SOUDAN — With the retirement of longtime campground managers Susie and Jerry Chiabotti, the Breitung Town Board has been studying the McKinley Park campground management contract and deciding what changes will be needed as they move forward with a search for a new campground manager. At the top of their list of concerns was maintenance equipment, including lawn mowers, weed whips and a side-by-side ATV. The previous managers supplied and maintained their own equipment. However, other area campgrounds the board researched had equipment provided by the municipality. This raised the question of whether the township should purchase the tools or require the manager to supply and maintain their own equipment.
In their study, the board also found that at most other parks, the municipality paid for electricity costs. Breitung had been splitting the campground’s electricity costs 50/50. HooDoo Point Campground has electric meters installed at every campsite, making the tenants responsible for their own electricity. However, this sort of arrangement would be a large up-front cost to the township.
The board is on a tight schedule to determine the details of the new contract and to hire a new manager. Reservations begin Feb. 1.
Accessibility
improvements
Supervisor Steve Tekautz hasn’t only been thinking about the park’s imminent needs, but has also been thinking about improvement for Breitung residents and visitors in the years to come, particularly for people with disabilities. He mentioned his ideas to Breitung resident and grantwriter Nancy Larson who agreed to help.
Larson found an accessibility specialist in Minnesota who can do an assessment of the campground. The specialist would work with a board-designated committee to determine where accessibility improvements could be made and put together a plan. Larson said the cost to hire the specialist would be between $3,000 and $7,000 depending on project’s scope and could be partially paid for with an IRRR 50/50 planning grant. After the planning stage, the project would be eligible to apply for funding from the DNR Outdoor Recreation Grant and the IRRR Public Works program.
Larson told the board that working toward this goal would just take planning. The committee will do a survey, hold public meetings, and work with the specialist, engineers, town board and funding organizations to complete the project. If any readers are interested in serving on the committee, please contact the Breitung Township clerk at 218-753-6020.
In other news, the board,
• Passed a motion to purchase a used fire truck for $190,000.
• Will receive $90,167 from FEMA for flood repairs.
• Passed a motion to pay the full 0.88-percent for employees to be covered by the Minnesota Paid Leave Act, rather than passing half of the cost to employees. The total estimated cost to the township is about $3,300.
• Accepted $2,790 in donations to the Breitung Police Department given during the Tacos with Cops event. The amount includes many generous donations including $1,000 from John Juhl, $200 from Robert Pearson, $100 from Frandsen Bank and Trust, $100 from Diannaz Dreamz LLC, $100 from Paul Pishler, $100 from Steve Freshour, and many more anonymous donations.
• Passed a motion for Supervisor Erin Peitso to negotiate with C&C Winger to contract snow-plowing services to fill in for one of the township’s drivers who is out due to injury.
• Accepted a new police contract with Local 346.
• Passed a motion to sell some of the township’s unused equipment, including a trailer and field and brush mower with snow blower attachment.
• Heard that the city of Tower is interested in working on a Joint Comprehensive Plan but now is not a good time due to the resignation of their city clerk.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.