County Board Meeting

On Tuesday, March 14, four speakers came before the county board during public comments to ask commissioners to grant a petition requesting an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for the proposed Conditional Use Permit requested by KGM Contractors Inc.

KGM wants to run a six-acre intermittent gravel pit operation and temporary asphalt plant near Tait Lake and close to Mississippi Creek, a designated trout stream.

Gary Maciejewski, Tait Lake, said a doctor had done some research and found three carcinogens (benzine, arsenic, and formaldehyde) are produced from running a gravel pit/ tar plant, and those chemicals could travel the distance to Tait Lake, where 73 families lived and negatively affect the health of those folks. Gary also mentioned the potential effects on groundwater and the proximity of the gravel pit to a designated trout stream. Finally, he said the previous owners of the land that KGM had purchased had willed the 40 acres to a church, hoping it would be used for a children’s park. KGM bought the land from the church, and Gary said the family who gave the land would be somewhat appalled and upset to learn how KGM wanted to use the property.

Other commentators pointed out the gravel pit would be inconsistent with the goals in the Cook County Public Use Guide Plan. In addition, there was inadequate data for the project to satisfy the Conditional Use Permit standard of “whether the proposed use in impact water quality, air quality, or other shared resources and pedestrian and bicyclist safety could be put at risk due to the truck traffic.

All of the other comments followed the theme laid out by Maciejewski.

Planning & Zoning Administrator Neva Maxwell told commissioners that an EAW is a “brief scoping document designed to lay out the basic facts of a project necessary to determine if an environmental impact statement (EIS) is required for the proposed project.” The document, said Maxwell, isn’t meant to approve or deny the project. Instead, it should act as a source of information to guide other approvals and permitting decisions.

Maxwell pointed out the asphalt plant was temporary and wouldn’t stay on the property.

Commissioner David Mills motioned, which was seconded by commissioner Deb White to grant the citizen’s petition requesting an EAW for the proposed Conditional Use Permit requested by KGM Contractors Inc. for a gravel pit and intermittent operation of a temporary asphalt plant due to the proximity to the designated trout stream, the unknown groundwater connection between Mississippi creek and esker, and potential project impairments to Mississippi Creek.

All ayes.

Mills said this was easy, but he suspects it will get much more challenging as the process progresses.

Following a public hearing to receive public comments about whether to allow or disallow wakeboarding on Caribou Lake, the commissioners voted to send the Caribou Lake surface water ordinance to the Commissioner of Minnesota Department Natural (DNR) calling for a ban on wakeboarding and asked that the DNR approve the ordinance. No one spoke in favor of allowing wakeboarding at the meeting, and approximately 70 percent of property owners on the lake have voiced opposition to allowing wakeboarding on Caribou Lake.

Board Chair Ann Sullivan read a proclamation recognizing April 15-22, 2023, as International Dark Sky Week. On the declaration, it was noted, “Minnesota is home to Voyageurs National Park, recently designated as an International Dark Sky Park and Boundary Waters Canoe Area, recently designated as the largest International Dark Sky Sanctuary in the world, which attract thousands of visitors each year to enjoy the dark skies they offer, bringing economic benefits to Cook County and Northern Minnesota…

Cook County Emergency Management Director Mike Keyport asked commissioners to pass a resolution supporting the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) bill in front of the legislature. “This bill will help support the backbone of public safety communication infrastructure throughout Minnesota. It is a priority to ensure that our emergency responders’ radios are up to date and able to provide interoperability from when they are paged to an emergency to when they are back in the fire hall, law enforcement center, or ambulance garage,” said Keyport.

The bill for the statewide public safety radio communication system grants calls for spending $250,000,000 in the fiscal year 2024, with grants used to upgrade portable radios, mobile radios, and related equipment that is interoperable with the ARMER system. Statewide there are about 95,000 active radios in the ARMER system.

Keyport pointed out that there are 658 ARMER radios in Cook County spread among nine volunteer fire departments, three ambulance services, one hospital, 15 volunteer first responder groups, and two law enforcement offices, including the countywide dispatch center and emergency management department. Of those, 300 radios were purchased before 2011 and are no longer supported. In addition, Keyport said it is “extremely difficult to find new radio parts or used parts to fix or maintain those radios.

Keyport noted that ARMER Radios range in price from $2,500 to $5,500, depending on the model and need. Still, each radio requires additional installation and programming costs about $400.

At the request of County Highway Engineer Robbie Hass, commissioners approved the Construction Observation Services contract to WSB for $571,330. Hass noted that WSB worked with the county highway department in 2022 for the construction season.

Seven projects are planned throughout the county this season. Hass said the Highway department seeks consultants to help perform the on-the-ground operations (counting trucks, measuring quantities, material testing, etc.), allowing the county’s engineering technicians to become staff project managers for specific projects. Some of the funding to pay WSB will come from reimbursed expenses’ so the “entirety of the contract is not solely on the levy,” noted Hass.

Ulland Brothers, Inc. of Cloquet was awarded the Junco Bridge Replacement contract for $429,600. Robbie Hass said the project is fully funded by a $235,000 State Park Road Account and $150,000 National Fish Passage Program, and $124,000 in Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act funds. Hass said the work would take place for about one month through July.

Next, Ulland Brothers was awarded the contract to reconstruct CSHA 5 for $5,297,900. Funding for this comes from various sources, including State Aid monies. The county is partnering with the City of Grand Marais, which will put in $1.8 million for this project starting at the Gunflint Trail’s old entrance on Highway 61. Hass said the work would run through the summer, and rerouting would occur.

County Assessor Bob Thompson asked commissioners to approve scheduling the Board of Appeals & Equalization meeting after the second Friday in June and convene the meeting by June 30, 2023, as required by State Statute.

Commissioners selected Tuesday, June 13, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to hold the Appeals & Equalization meeting.

Thompson told commissioners he attended a meeting on March 6, 2023, with Congressman Pete Stauber and other representatives from Cook, Lake, and St. Louis County to discuss the Thye-Blatinik Payment In-Leu of Taxes (PILT).

In 2018 two appraisers, William Steigerwaldt and Richard Johnson, came up with low appraisals for the land in the BWCAW. All three counties appealed the appraisals with the U.S. Forest Service, and Johnson’s appraisal is currently under review by the U.S. Forest Service.

Congressman Stauber told the county representatives that he intends to bring legislation to Congress asking that the federal payments to Cook, Lake, and St. Louis County stay at the 2018 level for payments from 2019 through 2028.

On March 9, the county board held a closed meeting to conduct a review of the county administrator James Joerke. Board Chair Ann Sullivan provided a summary of the evaluation.

Connor Ingram was hired as a Highway Maintenance Worker ll with the Cook County Highway Department to fill a current vacancy.

A special road use permit was granted to Lutsen 99er/Life Time Inc. to hold the Lutsen 99er mountain bike event on June 24.

A final pay request of $18,829.03 was granted to Redstone Construction, LLC, for the company’s work on the Cross River Bridge.