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Last October 2022, Cook County Commissioners were happy to learn that the County would receive an additional $2,039.902.62 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) through the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund.
Administrator James Joerke came before the board on January 24 with suggestions about where to allocate those new dollars.
Administrator Joerke explained that the funds “can be used for a broad range of local government activities except for lobbying.”
So, what can the money be used for?
The new funds can be spent to lower the recently passed 5.5 percent levy, suggested Joerke or a portion can go to implement the capital improvement plan for county buildings. Then too, there has been some discussion to use ARPA dollars to lessen the levy impact of employee raises passed after the 2023 budget and levy were set for the coming year.
Administrator Joerke asked the board to prioritize where it wants the money to be spent.
After some discussion, the board asked him to focus on the HRA public housing projects and upgrades to county buildings.
He will return with a budget proposal for the ARPA expenditures on February 14.
Highway Department
“We didn’t get bridge bonds because the legislature didn’t pass them, but we are still able to do this project,” said Cook County Highway Engineer, Robbie Hass, commenting on the Sawbill Bridge Replacement. Northland Constructors of Duluth, Inc. was the low bidder at $619,400 to complete the job. The project will be funded through local bridge funds and transportation sales tax (TST) funds, said Hass.
Next, Haas asked commissioners to sign a professional services agreement with Toole Design Group, LLC, to assist the County in getting a RAISE grant.
“The RAISE grant is a generational opportunity for Cook County to secure needed funding for infrastructure improvements along the Gunflint Trail corridor,” said Hass.
Helping Toole Design with the grant will be LHB and Aune Fernandez/Landscape Architects (AFLA). Haas said the contract is for $72,000 and will be paid through the County’s annual State Aide allocation.
Public input will be sought over three meetings, two in person and one virtual, and stakeholders along the Gunflint Trail will be contacted up to six times before any work is done.
Besides replacing culverts, bridges, drainage ditches, and roadway improvements to the Gunflint Trail, non-roadway projects will also be looked at. These include performing a cost analysis for scenic overlooks, new trailheads, trailhead enhancements, information kiosks, parking, signage, mileposts, trail crossings improvements, and walking and biking facilities cost estimates for design, construction, operations, and maintenance of those non-roadway elements will be done.
IT Director Rowan Watkin asked and received permission to spend $102,522.24 in budgeted funds for the regular replacement of workstations, laptops, MDCs, copiers and servers for his department.
Jay DeCoux presented a new AT&T Land Lease Agreement to commissioners, which was approved. Under the terms of the agreement, AT&T will pay Cook County $12,000 per year, with a three percent annual escalator, to lease county property at the Tower District at Eagle Mountain (Lutsen Mountain). In the past, the county has let AT&T use this property at no expense.
Commissioners approved a 20-year request to approve the UC Customs and Border Patrol Tower Tenant agreements. One of the towers is on Magnetic Lake up the Gunflint Trail and the other tower is on Mount Maude in Grand Portage. The County will collect $300 annually for each site.
Jay said the County has a cooperative agreement with US Customs and Border Patrol on Gunflint Lake and Mount Maud. “We do not charge them rent, just $300 per year for each tower that pays for electricity.”
The motion passed with all ayes.
Next, commissioners were asked and agreed to endorse a request by Visit Cook County for the State Legislature to renew the one percent County Lodging Tax. The lodging tax was approved by special legislation in 2008 and will expire on November 30, 2023. Funds generated from the tax help the Cook County Events and Visitor’s Bureau promote and support county-wide events.
Visit Cook County Executive Director Linda Jurek and Nick Cusick were in attendance. Jurek noted that on September 12, 2021, the county board unanimously voted to endorse the request by Visit Cook County for the State Legislature to renew the County’s one percent lodging tax. Unfortunately, the legislature didn’t take the matter up last year.
Commissioner Deb White asked how much money the one percent brings in and asked for an explanation of how the tax works. Nick Cusick said the tax brought in more than $900,000 last year, but he didn’t have the exact number. He and Linda explained how the money funds promotion and sometimes is used to help pay for events in the county, and Jurek noted the one percent was a special tax for Cook County. Visit Cook County has invested over $3 million in event support since 2013.
Administrator Joerke asked the county board to authorize $5,000 more to support a lawsuit against a Lutsen property owner denying snowmobile access to a state-aid-funded snowmobile trail that runs through a portion of the property they purchased in 2020.
The county board approved spending up to $5,000 on October 25, 2022, to support a lawsuit brought by the Lutsen Trailbreakers Snowmobile Club. The volunteer club members have taken care of the trail for many years. An easement has been in place since 1993, which purports to allow the Lutsen Trailbreakers permission to maintain the trail. In addition, the club and the county’s attorney’s office have been working with the property owners who blocked access to the trail for over a year but have yet to access it.
The connector trail has been there since the early 1970s and allows snowmobilers to access gas stations and stores in Lutsen. Commissioner Stacey Hawkins said she approved granting $5,000 more to fund the Quiet Title Action, but she wanted updates on how the matter was going and hoped it wouldn’t continue draining county funds.
Public Hearing for Caribou Lakes surface water ordinance
Commissioners moved to schedule a hearing at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, to receive public comments on a proposed ordinance to restrict wake surfing on Caribou Lake in Lutsen Township.
Approximately 70 percent of residents living on the lake have signed a petition asking for a wakeboarding ban on the lake.
Land Commissioner Tim Nelson came before the commissioners with a request to continue the Lake Shore Septic Compliance Program, the point along Lake Superior on the Cascade Beach Road up to the City of Grand Marais.
Nelson said the grant funding of $68,128 has already been approved to have the inspections done in 2023, and there would be no impact on the county budget. “The purpose of this request is to inspect as many septic systems as possible that need inspection…in the effort to improve and preserve the ground and surface water along the shoreline of Lake Superior.
Next, the county board approved a motion to amend the Cook County Subsurface Septic Treatment Systems Loan Program Policy & Procedure by increasing the “not to exceed” amount from $25,000 to $50,000 for single systems (homes, cabins) and from $50,000 to $100,000 for multiple connection systems (hotels, motels, lodges, etc.), before requiring specific approval from the county board.
Commissioner Stacey Hawkins wanted to table the amendment to give it more thought. “I don’t believe all property owners need it.” I’m still struggling with what is the best option for Cook County taxpayers,” she said, questioning whether some people with large homes/cabins on lakes needed to borrow money from the county to upgrade their septic systems. Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers said in 2012, the county put in that there would be no income requirements to receive a septic loan from the county.
Tim Nelson joined the conversation. He said through the years, there has been a lot of discussion about loan requirements and added that the County has a few septic loans and an income-based loan fund, but he noted, “The cost of septic systems has really gone up.” None of it is free willy-nilly money. It comes back to the county and is re-used.” Nelson said the program protects the groundwater, and the money returns to the county.
Hawkins opposed the motion, but it passed 4-1.
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