Projects to be funded by the county’s 1 percent recreation and infrastructure sales tax continue to move forward.
On July 23, 2013, the county board authorized an agreement with the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) to grant $3,100,000 to the EDA for improvements at Superior National at Lutsen Golf Course. The improvements will include purchasing four acres of land, renovating 18 of the existing 27 holes and buying equipment.
The board also approved an agreement with the EDA, the Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association (LTTA), and the Cook County Visitors Bureau that states that the county’s grant to the golf course is contingent on the LTTA agreeing to provide $50,000 a year from 2013 through 2022 for marketing the golf course and the Visitors Bureau agreeing to help design and implement the marketing plan each year. The EDA must provide an additional $20,000 a year from 2013 through 2022 for marketing the golf course.
At the same meeting, the board authorized an extension of a short-term $300,000 loan to the EDA for costs related to installation of a water pipeline from Lake Superior and golf course architectural services. The loan will be repaid in October when the Iron Range Resource and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) will be sending the EDA grant funding in the amount of $250,000 for the pipeline and $50,000 for the golf course.
YMCA facility
The board approved paying JLG Architects a lump sum for their work on the remainder of the Cook County Community YMCA facility. Up to this point, JLG has been paid in installments based on 7.5 percent of the projected cost. If the cost is less than anticipated, the lump sum would bring JLG more than the percentage originally agreed upon, but that is not expected to happen.
According to Cook County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers, JLG has indicated that installments based on a lump sum would simplify accounting procedures at this point.
“This is more likely to be a benefit to the county than a burden to the county,” Powers said. “The likelihood of the project coming under [the projected cost] is virtually nil.”
Total payments to JLG will be $636,934,38. This includes an addition of $69,874 for redesign services by JLG and Meyer Group, one of its subcontractors, to downsize the facility to reduce costs.
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