City selects firm to develop comprehensive wetland plan, By LAUREL BEAGER, Editor

Council selects Cynthia Jaksa for West Ward position

Acknowledging a tough decision, International Falls City Council Monday selected a firm based in International Falls to develop a comprehensive wetlands management plan.
The council, on a 3-1 vote, agreed to contract with the team of Arro of the North LLC, Svoboda Ecological Resources, Aquatic EcoSolutions and Freeberg and Grund. Cynthia Jaksa, who was appointed to the West Ward council position earlier in the meeting, voted against the motion, saying she favored a proposal offered by the engineering firm of Short, Elliott, Hendrickson, based in Grand Rapids. Councilor Gail Rognerud was absent from the meeting.
The plan will serve as the basis for policy decisions about future development within the city limits. It will also identify areas that could potentially be used as credits when development within the city has disrupted wetlands. The city has received a $30,000 grant from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources and the Department of Natural Resources to be used toward completion of the plan.
SEH proposed to create the management plan at a cost of $76,400. The Arro team proposed to do the work for $76,269, but it was noted that the price would need to be renegotiated because the team included work one-half mile past the city limits.
Enforcement of the provisions of the state’s wetland rules is the role of the DNR, BWSR, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Councilors agreed that either proposal would likely do well for the city. And while most councilors agreed that SEH may have a stronger relationship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, most councilors said they felt more comfortable that the Arro team would fight for the city’s needs.
Mayor Shawn Mason said development of the plan was one of the most important decisions city officials will make.
In other business Monday, the council welcomed Jaksa to the position and agreed to send letters of thanks to Clarence “Swede” Sundberg and Edward Bernath, who also indicated interest in filling the position.
The council seat was left vacant with the resignation of Kelly Meyers in June after he was selected in May as the city’s assistant building official. Jaksa will fill the position until Dec. 31. The city will conduct a special election on Nov. 4 to fill the remaining two-year term of office.
The council recognized Jaksa’s work in education and banking and appointed her to serve as the chairman of the city’s Finance and Legislation Committee.
The council Monday agreed to grant $20,000 to the International Falls-Koochiching County Airport Commission from a city economic development fund, created several years ago from a repaid loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Falls Councilor Tim “Chopper” McBride, who made the motion, told the council that the money would be used by the airport commission to develop lease sites for construction of private hangars at the Falls International Airport. The money would be repaid through the anticipated lease payments.
McBride said the hangars would generate tax income to the county, and enhance the value of the property when they are constructed.
Jaksa abstained from the vote, citing a lack of knowledge on the issue.
In other business, the council heard from Jerry Jensen, fire chief and director of the Falls Ambulance Service, that the licensing process to implement advanced life support into the ambulance service is expected to take about six months.
Jensen also reported to the council that he had issued 152 letters regarding compliance issues with the city’s blight and grass ordinance.