Breitung Township Annual Meeting Part 2 highlights levy, matching grants
Preceding board meeting discusses proposed ambulance merger.
By Jennifer Schuster-Dahlin
SOUDAN—Breitung Township held two board meetings on August 15, one regular and one agenda-annual continuance, to discuss the new tax levy and donation requests.
The 2025 levy was discussed at the continuance meeting. A 7.5% increase will add $5,000 to the budget for medical insurance, benefits, and wages, $5,000 for liability worker’s compensation and insurance, and $40,000 for road maintenance and snow removal. The last figure will help offset costs for projects such as bringing broadband to Echo Point Road.
“We need local funding in our road accounts to match grants…we always need local funding. Whether it’s Echo Point Road or Main Street, or whatever road it is…we’ve always had to come up with some local funding…what really brought it to light was the flood, which showed how vulnerable we are to some major expenses both in our time and equipment to get some of these major things done,” said Chairman Tom Tomsich.
In the preceding regular monthly meeting, the board mentioned the new ambulance was expected to arrive soon, and discussed the findings from the Ambulance Commission which met two weeks earlier. Board member Matt Tuchel stated that the committee met with the CEO of Ely Bloomenson Community Hospital, who shared data from a study and recommended that the local ambulance services merge as one: Ely, Tower, and Babbitt, as one service under the branch of EBCH. Tuchel said, “It will be difficult for any agency to sign off on this without numbers in front of them.”
In his Police Report, Officer Dan Reing detailed several curfew violations by area youth, speeding tickets, and multiple DWI arrests. Officer Reing also discussed the arrest involving the local youths involved in an assault on an adult male, although he could not discuss any specifics due to the age of the suspects.
Construction on Church Street was delayed due to the contractor’s involvement in other projects, but it will be underway again shortly.
Work is underway at the Wastewater facility to clear the area for the proposed Rapid Infiltration Beds. Old buildings at the treatment facility are gone, wells are capped, and logging is progressing rapidly. Drilling in the area should take place in early September.
In other business:
- Officer Reing requested help finding a part-time employee to help with filing and other clerical work for roughly 200 hours a year. The pay for this position was discussed, as was whether or not this job would qualify for union benefits due to the limited hours. Officer Reing presented the board with new verbiage for the Breitung Police Department and requested the board approve this within 30 days. A motion was made that all Police policies will be in compliance with post-board (check this at the 50-minute mark). Officer Reing also reported that there had been three recent break-ins at McKinley Park and a fourth attempt.
- FEMA is accepting applications from homeowners seeking relief from the June flooding, and a crisis center in Virginia is available for those still affected by severe damage to their homes. The Breitung relief application is in, and the township awaits a callback.
- Motions were passed to donate $500 to Northwoods Partners and to refer Best Youth Baseball Club to the Joint Recreational Board for a donation request.
No new business was brought forward, and the continuance meeting adjourned at 7:43 p.m.