LITTLEFORK — Littlefork City Councilor Glenn Weigold told The Daily Journal in July that he had voiced and delivered his written concerns about the city’s ambulance service to the rest of the council over three months prior to that time. He was still awaiting any response.
As was apparent at the October council meeting Thursday, he is still waiting.
Weigold’s concerns (primarily about ambulance crew staffing) were scheduled for discussion on the October agenda but the council and the Personnel Committee were incomplete. Mayor Shane Williams and Councilor Noel Schroeder were absent.
“Do you know why I haven’t received any response on my issues?” Weigold asked the remaining council, from which Councilor Loren Lehman was approved as the presiding officer for the meeting.
City Administrator Mike Fairchild said in his view the delay was due to time conflicts, and asked Weigold if he felt that a special meeting with the council and the Personnel Committee should be scheduled. Weigold, who said he was told by some councilors in July that they hadn’t read the concerns yet, replied that he thought it was going to be necessary.
Lehman verified with Weigold the understanding that a meeting with that number of officials would be public.
“Committee meetings are supposed to be public anyway,” Weigold said. Fairchild noted, “Yes, but with that many, we have to announce it and notify two newspapers ...” The board agreed to schedule a meeting in the near future.
In other business, Fairchild reported that he had toured the proposed Industrial Park site with Justin Berg of the Koochiching County Soil and Water Conservation District, in discussion about the site’s wetlands. Berg will be invited to address the council.
Fairchild noted that the time has arrived for choosing a local governing unit for the city’s wetlands. Progress on the project has been tabled as the issue of wetlands has become increasingly prominent.
The council agreed to let the changes in the state law regarding the casing of firearms inside a vehicle govern the issue for Littlefork. The new law says firearms no longer must be transported in a case. The council agreed that to enact a continued requirement to encase guns would create a lack of continuity and be confusing for gun owners.
The only existing law on the Littlefork books remotely regarding the firearm issue dates to 1906, with pioneer-age verbiage that brought some levity to the meeting.
The city still plans to author an all-terrain vehicle ordinance, and is waiting to adapt similar language as that of Koochiching County’s ordinance, which reportedly will be written for a one-year trial period. City Attorney Joe Boyle has submitted some sample statutes to the council.
In fairly uncharted territory, the lack of individual ordinances for ATV usage would leave operators under the jurisdiction of state laws. Weigold questioned if the ordinance was inclusive for six- and eight-wheeled vehicles, carts and mini bikes.
Lehman noted the importance of council attendance at a coming county meeting for input on the ATV matter. “Everyone’s affected by it,” he said.
Fairchild noted there is still an issue regarding whether the city or the county has ATV authority over the roads into and out of the area.
Littlefork City Council News Notes
• The Littlefork City Council approved Thursday to sell two parcels of the city’s tax-forfeited properties, which will be offered in a Koochiching County land sale, as well as adding back previously assigned special assessments.
• The council approved Dec. 10 and 17 as Truth in Taxation hearing dates.
• Ambulance Service Chief Tom Donahou reported 20 ambulance runs in September. He also reported that five individuals are taking emergency medical technician training and up to seven Littlefork EMT candidates may be testing in December. Donahou noted that due to some adverse reactions from vaccinations given to Littlefork Medical Center staff, ambulance personnel are still awaiting vaccinations.
• Further decisions on Unorganized Township Road 168 will wait until after a scheduled November meeting with the county.
• Approved by the council was the $2,025 construction cost quote for replacing a back door on the Littlefork Community Building.
• The council also approved allowing the U.S. Census Bureau to create a temporary office in the Littlefork Fire Hall.
