For an outlay of $5,000 and 60 hours of staff time, the county will be receiving about $70,000 from the U.S. Forest Service toward the installation of culverts intended to improve passageways for fish. Bill Parish of the Cook County Highway Department presented the opportunity to the county board Tuesday, November 10, 2009. A letter to County Engineer Shae Kosmalski […]
New county tax abatement policy
The county board approved a new tax abatement policy Tuesday, November 10, 2009, drafted with input from numerous county personnel including County Assessor Mary Black, Assistant County Assessor Allison Lowe, Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers, Chief Deputy Auditor Aimee Luick, Deputy Auditor Cortnee Ashford, and County Attorney Tim Scannell. The policy, last updated in 1990, states, “Abatements are a last resort to […]
County board votes to proceed with Magney area survey
Thetrue boundaries of properties comprising 10 square miles in and around Judge Magney State Park are currently unknown, but county surveyor Wayne Hensche wants to find them. Ten East End property owners along with numerous county staff attended a public hearing Tuesday, November 10, 2009 regarding the possibility of the county authorizing a survey of the entire tract. “There’s this […]
City anxious for referendum projects to get under way
Grand Marais Mayor Sue Hakes told city councilors Nov. 9 that now is the time to move forward with projects approved a week earlier by voters when they passed a 1 percent sales tax referendum. “That was our number one goal, and we helped pass it. It’s fabulous,” Hakes said. “But how do we take this and apply it to […]
In other business:
» Council continued to fine-tune the city’s 2010 budget during their work session with managers of the city’s golf course and liquor store. Pat Hennessy, manager of the Municipal Liquor Store, said there was an increase of about 4 percent, or $50,000, in sales over the previous year, and there have been no major problems with the building other than […]
1% passage brings discussion of county administrator position
A “triple play” may not be possible, but the game isn’t over yet. The second question in the November 3 referendum, which would have authorized the county to own and operate a telephone system along with a TV and broadband network, failed to pass with a 65% vote. Proponents of a countywide fiber optic network, however, have other ideas sitting […]
Sivertson nominated for outstanding SWCD supervisor
The Cook County Soil & Water Conservation District has nominated Don Sivertson for the 2009 state’s outstanding SWCD supervisor award. Sivertson was nominated for the award, according to Cook County Soil & Water, because “during his 13 years as a Soil & Water supervisor and representing water quality issues of the west end of the county, Don brought leadership to […]
Adventure is just an imagination away
Twenty-three people, most with lunches in hand, showed up at East Bay to hear some stories Friday, October 23, 2009. With a backdrop of giant waves roaring outside the windows and a fire blazing in the hearth, they settled in to hear Judie Johnson of Grand Marais talk about adventure. The brown bag lunch talk was one of an ongoing […]
Operation Round Up grants awarded
Eleven non-profit entities gathered at the Cook County Community Center on October 19 to receive grants totaling $12,821.57 from the Arrowhead Electric Cooperative, Inc (AECI) Operation Round Up program. Sue Prom, of the Operation Round Up board of trustees once again had the honor of presenting checks to representatives of the grants. Prom said serving on the board of trustees […]
Cook County’s scouting sisters
With Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, and Cadette troops starting up another year, “Girl Scouting is alive, well and active in Cook County!” said troop leader Laura LaFavor.