Anton Moody and Kelly Swearingen are now both serving on the Grand Marais City Council. Craig Schulte, who has served on boards but never run for office, is new to politics, and like Anton and Kelly, he is vying for a seat on the council. All three were asked to answer some questions for the Cook County News-Herald. Here are their answers.
First, please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? Your career, family, children, hobbies, etc. And why you are running for city council?
. Anton Moody: I have lived in Grand Marais since 2001 and grew up in Farmington, Minnesota. I am married to my wife of 12 years, Brienne, and have a 9-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter. I am a licensed General Contractor and own and operate a small design/build company which employs eight people. We enjoy all that the area has to offer spending as much time as possible exploring the woods and trails on foot and on bike.
My kids are sixth-generation Cook County residents and always talk about living here when they get older and have families of their own.
Though it’s obvious the town will be different then, I want to honor the history and hard work of those before me, and balance what we love of Grand Marais with the need to make changes to bring more young people to our community.
I have listened to those who struggle with affordability issues especially in regards to housing. I feel my experience here as a parent, active community member and small business owner put me in a position to make good choices about how to keep Grand Marais a place for families as well as vacationers. .
Kelly Swearingen: I am a graduate of Cook County HS and St. Cloud State University. I moved back in 1993 and worked in Revenue Cycle at North Shore Health for over 24 years and currently work for the Human Development Center.
I am running for city council because I am interested in what is happening within the community I have always called home. I also want to help to bring some balance to the changes that are occurring, and I feel my background in finance and leadership can be an asset to the council.
. Craig Schulte: My name is Craig Schulte, and I am 58 years old. Having grown up in Grand Marais, I have worked a variety of jobs in the area. I am the former owner of Schulte Sanitary Service and the Grand Marais Dairy Queen. For the last 24 years, I co-own and operate the Grand Marais Super America with my wife, Lynn. We have two grown daughters, Emily & Ahna, who live in Grand Rapids, Michigan with their husbands and our granddaughter, Maren. In my free time, I enjoy fishing, snowmobiling and spending time at our cabin on Clearwater Lake.
Do you feel Grand Marais has strong, consistent planning and zoning laws? Should they be updated? .
Schulte: Having previously served on the planning & zoning board, I feel there are some zoning laws that need to be reviewed. In light of the recent popularity of vacation rental properties in the city of Grand Marais, the city needs to look into zoning ordinances that pertain to these rentals.
. Moody: I believe that with the current council’s updating of the Grand Marais Comprehensive Plan the stage is set for a thorough review of the existing planning and zoning ordinances. For the most part, I think the rules in place make sense, but there are certainly areas for improvement.
For one, changes to zoning regulations tend to be reactionary to a particular project. I think having the Comp Plan in front of us will allow us to be more proactive in any changes we want to look at changing.
And that change could be a strengthening of the language like was done with nightly rentals, or perhaps a relaxation on the standards, say by decreasing minimum lot size requirements which could help spur more in-fill buildings which would increase the property tax base.
Enforcement of the different ordinances is another issue which I’ve heard a lot about, and I think it’s time the city find a way with staffing to be sure our rules are being followed by everyone. .
Swearingen: I feel the laws that are in place served their purpose in the time which they were developed for, but “the times they are a changing.” I do believe we need to build on what was put in place; review what we have, use what is needed and further develop and change the laws to meet the needs of our community for future development.
The city of Duluth allows 60 Airbnbs. Do you think Grand Marais should place a limit on Airbnbs? .
Swearingen: I do feel that we need to take some action to slow the pace in which the Airbnbs have grown. We have families/ individuals lose homes they were renting and have left the community. We have seen the prices of homes continue to skyrocket where individuals working FT jobs cannot afford to purchase a home because Airbnb sales continue to push the prices up. Placing a limit seems like one way to assist in balancing the market, but I think we need to find other solutions as well. It is not as simple as just fix one thing and then all will be okay.
. Schulte: Grand Marais definitely needs to research what other communities are doing in regards to Airbnbs. I feel Airbnbs should be restricted to commercially zoned districts within the city. If the dwelling is being rented out, the property should be classified as commercial property and be taxed as such. I also feel these rental properties need to be licensed by the city and inspected for safety issues. .
Moody: I think the city has done a good job of containing where nightly rentals can take place. When the language was updated during my first term it didn’t make me any new friends, but I think it was a step in the right direction as far as trying to keep the R-1 and R-2 zones available for homes for families and not money-making properties. So to answer the question, I’m not sure putting a specific maximum number on those types of properties is necessary, but the ordinance as written will help limit where it happens and keep the Residential Districts available as they should be.
The city and county have joined to make a heavy push to promote tourism in the area. Meanwhile, little has been done to attract new businesses. Some cities and towns encourage local business growth by granting special loans and offering tax incentives to entice new businesses to come to their community. Do you see any way to broaden and diversify our business base?
. Moody: I’d disagree that little has been done to attract new businesses to our community. The folks at the Small Business Development Center, the Joint Grand Marais/Cook County Economic Development Authority, and the Cook County Revolving Loan Fund have been very active and successful in getting many entrepreneurs going or helped other local businesses make the next step with their businesses. We live too remotely to open a distribution center or large manufacturing facility, if that’s what success is being based on in the question. The prices up in the business park for a lot to build on are priced to entice new and existing businesses to settle. The changes to allow owner-occupied buildings in the business park help people looking to start a business in Grand Marais be able to live where they work.
The best part of a tourism-based economy is that there is not one large employer whose success or failure holds the town’s future in its hands. We, and I include myself in this with my business, are all stronger because our economy is made up of carpenters, fudge shops, art galleries, restaurants, road builders, coffee shops, web designers, barber shops and a litany of others who want to find something they are passionate about and do the best that they can.
So if you have an idea or a vision you think would make this place a little bit more exciting, those groups I listed have the resources and the passion for making it easier to get started.
. Swearingen: This is honestly not something I have put a lot of thought into yet. There is much happening in our city right now that has my attention. I think there are things we can do, and the city even has some properties that could be used for such. But we have to be very thorough in our processes and do our research.
We also should be open-minded. Not so long ago a business set out to open in our community, and because people had fears, a moratorium was put in place. That sends out a negative message about our community to potential developers, and I think we must be responsible for the weight of decisions to come.
. Schulte: As we look at attracting new businesses to the area, a major concern is staffing these new businesses when we already have a shortage of employees. Perhaps we should research the possibility of a trade school which would bring young people to the area to attend the school and work in the community.
In light of declining revenue at Gunflint Hills golf course, should the city keep it and run it? Or hire an outside firm to manage it? Or sell it? .
Schulte: The city should continue to operate the Gunflint Hills Golf Course and look for ways to increase revenues. The discount for Rec Park visitors to the golf course should be eliminated, making the green fees fair for everyone. The city could also work with the marketing with the Cook County tourism board to inform and attract visitors to the golf course.
The Gunflint Hills Golf Course is the most affordable option for golfers of all abilities on the North Shore and within close proximity to downtown Grand Marais. Additionally, maybe the golf course could be utilized in conjunction with the YMCA or high school in offering lessons or tournaments?
The new golf course manager’s job description should include maintaining golf course operations, and also increasing revenue through lengthening hours of operation, implementing special events, and facility rental.
. Moody: I think the golf course is a valuable amenity to not just the citizens of Grand Marais, but to county residents and visitors as well.
I do think the taxpayers of Grand Marais are being unduly charged for an amenity which benefits all of the user groups. With the change of leadership at the course, I would like to see a focus on bringing up the revenues and rounds played. I don’t think selling the course is a good idea, and personally, I would like to see us find the right person to manage the course to make it more viable. Demographics show that golf has lost popularity so it will be an uphill battle, but I feel even a cutting in half of the losses we see there now could be perceived as a success.
It seems that having someone passionate about the game managing and introducing reduced or free rounds for local youth are both good places to start before we even consider selling or finding an outside firm to run things.
. Swearingen: The current council has answered that we are dedicated to keeping the course open and working towards next year’s plan. I think we will look at all options to turn the course around and while it may not be a positive cash return for the city, it certainly does not have to be as negative as it has been. I think that the council needs to do some strategic planning for its revenue-generating departments and then hold our staff accountable to carry out the goals we define. The council needs to do a better job of strategic planning and working with the city administration and staff to meet those goals.
Should, the city pay more than it now does for the upkeep at the YMCA? Should the city pay anything at all for the Y?
. Swearingen: I will want to have all the information before I throw a blanket answer out. There is much to be determined between now and setting our final levy for 2019. We will be looking at the financial information of the YMCA, discussing with the county the changes/reasons for change they have with the Y and how we proceed.
An agreement was put in place formerly, and I am not going to comment on something I have no background information in, but I look forward to learning all I can to assist me in making my recommendations in future council meetings. I am confident our council will work hard on this issue. .
Schulte: In order to fairly answer this question, I would like to review the current operating budget for the YMCA and see the current and projected expenses and obligations from the city and county. I believe the city taxpayers benefit from having such a beautiful YMCA facility in Grand Marais; however, I want to ensure that taxpayers aren’t being unfairly taxed if the YMCA revenue can help support their own operations.
. Moody: The city should not pay more than it agreed to in the initial agreement. It seems that there has been a renegotiation of the contract without any input from the city. City residents are of course also county taxpayers, so we are already going to be paying more through the county portion of our property taxes.
The initial agreement worked out to be a much better deal for city residents financially than the ongoing costs and losses at the old pool facility. With membership levels nearly double that of which were originally predicted, I have a hard time saying I will do any extra without a lot more information in my hands.
Should the city build a new town hall/ office center in a different location or should the city update the building it now has and remain put?
. Moody: I think the residents of Grand Marais need to be a part of the process as far as location of a new city hall and liquor store. I have heard many valid arguments each way. One thing is clear that the existing building has outlived its useful life.
The dollars needed to update and make right the existing building are almost equal to the building’s current value. I think finding a developer who could develop the current location with both the liquor store and city hall as tenants would be great, with the rest of a potential build-out becoming more commercial space for the downtown. In private hands, those dollars could increase property tax revenues for the city, give the municipal facilities a home, and allow the city to sell the two highway frontage lots up at the old Tomteboda property hopefully enticing even more commercial development.
. Swearingen: The building we now have has served its purpose and time. Where we decide to build will be an invested process determining what seems to make the most sense for our city. I am not opposed to moving to the top of the hill, the entrance of our city, but we have a duty to ensure it is a good move for our citizens and the taxpayers. That can mean different things to different people, we won’t all agree.
. Schulte: The current city hall building is far past its prime and requires significant renovation. I believe the city hall should research a new home, whether that’s new construction or investing in renovation. I’d like to see what the Grand Marais taxpayers prefer through a public hearing or vote. I do believe that the Municipal Liquor Store should remain in the downtown business community since many hotel guests and downtown visitors frequent this establishment. Parking is an issue where it is currently.
What do you see as the city’s biggest need?
. Schulte: As a lifetime resident and small business owner in Grand Marais for over 30 years, I see our biggest need as affordable housing for residents and quality staffing for area businesses.
. Moody: Families. We need young people to move here and raise their families here. The challenges to making that happen are many, from available housing stock, available long-term rentals, childcare, and the lack of childbirth facilities at the hospital. I think the city council and the policies it sets are a crucial part of helping to make our town a place where families want to be and can afford to be.
. Swearingen: Without question it is housing. We need to have homes for people who want to make Grand Marais their home. A large percentage within the city are second homes, Airbnbs and sit empty most of the year. We have people who want to work and live here.
While it is a nice place to vacation, it won’t be when there are not people to fill the jobs, and we start losing businesses. I believe a downturn is not far away and we need to dedicate time to fixing this issue.
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