Cook County Administrator Jeff Cadwell presented a new management agreement between the county and the YMCA to the Cook County commissioners on Tuesday, February 21.
Under the new terms, the county is responsible for cleaning and the maintenance of the building (which it owns), and the Y will be responsible for programs and services.
The hope is that the new arrangement will allow for a more transparent, predictable and fiscally responsible arrangement where the county is in charge of the maintenance budget for the facility, said Cadwell.
Commissioners approved hiring a custodial/maintenance position in July 2016, to provide cleaning services to the Y. County YMCA expenses for 2017 are $145,000, with the city of Grand Marais budgeting $110,000 to give to the Y for 2017. Cadwell said the county had paid $165,000 per-year for the Y over the last three years, but this new agreement should give the county a more likely (and less) amount to pay in annually.
Before taking a vote, commissioners heard from a person with questions concerning the YMCA during the public comment period.
Jim Vannet, Hovland, who is running to fill the District 1 vacancy left open by Frank Moe who had to resign for health reasons, asked commissioners to wait until the District 1 seat was filled before taking a vote on a new contract with the YMCA.
Vannet also stated, “The more I read the management agreement, it is easy to see that the original commissioners never studied the YMCA agreement and took it at face value without even trying to make cost-saving changes. I’m sure that this management agreement never was shown to anyone with a business background to see just how bad the county was going to be held accountable. This is a bad agreement and protected in this management agreement is the YMCA, not Cook County.”
Concerning what the county pays the YMCA to manage the programs, Vannet said, “I’m sorry, but paying 10 percent of the expenses per year for administrative costs is like paying your manager to run your company into the poor house. The administration and management of the YMCA have caused massive overages over the past five years and must be corrected.
“Taxpayers need to have a ceiling on annual overages paid to the YMCA. The city has a $110,000 cap, and the county needs to have a $100,000 or less ceiling. Projected overages should never be part of the budget if you manage properly.”
Chris Francis, Chief Executive Officer/President of the Duluth YMCA, which oversees the operation in Grand Marais, and Emily Dusheck, Cook County YMCA director, appeared before the board and answered some questions.
Commissioner Ginny Storlie asked Francis if the agreement—which will run for 25 years with an opt out clause of one year notice for both the county and the Y—was standard.
Francis explained that most Ys and the land they sit on are not county owned, so this type of agreement was unusual, but not unprecedented. He also noted that the county had sought out the Duluth YMCA and asked them to provide programming and staff support. Last, Francis said setting a budget the first couple years was hard because initially it had been projected that no more than 400 people would join. Today there are more than 1,800 Y members, making Cook County the highest YMCA membership per capita not only in the state of Minnesota but also in the nation.
Marshall talked about the growth of the Y’s daycare program and programs for youth and adults. Francis added that it was unusual for a small Y to have a swim team and send 12 kids to state, which Cook County did this year. Marshall started the swim team, he said, and many Y programs would like to have her on their staff.
Holding back tears, an emotional Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk talked about the kids that come to the Y and would have no place to go if the facility wasn’t there. Commissioner Myron Bursheim, who is the YMCA Advisory Council chair and serves as a YMCA Association Board Representative, voiced strong support for the programs, staff, and for the job Marshall has done at the Y and added that he was in support of anything that benefitted the community.
To be transparent, said Administrator Cadwell, the county was supposed to budget $25,000 per year for future maintenance (roof, mechanicals, etc.) and so far had not done that.
When the vote was called, it passed 4-0 signifying a new working agreement with the YMCA.
Later, under other business, Cook County Maintenance Director Brian Silence told the board that some leaking had occurred in the Y where the treadmills were located. He also requested $1,240 to fix the wiring in the daycare so that the daycare could qualify for $26,000 in food subsidies. The board passed a motion to give Silence $1,240, so he could hire an electrician to upgrade the wiring in the daycare.
Motions approved
. A grant application will be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to purchase a snowmobile for trail grooming for the Banadad Ski Trail system, with a 25 percent match requirement from Cook County for the Federal Recreation Trail program, on behalf of the Banadad Trail Association.
. A resolution for the Zoar Lutheran Church to hold a raffle at Birch Grove Community Center on February 25 and hold a bingo event at the B.G. community center on July 4, 2017. The raffle is being done as a fundraiser for Angie Cook, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.
. Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen signed an agreement with the Minnesota Judicial Branch so that the Sheriff’s Office could electronically access electronic court records and documents stored in the Minnesota Court Information system for cases in the Minnesota District Court.
. A revolving loan for $75,000 to Bruce Block (Building Blocks LLC) for the renovation of the Gopher Cabin property located east of Grand Marais on Highway 61. Bruce Block recently purchased the property, which is made up of trailers and a few rental cabins.
. Cook County Maintenance Director Brian Silence and Cook County Historical Society Director Carrie McHugh appeared before the board with a request for funds to fix lighting and the roof at the Historical Center in Grand Marais.
The cost to repair the lighting is $2,188 and $1,090 for the ceiling work to total $3,278. McHugh said she had received a bid to fix cracks in the ceiling over the new exhibit, from Welch Wallcovering and Painting, LLC from Grand Marais, and a bid from Nordic Electric to install new track lighting and lighting to the cabinets.
. The Schroeder Township sub-area plan as prepared and adopted by Schroeder Township and submitted to the county for consideration. The township first adopted a sub-area plan in 2004, which was approved by Cook County as an addendum to the county’s comprehensive land use plan. Schroeder Township Supervisor Bruce Martinson presented the current plan to the planning commission and the public at a public hearing on February 8. There were no comments or questions about the plan from the public.
Leave a Reply