About 40 people attended a public input session on the proposed Cook County Community Center on Tuesday, April 10. Community Center Director Diane Booth was one of the people who spoke briefly before participants gathered in small groups to discuss the community center project.
About 40 people turned out for the Tuesday, April 10 public input meeting on the proposed Cook County Community Center—less than 1 percent of the county’s 5,176 permanent residents. Whether or not such a small sampling of the population can provide an adequate representation of the county’s overall opinion of the community center project may be questioned. But there was no questioning the passionate opinions offered throughout the evening in the Community Ed gym.
The gathering began at 5 p.m. with opening remarks by several members of the Community Center Steering Committee—County Commissioner Sue Hakes, Chair Paul Sporn and ISD 166 School Board Member Jeanne Anderson. Current Community Center Director Diane Booth spoke briefly on how the community center could be maintained. Chris Francis, Duluth YMCA CEO, talked about what the YMCA could do for the community.
Attendees then split into small groups to “share information.” Superintendent Beth Schwarz said the old gym had been set up for 75 small group attendees. Three groups were formed—two circles of chairs sat empty.
Participants sat in a circle on folding chairs while a facilitator asked questions and jotted down concerns of the small group on a large tablet. Robust discussion took up more than an hour as groups voiced concerns or expressed support for various aspects of the proposed community center.
There were many comments about the need to not duplicate existing amenities. One man said the curling club would not be able to maintain the current community center on its own. At least one member in each of the three small groups advocated for not building a new swimming pool, but instead fixing the existing pool. Several citizens in one group cited signatures collected on a petition in support of maintaining the existing pool. They also expressed frustration that their suggestion—and an estimate of repairs for the pool—had been dismissed without serious consideration. “We brought you a study that showed we could fix the pool for mega-dollars less than what you’re talking about,” said one woman.
Several participants expressed displeasure with the process. One woman said the community had no chance to give input until a plan had been formulated. Others responded that the first plan was just that—a first draft. “At the first meeting, yes, they put in every possible element. Then the process, after hearing from the public, was to shave it down. That is what the steering committee has been doing,” another participated answered.
Later she said, “I’ve been involved. I’ve gone to my county commissioner and I feel I’ve been listened to.”
One group member spoke of the failed attempts to keep a teen center going in the past. She said at first the community was active and involved in the teen center, but after a few years, interest declined and after nine years, it folded. That comment was countered by a mother of two school-aged children who said, “Maybe it’s time to bring back some of the things that used to work. This would be different because it would be a multi-generational facility. It wouldn’t be just a teen center.”
In another group, a man said he lives in Grand Marais and said he sees the needs of community youths. “I want to see a place for kids to hang out rather than The Point or at a gravel pit. Kids are limited to using the school by school hours, but I could see a hundred kids in here late on a Saturday night.”
There was considerable discussion in the small groups over whether or not a walking track was needed. One senior citizen said, “The one thing I am really, really excited about is the track. You guys are young. All us old people that want to walk need this. If you don’t do anything else, please build the track.”
Other citizens argued that there are many places to walk, like the Croftville Road Loop. When it was noted that it was difficult to walk outside in the winter, especially for the elderly, another community member said people could use treadmills or walk the school halls in the winter. One woman, a physical therapist, disagreed, “With our aging population, I can tell you this is needed.”
Attaching the community center to the ISD 166 Grand Marais campus was heartily debated with a school board member questioning the wisdom of the county giving up any of its land. “We’ve had discussion of expanding the Industrial Arts program, of creating some kind of entrepreneurial training. We could possibly use the space we’re talking about giving to the county,” she said.
Another county resident asked about the affiliation with the YMCA. “What if they lease for say 10 years and then walk away? What happens then?” she asked. “The liability would fall back on the taxpayer.”
Another participant said he liked that the YMCA was involved. “To me, for the community to take this on would be too great a burden. With the YMCA there are a lot of opportunities for funding that the county wouldn’t have. With the YMCA there would be a great synergy.”
A woman frustrated with the process asked why there was such a rush to complete the community center. The person seated near her answered that every year that the county waited, costs to construct increase. From the school’s standpoint, said another participant, they are looking at a large capital expense in the next year and the school needs to know whether or not to make that investment.
Another person noted that personal finances were a concern. “Given the winter we’ve had, there are people who are really struggling. There are a lot of business people who are hanging on by their fingernails, who will be closing the doors. They don’t want this.”
A woman in another group echoed those comments, “With the businesses struggling the way they are, I just don’t think it’s time for this.”
And so the discussion went, back and forth. When it was announced that the small group time was wrapping up, one man said, “My biggest concern with the community center is that it’s tearing apart the community. I think there are a lot of people who want a community center. I think there are people who want a community center—if it doesn’t add to the tax burden. If the steering committee can find a size that’s comfortable and affordable then you’ll find consensus.”
The evening ended with each small group facilitator reading off the laundry lists of pros and cons from his or her group. A straw poll in each group resulted in more people saying “yes” to a community center than “no.” However, there also seemed to be consensus that there were many, many questions yet to be answered.
Steering Committee Chair Paul Sporn said all of the issues raised would be discussed at the next committee meeting, which, he said, is open to the public. That meeting will be Monday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the commissioner’s room at the Cook County courthouse. He also encouraged people to talk to steering committee members, pointing to the contact information on the handout. “I want to hear from all of you in the future,” he said.
Additional information available from:
. Cook County webpage: www.co.cook.mn.us – One percent projects
. On Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/New-Cook-County-Community-Center/175851132536114
. Or visit the Community Center office to see research, minutes, and history of Community Center project.
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