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Ely city council: No need to ‘prove it first’
Adopts another resolution in support of sulfide mining Posted
Keith Vandervort
ELY – With little fanfare and no opposition, the City Council here this week adopted another resolution in support of sulfide mining in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness watershed.
In a unanimous vote, council members agreed to disregard proposals to “Prove it First,” as spelled out in recent federal and state legislation that would require scientific proof before any copper-nickel mining could be permitted in Minnesota without risking pollution to the nearby million-acre wilderness.
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How small is too small for homes in Ely?
Planning and Zoning Commission looks to establish size guidelines Posted
Keith Vandervort
ELY – The minimum size of a home allowed to be built in this community is headed for more than just small talk by zoning officials and council members. A study session planned for this week was postponed until February to give the Planning and Zoning Commission more time to prepare a way forward for a not-so-tiny issue that has been under construction for months.
Keith Vandervort
ELY – Chuck Novak returned to the Ely mayor’s seat Jan. 5 after accepting the city council’s 5-1 vote to appoint him as the interim mayor.
Novak was defeated in the general election last fall by Eric Urbas, although Urbas had pulled out of the race last summer due to health concerns. His name remained on the Nov. 3 ballot, and Urbas was elected mayor by a 925-800 margin. Urbas declined to accept the will of Ely voters, setting up a potential temporary vacuum of leadership.
In their first meeting of the new year on Jan. 5, under the leadership of Acting Mayor Jerome Debeltz, council members approved resolutions declaring a vacancy in the office of mayor, ordering a special election for the office, and appointing an interim mayor.