City seeks funding to complete sewer upgrade

A seat on the Moose Lake City Council opened on August 12 when council formally accepted the resignation of longtime member John Unzen, who began his reign in office 16 years ago. At the regular meeting last week city administrator David Talbot Jr. read Unzen’s letter of resignation, which states his career-related move to Onamia six months ago as cause for leaving Moose Lake.

“He will be missed on this council,” said councilor Curt Yort. “He was the voice of reason.”

Last re-elected in November of 2008, Unzen leaves with an unexpired term of three years, prompting council to seek his replacement through appointment, for either the duration of the remaining term or until the next regular election. Residents interested in serving on city council should submit a letter of interest to the city for consideration and, following an interview process, possible council appointment at next month’s meeting.

Talbot raised concern over phase two of the city’s two-part sanitary sewer upgrade project that began earlier this year with phase one, repair of the existing wastewater collection and treatment system. While phase one is near completion and funded through a $3 million loan from Public Facilities Authority (PFA), phase two is uncertain while the city secures an additional $5 million in funding.

Council has again requested $750,000 in funding from the state’s U.S. Army Corp of Engineers through its environmental assistance program. The city plans to match the remaining $4 million cost of phase two by issuing utility revenue bonds and/or securing another loan from PFA.

Phase two involves expanding the city’s newly repaired sanitary system to also accommodate additional community growth and phase two of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program’s (MSOP) two-part expansion. Talbot reported that the MSOP project is expected to receive high priority in the Legislature’s bonding bill for next year, with construction of the building two to begin in the spring.

With the MSOP project dependent on the city’s sewer upgrade, Talbot suggests that council continue with phase two of the sewer expansion next year. Since the city already has a low interest rate in place for the sewer project, and the construction crews are currently in town and poised to begin along Lakeshore Drive, Talbot cautions, “If we don’t make a decision to move forward, the contractors will pull out.”

He intimated that there may be a special council meeting toward making a decision on the sewer project.

Broadband expansion update

Councilor Bill Carlson presented an exhaustive update on the city’s pursuit to expand the delivery of its broadband and wireless internet service, Moose-Tec, to underserved and underutilized areas currently unable to receive service. Moose-Tec began operating in 2003 under the Moose Lake Power (Water and Light) Commission and is capable of covering a 25-mile radius from Barnum to Willow River. Yet there are gaps where broadband is not available.

The city is looking to fill in those gaps and expand its broadband coverage from southern Carlton County to northern Pine County, to include the areas of Askov, Finlayson, Denham, McGregor, and Carlton.

Four months ago council and the city’s Water and Light Commission initiated an application for a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) Federal grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. “It’s a first time opportunity, and we want to make the most of it,” said Carlson.

He talked of the extensive application process and the intended components covered in the cost of the project. “It has become a huge and costly project,” said Carlson.

Components and infrastructure to the estimated $5 million expansion include: broadband service center, public computer center, an information sharing network, home monitoring for patients of Mercy Hospital, and distance learning and technical support via Fond du Lac Community College. The college has “wholeheartedly given their support,” said Carlson.

Although the project leaders, including Carlson and Talbot, intended to complete the application by August 21, the due date for the first round of funding, the process became tedious and necessitated more work hours than initially available. “There is no way it can be ready for submission to the Federal government by the Friday deadline,” said Talbot.

Council agreed to Talbot’s proposal that, “we back up, revisit the issues, and be prepared for the second application submittal,” due at the beginning of 2010. “We will come out with a much better application.”

Talbot noted that because of the mounting research and hours involved in the process, others will be joining the council and Water and Light Commission in completing the application by the next due date, including the city engineer and a representative from Genesis Wireless, the commission’s technical consultant.