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Tower council approves joint airport zoning board, sets cannabis fees and greenlights EMS purchases
Summary
The City of Tower Council on April 13 approved creation of a Joint Airport Zoning Board with a $17,520 local share, set cannabis permit fees at $250 for initial registration and renewals, accepted ambulance sale proceeds, and approved EMS training and equipment purchases; multiple routine resolutions also passed unanimously.
Mayor David Setterberg presided over the City of Tower Regular City Council meeting on April 13, 2026. Councilors voted unanimously on a series of routine and project-specific items, including airport zoning, cannabis permit fees, EMS staffing and equipment, and scheduling a public hearing for a Harbor Court road vacation.
The council approved Resolution 2026-011 to create a Joint Airport Zoning Board (JAZB) after a presentation by Matt Stewart of SEH on updated state airport safety zoning standards. The project is mostly grant-funded; the city’s local share is $17,520, with MnDOT covering $40,880 and $1,000 allocated toward city administrative and attorney expenses. Councilor Joe Morin moved the resolution and it passed unanimously. Council will appoint two JAZB members at the May meeting.
On land-use procedural steps for the Harbor project, the council set a public hearing on a proposed Harbor Court road vacation for Thursday, May 30 at 5 p.m. at City Hall and adopted Resolution 2026-013 directing required public notifications and ordinance readings.
The council addressed public-safety and EMS items: it approved an 18-month payment plan for ambulance billing accounts and authorized hiring a new EMT pending a background check. Council also approved Greenwood-sponsored shared wildland training ($500 per person, listed as reimbursable by MBFTE) and the purchase of two wildland fire shelters ($500 each) and two portable wildland packs ($246 each). A proposed approval for EMT student ride-alongs was discussed but the motion was retracted and the item was tabled to the next meeting.
The 2013 Unit 1 ambulance recently sold at auction for $10,300; after a $618 fee the net proceeds are $9,682. Council noted additional costs to disable lights and sirens and staff time to remove insignia; proceeds will be applied against those costs.
Council also took several routine governance actions: it expanded the Airport Commission from five to six members and appointed applicants to open seats (Resolution 2026-010); adopted Resolution 2026-012 designating the 2026 polling place; approved a fee schedule under Ordinance 93, Section 8.B setting cannabis initial-registration and renewal fees at $250; requested an early distribution of tax levy proceeds from St. Louis County to support summer projects; and appointed Steve Abrahamson to an additional six-year term on the TEDA board (Resolution 2026-015). The council approved contracting Cole Appraisals for $3,500 to appraise the current City Hall building prior to listing it for sale.
Other administrative and operations items included: Civic Center boiler replacement and pending furnace installation at Public Works; lowest fence quote for the Public Works building from Grand Rapids at $2,100; wastewater valve work estimated at $5,000 and sewer televising estimated at $10,000 for summer 2026, with funds accounted for in the budget; and discussion of trail rerouting and potential parking arrangements with the owner of the old Iron Ore Bar after moving a planned reroute one block east because of obstructed sightlines at Zup's.
All recorded motions in the minutes passed unanimously where votes are recorded. The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.
