Earlier this month, Silver Bay had its beautiful Bay Days event, and Silver Bay Mayor LeLeBlanc thanked City Councilor DeRosier for participation in the Bay Days Parade. “I think, personally, it was one of the best Bay Days, if not the best,” LeBlanc continued on to say, noting the great fireworks show and the perfect weather (which, as it turned out, narrowly avoided some very terrible smoke). The region has been home to many fun events lately, from the Finland Ball Tournament to Ride the Shore, plus fishing contests and weekly concerts, and despite a brief punch from the smoke, events are carrying on as normal now that clearer skies are back.
Consent agenda items approved of note included: a recent opening on the EDA Board; a letter from Silver Bay’s Mayor thanking North Shore Area Partners for all they have done to help the local community by giving volunteer rides to the elderly and giving support for their endeavors; and an RFP (request for quotes) regarding sidewalk replacements, a regular annual expense for Silver Bay that is not part of the Citywide Street and Improvement Project.
Two of the resolutions handled by the Council this session were amendments to previous recent resolutions, with one adding another alternate election judge for Silver Bay. The other was more complicated. The Golf Course Housing Development Project recently came up during the June 15th City Council meeting, leading to a resolution aimed at recouping costs from the project so far by potentially selling a few of the most prepared lots. Afterwards, a further look into the matter determined the final plat needed for this plan was not completed, with the City’s EDA Board and Planning and Zoning Board recommending a different plan. For the moment, the resolution approved at the June 15th meeting has been rescinded, and it’s back to the drawing board for the Golf Course Housing project.
In more positive news, there is steady progress towards adding a playground back to the area outside the Multi-Modal Trailhead Center. On the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Board, the Council approved working with Midwest Playscapes, a Minnesota-based company. Exact design details are still being decided, such as flooring for the playground. Although rubber flooring has become the ideal in recent years for safety reasons, especially in place of old concrete, its expense may lead to the more traditional yet still common use of mulch. In addition to the playground, there are plans to add benches, bike racks, picnic tables, and garbage receptacles to the area. Sun protection was also brought up as a desired feature and will be considered in future planning.
Another piece of progress for the new Trailhead Center was approving the installation of an automatic door operator to the Wayside Rest entrance of the building for easier handicap accessibility, as the current door is technically ADA compliant but very inconvenient for wheelchair users.
Aspirus’s Silver Bay clinic closure had a small update with the announcement of a public hearing on the 28th held in Two Harbors; the fact that a meeting on Silver Bay’s future was not held in the Silver Bay area was not lost on the Council. The clinic is currently planned to close at the end of this year.
The last noteworthy business of the meeting was several properties deemed blighted by Silver Bay’s City Code, Chapter Five, Section 550. These properties will receive a twoweek notice from the City before a warrant is obtained and their yard is cleaned by professionals. This service is not free, however, as any expenses incurred from the cleaning are added to their property tax. According to the City Code, Silver Bay considers blight on normal residential properties to generally include: weeds or grass above eight inches or that have gone or are about to go to seed, accumulated garbage or junk outside of disposal containers, and unused machinery, large household items, or any other similar things that might attract pests or be a safety hazard.
