The Silverpoint II housing project hit a temporary snag recently when the Minnesota Housing Development Program Board did not select the project for funding in 2024. The Minnesota Housing Board (MHB) received 48 applications from municipalities looking to fund workforce housing projects. The dollar amount for all the project proposals that MHB received totaled more than $95 million dollars which exceeded the money that MHB had to fund projects. For now, Silverpoint II will be on hold until either alternative funding sources can be found, or until next year when MHB will again be offering grant funding for workforce housing projects. While this setback is disappointing, it will not keep City Officials and the Lake County HRA from seeking funding streams for the project.
The North Shore Management Board will be holding meetings this month to get public input as they prepare to update the North Shore Management Plan. The meeting in Grand Marais was held on November 6th from 6:00 to 7:30 at The Hub. The Silver Bay meeting was held on the 7th from 6:00 to 7:30 in the North Shore Area Partners Community room and the Two Harbors meeting will be held from 6:00 to 7:30 in the Aspirus Lakeview Hospital Conference Room. The NSMB provides strategies for environmental protection and sensible development along the North Shore of Lake Superior.
Council member Shane Hoff has represented Silver Bay on the Range Association of Municipalities and Schools Board (RAMS) for a number of years. He was nominated to continue in that role at Monday’s meeting.
William Kelley School will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday, November 12th at 4:00 pm. The public is invited to attend and tour the refurbished facilities.
In other business, the Council got a look at the latest rendering of the Multi-Modal Trailhead Center. The decision to move the Senior Workshop to William Kelley School has brought considerable cost savings to the city for that project. Residents can get further updates on the Multi-Modal Trailhead Center on the Silver Bay webpage by clicking on City Projects.
The Public Works Commission has recommended the purchase of a new SCADA system for the Wastewater Treatment Facility. SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and this computerized system will allow for accurate analysis and monitoring of equipment at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. SCADA systems have been in use in industrial facilities for around 70 years. The old system is outdated and is difficult and expensive to service because of that fact. The new system will be more efficient and will be easier to service because there are a number of contractors who are close by and work with the updated technology. The Council voted to move forward with the PWC recommendation.
In the recent past, there have been some tense moments at Silver Bay Council meetings with attendees throwing unsubstantiated accusations at Council members. Unfortunately, this happened again at Monday night’s meeting when a resident took it upon herself to demand that a Council member show proof of residency to her and then made an unwarranted comment toward another official. While it is vital that residents of Silver Bay attend public meetings so that they can ask questions, give input and learn first hand about City projects and plans, it is counter productive to listen to rumors and then create a spectacle by acting on those rumors in a public meeting. Effective local government requires the engagement of its citizens, but it also requires a mind that is open to listening, learning and giving input in a constructive manner.
The next Silver Bay Council meeting is scheduled for November 18th at 7:00 PM.
