Rib Lake board looks to Ice Age trail to boost tourism

EMILY GOJMERAC

REPORTER

Rib Lake is always looking for ways to bring more people into the community. An idea a resident brought up to the Village Board on Wednesday night, they hope may just be the ticket.

Charles “Butch” Clendenning submitted an idea to the board of making Rib Lake Ice Age Trail a member of the Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA). The IATA promotes the unique qualities that make the trail, and the community it travels through, a meaningful destination.

Once the IATA has accepted Rib Lake into their alliance, a sign will be placed on either side of town to signify that the town is now part of the IATA. Rib Lake will be put into the IATA’s publications as a camping, hiking, and outdoor activity destination.

To make this membership possible, it would be a one time fee of $2,500, which President Bill Schreiner added could be paid with the room tax, because that money has to be spent on tourism.

“This is a great way to bring people into town and highlight what Rib Lake has to offer,” Clendenning said.

In other business: The McComb Ave./Landall Ave. road and lighting project will be starting May 1, with hopes to be completed by early August. Along with this lighting project, plans for the sidewalks will become wider, and that will leave room for two 15-foot driving lanes.

The water tower rehabilitation project is on hold due to funding challenges. The board agreed that the chances of the village getting a grant through the Clean Water Fund, Safe Drinking Water loan program are much higher and worth waiting for.

The Rib Lake squad truck has been delivered, equipment will be completely installed by March 1. Police Chief Derek Beckstrand hopes to sell the old squad car to Northcentral Technical College (NTC) to use as a training vehicle for their Criminal Justice program.

Garbage disposal rates will increase from $27/month to $29/month.

Village hall will have new master keys made for all village owned buildings and will remain in the village office in case of emergencies due to several locks being changed on buildings without the villages’ knowledge.

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Russ Bullis said “When I had to go to the ambulance garage, I only had one key that worked. We need access to these buildings in case of an emergency.”

Rib Lake Fish & Game can continue to use Tannery Pond to raise the walleyes.

Motion moved to go into closed session Back into open session, it was moved by Bullis, seconded by Buksa that the Village buys Aspirus’ interest in the Rib Lake Clinic building for $30,000.00, per the terms of the Agreement for Construction and Operation of a Medical Clinic Building between the Village and Aspirus from June 1997, which permitted the Village to purchase Aspirus’ interest in the improvements at a discounted purchase price to reflect the Village’s share of the initial costs to purchase the real estate and construct the building.