Superior Town Council determines no primaries are needed

SUPERIOR - At the July meeting of the Superior Town Council, it was determined that no primary ballots will be necessary for upcoming elections.

The elections will decide several positions in town government, including mayor, and the closing date for candidates was June 27. The elections administrator reviewed the filings and since only one person filed per open position, Councilor Angelo Ververis adopted Resolution No. 381.

The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

In other new council business it was reported that progress is being made on the town office project. The offices will be adjacent to the Superior Fire Hall and the contractor for the project expects it to be done by the end of July.

The town council discussed selling land on Diamond Road and Superior Volunteer Fire Chief John Woodland reported that the appraiser traditionally used by the town has retired and he has contacted two others. One responded and quoted the town a cost of $750.00 to conduct the appraisal.

Mineral County Search and Rescue has expressed interest in the property, however member Dennis Hildebrand said they have not met and as such he doesn’t have any new information on the organizations interest.

Councilor Ververis made a motion to set the asking price for the land on Diamond Road at $75,000. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Summer is in full swing and Councilor Denyse Traeder reported the town pool is “running good.” The pool’s pump is approximately 16-years-old and Councilor Traeder said installing a new pump was discussed with Steve Moran of Pool World.

The town has budgeted to replace the pool pump after the pool closes.

Mayor Michael Wood read the June report from the Superior Volunteer Fire Department, which stated the SVFD responded to four emergency calls during the month of June.

On June 11 at approximately 5:15 pm the SVFD responded to a report of a grass fire threatening structures in the Coleman’s Corner area.

“I was in my vehicle in the Castle’s parking lot when dispatched and responded directly,” Mayor Wood read. “About the same time, we experienced a high wind event associated with a weather front. Upon arrival, I found a mobile home heavily involved, with a truck camper and second mobile home exposure up wind and wind driven fire torching trees and moving rapidly toward a cluster of structures to the east.”

The report continued to state that most of the area around the structures was “either overgrown or cluttered with debris” and the only place to stage a fire engine to catch the fire before more structures became involved was under a Northwest Energy transmission line.

The efforts were successful and the next structure was saved. Fifteen members of the SFVD responded and members of the St. Regis Volunteer Fire Department as well as Forest Service Firefighters also responded.

At 5:40 am on June 29 the department responded to a page for a structure fire at 406 Pine Street.

“On arrival we found a vacant single story structure with attic and basement,” Mayor Wood read. “Moderate levels of smoke were coming out of the structure on all levels and sides.”

Chief Woodland and his crew determined a “significant” portion of the fire was in the basement and began an interior attack. Large amounts of clothing and other flammable debris were found by the initial attack crew at the foot of the inside basement stairs.

“They were able to enter the basement and knock down much of the fire but were faced with rekindles from the significant amount of piled debris,” Mayor Wood read. “Observing an increase in volume and intensity of smoke coming from the attic and mindful that this was an unoccupied structure, crews were ordered out of the structure and commenced an exterior attack.”

The SVFD was able to extinguish the fire and Chief Woodland’s report states “there is every reason to believe this fire was set,” which prompted calling for an investigation.

“We believe the fire in the basement had been smoldering for at least a couple of hours,” Mayor Wood read. “It had extended up through a void between the house and an addition on the rear, resulting in fire in the attic and under a separate roof area over the addition as well as the basement.”

Twelve volunteers responded to the fire.

The next regular meeting of the Superior Town Council will take place on August 12.