A number of Silver Bay residents were at Monday night’s City Council meeting to voice concerns about the way the city plans to deal with unsheltered storage on private property. One resident said that she believes the newly outlined resolution is too broad and is unnecessary. She encouraged Council members to enforce policies that are already on the books. Another resident expressed concern about the heavy handed nature of the resolution stating that a possible $1,000 fine and 3 month jail term would be devastating for folks on a fixed income. He acknowledged that unsheltered storage and unkempt lawns are a problem, but encouraged the Council not to take a “one size fits all approach” to addressing the issue. A public meeting is scheduled for August 5th so that residents can give input to the Council on how they would like the issue of unsheltered items and yard clutter to be dealt with.
Any resident of Silver Bay who is interested in serving on the City Council should file the appropriate paperwork with the City Administrator. City election filings are accepted between July 30th and August 13th. There are two seats on the council that will be open and Mayor LeBlanc’s two year term expires in December of this year.
The Council accepted a resolution to transfer $13, 240 from Liquor Store earnings to the Parks and Recreation Department, as has been the practice in years past. A resident asked why those funds aren’t set aside for street improvements. Mayor LeBlanc reminded attendees that there is money set aside for street maintenance and that the funds transferred from the Liquor Store are an important part of the Parks Department’s yearly budget.
Work on the East Lakeview Drive improvement project has been progressing. 92% of the work has been completed including paving, pavement marking, concrete work and seeding. The Council voted to accept a pay request for the work that has been done.
A date has been set for a joint meeting with the Public Works and Public Utilities Departments to discuss the city-wide street construction project and assessment plan. That meeting is scheduled for July 29th at 3:30. The Council also accepted a lease agreement with the Silver Bay Blueline Hockey Club for use of the arena for their hockey camp. Registration for the camp is now open. Call 218-220-8822 for more information or to register.
Finally, Mayor LeBlanc expressed appreciation for all the hard work that City staff and area volunteers put into making this year’s Bay Days celebration a rousing success.
The next Silver Bay Council meeting will be held on August 5th at 7:00 p.m.
