Author: Web Administrator

Posted on

Township Board Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month.

Wabana Township is governed by an elected Board of three supervisors, one clerk, and one  treasurer. Our regular business meeting is conducted on the 1st Wednesday of each month at the Wabana Town Hall, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. It’s a great way to meet your neighbors and stay involved in the health and well-being of our Wabana Township community! Residents are encouraged to contact Clerk, Steve Melin with any agenda items prior to a meeting, or bring up their ideas and concerns at the meeting. From time to time special meetings are scheduled. Notices for these meetings will be published in the Grand Rapids Herald Review, and posted on the Town Hall door. 

Board Meetings are held in person at the Township Hall and via Zoom.

MEETING ID: 841 1114 6136
PASSWORD: WabanaMtg2

Township Officers and Staff:

Staff Directory

NameFunctionPhone/e-Mail
Lloyd AdamsSupervisor218-999-9749
Lloyd.adams.wabana@gmail.com
Deb KeeTreasurer218-326-2115
deb.kee.wabana@gmail.com
Steve MelinClerk218-256-5913
 wabanatownshipclerk@gmail.com
Jane MooreChair563-580-5253
jane.moore.wabana@gmail.com
Mark JohnsonDeputy Chair218-398-6959
mark.johnson.wabana@gmail.com
Lynne PernsteinerCemetery Sexton
Warbler Editor		651-341-5000
Carol SpeedlingDeputy Clerk612-518-8992
Ken AhoMaintenance
Ice Rink		218-256-7230
Staff Directory

Wabana Town Hall. (Click on image for map)
30980 Clearwater Rd, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
(218) 326-4575
Posted on

What Happened to Dust Control?

You may be asking yourself, “why so much dust from the roads this year?” “Why isn’t the Township getting dust control applied like previous years?” You are not alone. Other Wabana Township residents have asked the same thing. The answer, unfortunately, is because it has become too costly. 

The costs for road maintenance have increased significantly in the last three years, and to avoid a significant increase in the Township tax levy, a reduction in the amount of dust control was proposed at the March 2025 Township Annual Meeting and approved by the residents at the meeting. It was agreed to apply dust control to Wakeman Bay Road only versus all the township roads as was done in the past. Wakeman Bay Road is the most travelled road in the township has 5 other roads that flow into it.  

The township maintains 7.15 miles of roads and below is a summary of past and current costs:

Dust Control:
2022 = $10,500    2023 = $13,300    2024= $17,700     2025 = invoice has yet to be received but Itasca County has estimated that cost per mile will be higher than 2024 (Note: Itasca County has made changes to their dust control coverage as well due to rising costs). 

Snowplowing:
2022, 2023, 2024 = $4,300 per season     2025 = $6,800 for the season       2026 = $11,600 for the season

Monthly Road Grading:   2022 – 2024 = $120.00 per hour    2025 = $135.00 per hour

Yearly Road Maintenance / Repairs:  Township budgets $15,000 annually

So, in order to maintain a total road budget of around $45,000 per year, it was decided to reduce the amount of dust control. However, there is a simple, free solution to reducing the dust that gets kicked up when driving – slow down! Studies have shown that for every 10 mph that your speed is reduced, there is a 50% decrease in the dust that is generated.  Not only does reducing your speed cause less dust to go flying around, it keeps your vehicle cleaner.