Last week’s meeting in Silver Bay was short and by turns sweet and a bit sour. On the sweeter side, the City Council was thanked for their part in cleaning up the property at 43 Davis Drive. A newly amended contract between the City and D&D Services was also approved, with updates from the previous meeting including rates for dumpster rentals, per-yard disposal charges, and details on specific items for disposal, such as no longer accepting fluorescent bulbs. As a reminder, trash and recycling must now be separated from each other on opposite ends of your driveway.
Silver Bay has also officially renewed its contract with Lake County Ambulance Service for ambulance and rescue services. The lease agreement is retroactive to the beginning of 2024, as the previous lease expired at the end of 2023 and will be up for renewal at the end of 2044, 20 years from the retroactive start date. The County operates its local services out of a building they constructed on City land in Silver Bay, hence the need for a lease agreement to ensure continued smooth operations using the property.
As part of the push to build an improved perimeter ditch system, Mayor LeBlanc signed a letter as part of the application for a federal grant from FEMA’s (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The City Council is hoping to use a combination of state and federal grant funding to help complete the project, which would help protect Silver Bay from flooding during periods of heavy rainfall. City Engineer Josh Stier was feeling positive about the project’s planning so far, with said documented planning being perhaps the main determinant for whether the project will receive BRIC funding.
Stier is planning to give monthly updates and answer questions on projects during the City Council meetings, which started right away with a concern about low water pressure following work on Arthur Circle. Stier took note to look into the issue. Construction on Banks Boulevard is going well, with utility work mostly complete and a rough estimated completion time of mid-August.
In response to a question about netting and vegetation around William Kelley and the Mary Mac, he noted reseeding would be necessary as their first round has yielded limited results. The netting used in the area is a natural material which should eventually break down, though due to the region’s colder than average climate this deterioration process is slower than usual. He acknowledged that the netting is a tripping hazard and can be pulled up, but “it provides a lot of benefit from an erosion control standpoint, especially when we get these big heavy rains,” making the issue more complicated.
Street projects starting with Arthur Circle and moving southwest are going well but may be hitting time constraints to reach their goals for this year unless more staff are brought on. Stier noted that dust has been a concern, especially when pavement is being removed, but a water truck is now being used to mitigate the problem.
The Trailhead Project, including the new Center, is also on Stier’s docket. Some of the shower doors are not closing properly, netting/ vegetation around the Center needs improvement, and the upstairs bathroom door may also need adjustment. A new playground outside the building is still planned and in the works.
Consent agenda items of note approved this meeting included: a license agreement for this year’s Bay Days; contract detail changes for the Boathouse Bay site development; and $14,000 from the budget to be put towards purchase of a new bar trailer for the liquor store.
On the more sour side of events, Aspirus Lakeview Hospital will be closing its clinic in Silver Bay, and the tone of the meeting became noticeably more grim as the subject was raised. Starting as of July 13th, their operations are being reduced to one day a week, now open from 8 am to 4:30 pm on Wednesdays for medical care. Physical therapy and occupational therapy services will be available Monday through Thursday, and plans are to keep those services available in Silver Bay, relocating back to William Kelley if possible and ensuring a backup location as well. There are also plans to continue providing lab services for the Silver Bay Veterans Home. Alternate options for the clinic are currently being considered. “We’re all putting a lot of effort into trying to keep medical services here,” City Administrator Lana Fralich said.
One recommendation from a resident in attendance at the meeting was the possibility of a telehealth kiosk to allow for easy remote appointments, though it would have to meet HIPAA standards. The Mayor was open to the idea and will bring it forward to Aspirus for consideration.
Losing a facility like the clinic will be a real blow to a community like Silver Bay, with even more repercussions taking into account the additional remote surrounding areas relying on the clinic. Easy access to medical facilities is a large factor for many people in choosing where to live, and for Silver Bay’s Vets and older population it is a doubly serious concern, which can mean the difference between life or death when emergencies arise. This will undoubtedly be an ongoing challenge for the City for some time.
The meeting did end on a brighter note with an invitation to the Council to attend Split Rock Lighthouse’s Keeper’s View event on July 31st. The event will be celebrating the completion of several preservation projects at the lighthouse and include lighting the Split Rock beacon on its 116th anniversary.
