A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
This Carlton County satellite map shows the constructed fiber optic lines of SCI Broadband, some of which are going to be installed this summer. The area around Cromwell is also an area of SCI construction this summer. The shaded area runs from Moose Lake west through Silver, Split Rock and Automba townships is the largest area being considered for new fiber optic lines installed by SCI and is included in this latest grant cycle.
Icy roads did not deter a dozen concerned Kettle River citizens from attending Monday's Carlton County Board meeting to ask why the grader was pulled from the Kettle River area county garage.
"Six months ago the Kettle River people were assured the county garage would stay open," Bob Hattenberger said to county commissioners. "No one from the county let us know the garage was empty. Our first inkling the man and machine were gone was when we saw no tracks in the snow in front of the garage. We were shocked and angry why no one let us know."
In an interview after the meeting, county coordinator Dennis Genereau said county engineer JinYeene Neumann had requested to have the new county grader temporarily stationed out of the Barnum garage to have mechanics check over the machine each day of service for any problems. Also, she thought it was a good time to see how long it took to service the Kettle River maintenance area from the Barnum location and possible wear and tear and extra fuel consumption.
Hattenberger said he investigated electricity and sewer and water costs of the Kettle River garage and the cost to the county is no more than $3,000 per year at current costs. Possible extra fuel cost, he said, is far less than running a grader from the Barnum garage and the wear and tear on the machine from unnecessary travel.
Nearly 75 Kettle River residents attended a board meeting in 2021 in support of keeping the garage open. Tempers flared and comments from the audience came from several of the attendees without being recognized by the board chair. The board's response was to update the policy for visitors making comments and submitting testimony on a particular issue, limiting them to four minutes each.
On Tuesday, six Kettle River residents took the podium to address the board.
Rory Butkiewicz, who taped the board meeting for possible public television airing out of Moose Lake, spoke of how his father's survival after a heart attack was possible when the county plow opened a snow blocked road for the ambulance.
Assistant Kettle River fire chief Tom Simi pushed for keeping the garage open and noted there are a lot of local Kettle River neighbors frustrated by a possible garage closure coming after assurances earlier that it would stay open.
A meeting with five Kettle River area residents with members of the Transportation Department is set for March 15 to discuss the future of the Kettle River garage.
Broadband support
Upon a recommendation from Economic Development Director Mary Finnegan, the Carlton County board unanimously gave its support for an application by Savage Communications Inc. (SCI) for a Border-to-Border broadband grant administered by the state Department of Employment and Economic Development.
The plan is to install fiber optic cable up to each home and business wanting the service in an area including Silver, Split Rock and Automba townships.
Scott Savage, part-owner of SCI, said the proposed project would provide high-speed internet service at a higher speed and level than what Minnesota broadband has set as a download and upload goal.
He added that the rates would be competitive with other services being offered. SCI has a goal to provide service to areas that are determined as "unserved" or "underserved" by the Office of Broadband Development through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Even if the initiative is approved for funding, the installation is two to three years away.
This summer SCI is installing broadband cable in the Cromwell area, south and north, and along Minnesota Highway 210 west through Wright with branches to the north and south. Many areas are still not going to see dependable service in the near future.
In the event of a successful award to SCI, Carlton County has agreed to commit $50,000 in funding of this project.
"It's time to get moving on these types of projects," Finnegan said. "It doesn't happen overnight."
State extends jail sunset
The Minnesota Department of Corrections has sent a letter extending the sunset date for the current Carlton County Jail an extra year, until July 31, 2024. The original letter in 2020 called for the jail to be closed by July 31, 2023.
Inspectors for the DOC Accountability and Enforcement said they were convinced that Carlton County is "moving ahead with the construction phase without undue delay" as work on the new justice center has already begun.
Other matters
The board accepted a donation of $1,350 from the Carlton Area Lions Club to pay for bullet resistant/protective vest equipment for sheriff's office deputies. The vests now being ordered cost $800 to $1000 each.
The board unanimously approved the 2024 budget planning schedule with the final date of Dec. 26 to approve the 2024 budget and levy.
