marshall pointed out.
• Hired Emily Bernard and Maxwell DeBuhr as summer parking enforcement interns for the Ely Police Department.
• Appointed Nora DuBois to the sanitation committee with a term expiring on Jan. 31, 2026.