Grand Marais city councilors lent their support to a request from Sawtooth Mountain Clinic to reapply for funding to continue the Moving Matters program and its association with the city for another two years.
Maren Webb, Moving Matters assistant coordinator, appeared before council Oct. 14 to talk about the request and the clinic’s role in the process to partner with Moving Matters and the development of the city’s Comprehensive Plan update. “It’s a new opportunity for us,” said Webb, noting that the clinic believed that last year was the last year to receive Blue Cross funding for the program, but it was recently learned that two more years of funding is available.
Of course, Webb said, a lot of details remain to be worked out, and it’s unclear what the funds would be used for – but the main thing at this point is the city’s support, interest and involvement.
Going hand-in-hand with the request for continuation of the Moving Matters program is a recent request from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) asking cities to update their Comprehensive Plans. City Administrator Mike Roth said Grand Marais has already completed numerous “significant” planning efforts including the Park Master Plan, Downtown Comprehensive Plan update and most recently, Highway 61 Revisited. The highway project, he said, was well-regarded and resulted in project funding for highway improvements.
As long as the city has such a record of moving forward with plan updates and making improvements, Roth said that should be enough to satisfy the IRRRB, even though no specific schedule or timetable has been set. And the city really should take advantage of the clinic’s offer to help, especially since the Moving Matters team is “experienced and effective” in planning and brings with it a wealth of expertise and resources, Roth advised.
While there was unanimous agreement that the city should back the clinic’s efforts in procuring funding for the Moving Matters program and welcomed the assistance, Councilor Tracy Benson cautioned that council should “tread lightly” and be aware of perceptions and with whom it is making alliances. “It’s a small town…and not everybody is in the boat with this,” she said when asked if she’s heard negative opinions of the clinic, Moving Matters or their motives.
Benson also said she believed an independent consultant is needed as the projects progress, and Webb agreed, noting that that is already the plan. “Our people [at the clinic] aren’t planners and consultants,” she replied.
In response to Benson’s comments about making alliances, Roth summed up the reality of the situation. “The alliance [with Moving Matters] has already been formed– we are them,” he said.
Moving Matters is a countywide project designed to create safer and more accessible walking and biking routes through participation in street and road design projects, and formation of transportation and community development policies.
In other news:
. Council gave its unanimous support to a resolution designating the second Monday in October as “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.” Councilor Anton Moody said he asked that the item be placed on the agenda so council could give its full support to a proclamation issued by Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux the previous week.
. On the recommendation of Fire Chief Ben Silence, council approved the hire of Chad LeFevere as a paid on-call firefighter. Silence said he anticipates the addition of at least one more firefighter in the near future due to a wave of recent retirements. There are less than 20 active firefighters currently in the department.
. Roth reported that the phase 1 report from Environmental Troubleshooters indicated that there is a buried fuel tank underneath one of the units at the former Tomteboda resort, and the firm recommended that more testing be done before the city finalizes its deal to purchase the property for construction of a maintenance/storage facility. Following discussion, however, it was determined that the 1,000-gallon tank didn’t pose a significant enough risk to warrant further investigation and the unknown cost of remediation would be incorporated into the clean-up/demolition costs needed at the West Highway 61 site. Council, which had asked at its prior meeting for a more detailed environmental assessment of structures on the site, voted unanimously to accept the first agreement with a purchase price of $225,000, with a closing set no later than Oct. 28.
. Councilor and Economic Development Authority board member Anton Moody reported that there is a buyer for one of the lots in the newly re-zoned portion of the business park, and an offer for purchase of a second lot was rejected because it was too low. The EDA is still working on hiring a director, Moody added.
. Benson distributed a list of websites for her colleagues to look at and consider as models that could be incorporated into the redesign of the city’s website.
. Councilor and park board member David Mills reported on a meeting of the North Woods Food Project, and the park board’s ongoing efforts to revise its rate structure.
. Mayor Arrowsmith DeCoux reported on a long list of meetings he attended over the past weeks including GMATA and the snowmobile club; said there have been more questions about the messy and unkempt alleys in certain sections of downtown, and he intends to speak with the sheriff to see if any rules are being broken; and inquired why there was no chip-sealing on city streets this year (Roth said the money is “set aside and ready to go,” but the city did not seek bids this year because the timing wasn’t right).
. Councilor Tim Kennedy reported on a recent meeting of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks & Trails Commission, and said it might be a good idea to look into the possibility of pursuing a “regional parks” designation for the city’s Rec Park. Such action may qualify the park (and by extension, the city) for state Legacy funding, he said. “It bears consideration….those designated as regional parks don’t differ much from what we have and offer here,” Kennedy said.
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