Cornell City Council - ATVs/UTVs a step closer to entering Cornell from west

Cornell City Council member/Cornell Area ATV Riders member Sandy Schecklman spoke about her work with the county and local boards to open roads for ATV travel, while council member/ Cornell Area ATV Riders president Bill Kvapil looked on May 2. A number of components are needed before the roads are open, with local clubs funding the needed signage. Photo by Ginna Young

By Ginna Young

Local ATV clubs are working to get more roads open throughout Chippewa County, to increase access to municipalities and thereby, tourism. To help with that, the Cornell City Council approved an amendment May 2, to Ordinance 24-3, allowing for ATV/UTV travel from Park Road to County Hwy. CC.

At the beginning of the project, Sandy Schecklman, council member/Cornell Area ATV Riders member, contacted the county highway department about opening CC to the city limits. She was informed she needed approval from the Town of Cleveland for the last 2/10 of a mile to County Hwy. Z.

“Otherwise, we have no way to go from there,” said Schecklman.

As far as the ATV club knew, Cleveland was on board with the plan, but then changed their minds, based on further guidance from the highway department. That’s where the ordinance comes in from the city, while Cleveland needs to provide a similar ordinance.

The local club is also trying to get all of CC open to County Hwy. M in Holcombe, but they need approval from the Town of Birch Creek. All this has to be wrapped up by May 31, in order to apply for the changes or it will need to wait until next spring.

They also need a permit from the state to cross the blue bridge over the Chippewa River in Cornell.

“That’s another layer and I’m on a really tight deadline here,” said Schecklman.

One barrier they are facing, is the assumption/ misinformation that each municipality is required to pay for the signs, but that is incorrect; all the clubs in Chippewa County are paying for the signs.

“Once we pay for them, they become the county’s property and then they have to replace them,” said Schecklman.

Members also approved Ordinance 24-2, which allows for domestic and non-domestic sewage customer fees of a fixed charge of $20.83/month, and a volume charge of $9.65/1,000 gallons; a flat rate for unmetered customers, with small user (household size of one or two) charge of $40.12/month, and a large user (household size of three or more) charge of $59.41/month; and tanker truck haulers fees for holding tank discharge of $19.85/1,000 gallon and a septic tank discharge fee of $68.75/1,000 gallon.

That’s a 6 percent increase on residents in town, while tanker fees are bringing in waste hauling more in line with surrounding communities.

“We do have to increase our revenues on sewer utilities to keep up with the debt payment,” said city administration Dave DeJongh.