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Thursday, November 21, 2024
HomeCommunitySilver Bay Council; Silverpoint II, WKS Ribbon Cutting, North Shore Management Meetings

Silver Bay Council; Silverpoint II, WKS Ribbon Cutting, North Shore Management Meetings

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.

Rick Evans
Rick Evans
My wife, Marsha Kinzer (a proud DEHS Greyhound, class of ‘77) introduced me to the North Shore on vacation in 2012. It became our regular escape when the stress of our careers in education became overwhelming, and it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the breathtaking scenery, the nice people, and “salad” containing Jell-o and marshmallows. So you can either blame or thank my loving wife for my being here, because when we needed to choose a retirement hometown, Marsha advocated hard for her beloved Duluth, and here we are, six months later. Yes, this will be my first northern Minnesota winter. Yes, I welcome thoughts and prayers. Government, public policy, and social justice weighed heavily in the curriculums I taught at the high school level over a thirty-eight year career. In addition, we were a laboratory school focused on critical thinking in conjunction with technical and scientific writing. So when I found myself adrift on the great ocean of retirement and spied a raft, I jumped at the chance to take up what I’d left behind…minus the bad teachers’ lounge coffee. My position at the NSJ allows me to combine my passions for government and writing, and it’s helping me to feel less out of touch in new surroundings. When I’m not being “Cubby” (Marsha’s favorite new nickname for this green reporter) I enjoy pointing at eagles and saying, “Look, honey. There’s an eagle.” I’ve had an active side hustle as a professional musician for almost as many years as Charlie Parr. As a guitarist/singer/songwriter, I graced the stages of clubs and festivals around southern Wisconsin, including an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion. Should I even mention A Prairie Home Companion, or am I the only one here old enough to remember what that is? Look! An eagle!
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