The Lake County Board of Commissioners began their meeting on July 23rd by setting some meeting dates to talk about a number of topics that need more attention than the Board can give them in a typical bi-monthly Action Meeting. Among those topics will be working to establish a budget for 2025. County Administrator, Matthew Huddleston updated the Board on a recent briefing from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA on public assistance in the wake of recent flood damage. Folks in the Crystal Bay Township, Beaver Bay and Wolf Ridge areas who had property damaged in the recent flooding should be able to get into the FEMA system online, create a profile and work through the reimbursement process. Huddleston said that with this last flood, there has been significant attention paid to the need for individual assistance for property owners who lost homes or businesses in the flood. This is apparently the first time that this kind of assistance has been used in the County. If the assistance is approved, Emergency Management will hold a public meeting to help affected residents know how to walk through the process of reimbursement. FEMA is offering up to $44,000 for project costs. If affected residents haven’t put in for reimbursement for damages, there is still time to do so but they must act now. Residents should contact the Lake County Office of Emergency Management if they have questions or need assistance.
County Board officials will be meeting, for the second time, with city leaders from Two Harbors, Silver Bay and Beaver Bay to discuss issues related to zoning, licensing, regulation and sale of cannabis products in the county. Public Health and Law Enforcement officials will also be part of that meeting which is scheduled for August 7th at 11:00. The Office of Cannabis Management is going through the process of crafting the rules around which all things related to cannabis will revolve. No licenses will be issued until those rules are in place. The purpose of the August 7th meeting is to give area officials a chance to get on the same page as they look at needed zoning and regulation issues that will need to be in place by January of 2025.
Canadian National Railroad will be closing a portion of 7th Avenue in the Segog area for some maintenance during the week of August 5th. Residents should expect a detour out along Highway 61 for that week.
The next County Board meeting is scheduled for August 13th at 2:00 PM.
