Faced with the prospect of a catastrophic breakdown that would close the Grand Marais municipal swimming pool indefinitely, city councilors approved the purchase of two new boilers at their Sept. 28 meeting.
The request came before council a year ago, but at that time council rejected the proposal to either repair one of the two aging boilers at a cost of about $5,000, or replace them with newer models for between $15,000 and $20,000. The uncertain lifespan of the pool and the possibility of combining the facility with a new community center were cited as primary reasons for not investing in the boiler repairs in October 2010.
But last week, Parks Manager Dave Tersteeg told council that the central boiler used to heat the pool building, domestic hot water, big pool and hot tub has developed cracks in two of its seven heat exchangers. Tersteeg said the cracks are pinhole and the boilers are still functional, but that could change at any time. “Right now, we’re day-to-day,” he said.
The situation is even more dire because that boiler, which was purchased used in 2007 as a back-up unit, has been online and acting as the primary and sole heating source for the past year, when the main boiler developed heat exchanger cracks. Due to its history of problems and unreliability over the years, Tersteeg said there is no assurance that repairs will extend the life of the system; historical evidence suggests that cracks will soon develop in the other five heat exchangers, triggering more costly repairs.
“Doing nothing is not an option any more,” said City Administrator Mike Roth. “At this point, doing a fix is not very attractive.”
Councilor Tim Kennedy agreed, observing that it will be at least two more heating seasons before/if a new pool is built because the community center project has been put on hold. “We can’t say what’s going to happen, or when, but we do know what’s not going to happen,” added Roth.
Making the decision easier for council is the fact that the new boiler is expected to pay for itself within three to five years due to increased efficiency and fuel savings. Tersteeg said the old boilers could be sold as scrap iron, for which the market is favorable. And in response to questions from councilors, Tersteeg said the new boilers could be readily transferred and used at a new pool site or adapted for use in another city building. “It’s just like an appliance,” he said. “It’s very small and light, so it can easily be moved.”
With that assurance, council voted to purchase two new boilers and related equipment from low bidder County Plumbing & Heating of Lutsen at a cost of $26,575. Tersteeg said he hopes to have the new boilers installed within two or three weeks, and that the job can be done without closing the pool during the process.
However, at the Park Board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 4, Tersteeg told the Park Board he had learned that it could mean a three-day shutdown of the pool. However, noting that the pool is now closed on Sunday and County Plumbing is willing to work on Sunday, it should only impact pool-goers for two days at the most.
In other business:
. Cook County Attorney Tim Scannell presented a draft of a “social host ordinance,” which was endorsed by the county board the previous day and is designed to curb underage drinking. Scannell said the ordinance is different from state laws that prohibit adults from providing alcohol to minors – the ordinance makes it unlawful to provide an environment where underage drinking takes place. “The hope is that we don’t have to enforce this very often,” said Scannell.
Council approved the proposed ordinance with some minor language revisions suggested by their attorney. The ordinance’s adoption requires a first and second reading, and becomes effective upon publication. The county will hold a public hearing on Nov. 8.
. Mayor Larry Carlson reported that he received a letter from the state Pollution Control Agency commending Tom Nelson and crew for the outstanding operation of the city’s sanitary system, and the complete and well-done report that was submitted.
. Councilor and park board member Bill Lenz asked if the city staff could remove an old 250-gallon propane tank away from the dog pound building at the Rec Park before winter, because snow settles on it and melts, creating moisture problems with the wall. The tank has not been used in years. Roth said the tank would be moved.
. Lenz also asked about the status of the city’s burn pile. Roth said there are no plans to re-open the site near the water tower, but he is still talking with the Forest Service about use of a site on County Road 6. However, due to the recent forest fires, the federal agency and city have yet to complete work on the agreement. Roth said he hopes to complete the agreement over the winter, and he believes the Forest Service will handle the actual burning; in the past, the city’s street department has performed that task.
. Councilor Jan Sivertson said she has heard some concerns about fluoride in the water, and asked if the city adds the chemical to its drinking water. Because nobody knew for certain, Roth said he would find the answer and report back.
. Roth said he and North House Folk School Director Greg Wright recently met with MnDOT about the use of the state right of way along the highway for the ongoing campus improvement project. Roth described the meeting as “a different conversation,” the outcome of which was that the city (which owns the North House property) will apply for a limited use permit from MnDOT, and then will need to adopt an ordinance to complete the process.
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