The first major order of business for this meeting was the City of Silver Bay’s 2025 City Audit, presented by BerganKDV auditor Aaron Dahl. The audit was overall positive, with the city staying remarkably close to its projected budget for the year. The city is maintaining a healthy general fund balance, with the water and sewer funds also showing modest net increases from 2021 to 2025. Silver Bay Mayor Wade LeBlanc gave kudos to City Administrator Lana Fralich and all the office staff for their work on the budget, saying that “to see some of those expense numbers mirror what was budgeted is a heck of a job.” Dahl echoed that support, stating: “We don’t see [the numbers] that close very often.” Fralich cautioned that the City’s upcoming projects would be a challenge, but that seeing the budget balanced so far was a good sign. The report did warn of the lack of separation of accounting duties occurring in Silver Bay due to the city office’s small number of employees, which the city notes it is aware of and is taking steps to prevent potential future issues.
City Administrator Fralich is planning to attend the May 11th meeting of RAMS (Range Association of Municipalities and Schools) for presentations on Budget Impacts of Iron Mining Trends: How Communities can Plan Ahead. The event in Virginia/Mt. Iron, one of three taking place across the Iron Range, is geared towards local officials and staff to discuss recent changes in the iron mining industry, how the area is being affected, and possible solutions to impacted budgets. Fralich encouraged council members to join her if possible, given the importance of the industry and region to Silver Bay’s own operations. Kitty Mayo also briefly shared information with the Council on the Survive This! event to raise awareness of emergency situations and how to handle them. Lastly, in the Communications to the Council, Fralich wants to remind Silver Bay residents of City Code 910.02, which was recently updated so that “No grass, leaves, dirt, branches, debris, or rubbish shall be deposited onto a public street, alley, or sidewalk, and shall be deemed a public nuisance.” She noted the storm drains are not meant to handle large amounts of debris and that the City’s street sweeper, which is easily damaged by debris, recently had to undergo expensive repairs. Police will be enforcing the update.
The approved consent agenda items of note included: partnership with the Silver Bay Veteran’s Home for a Memorial Day service at 2 pm; updates to the City of Silver Bay Vehicle Fleet Safety Program policy and the City’s Handbook for Seasonal and Part-time Employees, with updates including the use of driver monitoring software and more stringent driver’s license requirements; a one-day community-wide brush cleanup event on May 26th; an agreement for the 2026 Music in the Park event by Rocky Wall Entertainment; and approval of the Aggregate Stockpile Production contract, to be shared with Beaver Bay, with Crystal Bay’s participation pending.
Next on the agenda was the continued discussion over the future of the Mary MacDonald facility, namely, whether to fix up the current building or to demolish it and start fresh on the site. City Administrator Fralich began by stating that there had been no progress in sourcing funding from representatives for the building, partially due to the lack of financial numbers currently available. The Resolution being voted on is paying for conceptual planning and assessment for a new facility, which was previously tabled until the Council could get more possible proposals and feedback. The Council had some back and forth over the viability of renovating the facility versus building new and possible costs, taking into consideration that a new building would allow more options for possible designs and thus potential costs. It was eventually agreed that a better idea of the costs involved was needed, which would be provided by the assessment. Mayor LeBlanc approved, stating, “It’s still $13,000, but in order for us to make the best decision for all of the residents of Silver Bay, I think that’s money well spent.” The resolution passed, with Council members Bautch and Hoff dissenting.
A second resolution had City Engineer Josh Stier covering proposed easements as part of the City’s utility improvements. The Council approved authorization to begin easement negotiations with the involved property owners.
The next order of business concerned the site currently known as Silverpointe II. Matthew Johnson of Lake County HRA updated the Council on the status of the ongoing project and on getting financing. There were no immediate requests to the City, but there is good progress on the future of the site. In new business, there was a proposal to restart Silver Bay’s Garden Club, aimed at helping beautify the City. The Club historically was a way for local women to get involved with City improvements, and there has already been positive buzz over a new version of the group. A modest budget, along with donations for costs of flowers, planters, soil, and other related equipment, was requested and enthusiastically approved.
The final business matters were for two vacancies, one on the Parks and Recreation Board and one on the Mary MacDonald Board. The Council backed Albertjan Planten Van Afton for the former and CJ Bradbury-Prudjen for the latter.
