Grand Marais city councilors gave approval for a number of permits for this year’s Fisherman’s Picnic at their July 11 meeting. The annual event will be held Aug. 2-5.
Andrew Smith and Al Taenzer of the Lions Club, which sponsors the event, appeared first with their application for a street and sidewalk permit. There was some discussion about the number and location of Dumpsters, vendors’ responsibility for disposing of their trash, and closing of streets. Smith said that possibly another Dumpster could be added in the parking lot near city hall and placement of the trash bins would be done with accessibility for those who empty them in mind (there were some problems with getting to the receptacles last year).
Also, said Smith, there were some problems and confusion last year with getting vehicles off the streets in a timely manner for street closing and event set-up, probably due to the fact that there are two different times for the street closings on Wednesday: an earlier one for the lumber camp set-up on West Wisconsin Street, and late Wednesday for the vendors’ booths on all other streets. In an effort to alleviate those problems, Smith said, there will be increased signage placed around town this year asking motorists to remove their vehicles from the streets by a designated time.
With Smith’s assurances of making the minor adjustments, council approved the permit for the 83rd Fisherman’s Picnic.
Council also approved a permit application presented by Scott Puch of the American Legion to allow beer sales and a bingo tent in the Legion parking lot during Fisherman’s Picnic. Puch said the event will be done in accordance with established safety and security precautions, which have worked out well in previous years. Those precautions include matching T-shirts for staff, wristbands for those who have approval to be in the tent, separate entrances for the bingo tent and bar, and security staff at each entrance.
Puch said nothing has been changed or added and asked that minors accompanied by adults be allowed to stay in the tent and play bingo until midnight on the condition that they stay in the tent only, and out of the bar. “A lot of kids play bingo, and like to stay late,” Puch said. Councilors said they had no problem with that.
Finally, a permit allowing Ed and Cheryl Walimaa of the Harbor Light to operate an outdoor beer and food garden at their West Highway 61 restaurant Aug. 2-5 was granted. Security provisions will be similar to those set up by the Legion, with a separate fenced-off area to the rear of the building, wristbands and ID checkers at each entrance.
In other business:
City Attorney Chris Hood reported that a draft settlement agreement with Burbach Aquatics regarding the municipal pool contract has been submitted to Burbach’s attorneys, and there is a tentative agreement on the language. However, Hood said, since he has received no formal reply, the city’s representatives should maintain their nonparticipation in community center talks. Furthermore, said the attorney, the settlement agreement is not public until it is approved by council.
Councilor Bill Lenz reported that there is now a contract for the construction of two rain gardens on private property that is satisfactory to the city, county, Soil & Water and the land owners. City Attorney Hood said he had no problems with the revisions to his draft, which was viewed as too stringent and unacceptable by Ed Bolstad. The new rain gardens will be built at Bolstad’s property at 4th Street and 2nd Avenue East; and Gina Todd’s at 1st Street and 2nd Avenue West. Lenz said Todd had no objections with the contract as first presented.
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