City councilors gave their backing to a “Little Free Library” project June 6, but the questions of where the boxes will be located and what they will look like remain to be answered.
Jay Arrowsmith Decoux presented the idea, which will be funded through an $800 grant received from the Great Place Race. The park board approved the concept a week prior to council’s meeting, but referred the final decision to city council.
When asked why, councilor and park board member Bill Lenz said the park board wanted council’s input because it is hoped one of the boxes can be placed in Harbor Park, and anything that involves Harbor Park should come before council. The other boxes are to be placed in Lutsen, Grand Portage and near WTIP radio station in Grand Marais.
Councilors said they had no problems with placing the boxes around town, but the park board should approve the final design and placement of the one in Harbor Park. Decoux said he agreed and would take his design and site recommendation back to the park board when it was ready.
Decoux explained the project as a “take a book, leave a book” receptacle designed to promote literacy and sharing of stories. He said Harbor Park would be a good central location for a box because of its popularity and amount of pedestrian traffic. “I’d rather see people reading a book than staring into their smart phones,” he said.
There are currently 15,000 of the Little Free Library boxes worldwide, he said, but none north of Duluth. The books will be provided by the local Library Friends and the Grand Rapids Library Friends. Decoux said he would be responsible for maintaining and re-supplying the boxes, which will be roughly 2 feet by 3 feet and stand about 3½ feet tall.
There will be no cost to the city.
In other business, council approved the second reading of Ordinance 2014-03, designed to allow brewer taprooms in the city. Mayor Larry Carlson said he has heard only positive comments about the amendment, which will become official upon publication.
Carlson also reported that he has received notification and congratulations from the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program for Grand Marais’ participation and progress. In fact, the city will receive an award at the League of Minnesota Cities conference on June 20 for advancing to become a Step 1 City. Grand Marais is one of 67 participating cities in the program designed to promote sustainability through a focus on cost savings, energy use reduction and the encouragement of civic innovation.
Councilor Lenz reported that the golf course has opened and is in good shape considering the long harsh winter. Lenz also said the blue tent was met with positive comments when it was put up in Harbor Park for the Car Show, and said it is as easy to put up as advertised. However, the stakes will need to be relocated and installed more permanently.
Councilor and library board member Jan Sivertson said the board’s first meeting with the new library director went very well and the board discussed and agreed that the Little Library project was a good one. Sivertson also said the city should consider instituting a public arts review board to assist with things such as the Little Library project and other donations of sculptures and artwork.
Sivertson said she envisioned the board as a “committee of professionals” that would review proposals as necessary. City Administrator Mike Roth suggested, however, that since “everybody has a different idea” of what an arts review board should be and do, it would be a good idea for council to hold a work session or allot time on an agenda to “frame the issue” and to “decide what the issue is before we try to solve it.”
Roth will prepare information and talk to people in other cities that have arts review boards to see how they handle similar situations, and will schedule a discussion and presentation for a future council meeting.
Finally, Councilor Tim Kennedy reported that he is representing a client who is interested in purchasing a lot at the business park – an encouraging sign, he said, adding that there are also a couple other possibilities for the near future.
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