City officials are seeking input from residents expressing their preference for the design of a footbridge at the northeast entrance of the Grand Marais Recreation Park. The design illustrated above stands 10 feet, 3½ inches tall and features a roof. It is 20 feet long, 8 feet wide, and the side rails measure about 4 feet high. The dimensions of the second model under consideration are similar, but without the roof.
Grand Marais City councilors listened Feb. 13 as George Wilkes and Virginia Danfelt presented a review of what the Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP) has been doing during the past year.
It has been a busy year, Danfelt said, with one of the highlights being the city’s Energy Plan which was adopted last summer. In conjunction with Cook County, CCLEP volunteers initiated and implemented a community planning process to develop an energy efficiency and renewable energy plan for both entities. Funding was provided in the form of a $50,000 contribution from the state Office of Energy Security.
A lot of time was also spent on the fledgling Residential Energy Efficiency Program (REEP). CCLEP staff worked with and coordinated with Duluth Energy Efficiency Program, Cook County, the city and the local Economic Development Authority to create a program with local businesses and homeowners to make their buildings more energy efficient. REEP focuses on residential buildings and is a template for energy efficiency work on other buildings, Danfelt said. The seventh residential audit is to be done shortly, she added.
CCLEP has also been involved in an Energy Efficiency Education Program with Higher Education; energy audits for EDA Housing Authority projects; Grand Marais solar voltaic power system at the golf course; and with promotion of sound energy practices at the Whole Foods Co-op and community center construction projects.
Overall, Wilkes and Danfelt said, they regard their progress to date as successful, and are looking for a continuation of what CCLEP has been doing in the coming year. “We’re hearing feedback and we love to hear it!” Danfelt said.
Mayor Larry Carlson said he also believed that in addition to encouraging people to say what they like and want, CCLEP should also solicit comments and opinions from citizens to say what they don’t want, too. “We should invite both sides to participate and show up,” Carlson said, pointing out that in many instances citizens sit back and remain quiet, and then voice displeasure with a project after it is already well under way.
The CCLEP representatives agreed that was a good idea, but noted that all informational and planning meetings are open to the public to offer whatever comments they want to.
Wilkes summed up the group’s efforts: “We’re especially pleased with the residential efficiency program…it’s a valuable service to the community.”
Turning to business at the Grand Marais Recreation Park, Councilor and park board member Bill Lenz presented two drawings of proposed footbridges for the new trail to the lake in the Rec Park. One is a covered bridge, while the other is of the more traditional uncovered variety. The cost of each is about the same ($10,000) despite the addition of a roof. Roth explained the reason for that: One requires more materials that cost less; the other requires less materials that cost more.
Lenz said he and the park board would like to hear comments from the public about which design they prefer, and encouraged input to the park office before the park board makes its decision next month. (More detailed artist’s renderings of the designs are available at the park office, or call 387- 1712). The bridge is part of the Community Connections project that will lead pedestrians from the highway into the northeast section of the park next to North House Folk School.
In other business:
. Todd Miller was appointed to the planning commission, bringing the membership up to a full complement of five for the first time in many months.
. City Administrator Mike Roth reported that the city’s 1984 pumper fire truck that was listed for sale on e-Bay sold for $2,500 and is on the way to Florida, where it will become part of a private collection. The city had the vehicle up for sale through more conventional sources for about 18 months with no success. The truck was sold because the city will soon take delivery on a new fire truck, and the space is needed in the garage.
. Councilor and library board member Jan Sivertson reported that the library board is mostly conducting “business as usual.” Some time was spent talking about the interior of the recently renovated building, and it appears that the furniture will now be added piecemeal, as it’s too late to involve a designer at this point, Sivertson said.
. In a matter that is mainly a formality, the city signed an e-charging agreement on behalf of the county attorney’s office and law enforcement department that will allow access to state systems and tools available over the criminal justice data communications network through the Department of Public Safety and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Roth said there is no cost to the city, but the county cannot act as the city’s prosecutor without the city signing the joint powers agreement.
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