At the Tuesday, June 12 county board meeting, commissioners passed a resolution establishing a Lake Superior-Poplar River Water District recently authorized by state statute in a bonding bill. The legislation authorizes a statefunded grant for construction of a pipeline from Lake Superior to Lutsen Mountains that can be used by property owners along that route. The legislation requires appointment of a board of directors representing domestic water users, irrigation water users, and commercial, stock watering, and industrial users.
The board appointed Mark Sandbo and Bob Fenwick to represent irrigation users (Superior National at Lutsen golf course), Charles Skinner to represent commercial users (Lutsen Mountains), and Bob Ryan to represent domestic water users (homeowners and time-share businesses).
In other business:
. A public hearing on a proposed septic system repair and replacement loan ordinance will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 11 at the Cook County courthouse. The county already has a septic loan program funded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Under the proposed ordinance, the county would use its own dollars to provide additional assistance, and the loans could be repaid through a special property tax assessment.
. Commissioner Martinson said the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is talking about putting rumble strips on the Highway 61 centerline along the North Shore. People in Lake County are opposing this because of the noise it would make when vehicles are passing each other, he said.
Commissioner Jan Hall said she had heard MnDOT officials say the centerline rumble strips would be installed in order to prevent head-on collisions caused from people texting while driving. Martinson said he would suggest limiting the centerline rumble strips to no-passing zones.
. The board authorized a grant of $6,000 to the Veterans Services program. Veterans Services Officer Clarence “Clink” Everson said that with new troops returning and older vets needing more medical attention, his program has gone through the funding it had for 2012 through a state enhancement grant.
Everson said Grand Portage approved a grant of $15,000 to help pay for transporting vets to medical appointments out of the county. The legislature did not approve any enhancement grants for 2013, Everson said.
. The board granted special event permits involving road closures for 4th of July events in Tofte and Grand Marais. Tofte Park Road will be closed from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. for a parade and from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. for fireworks. The parade route through Grand Marais will only require a half-hour road closure from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. – indicative of the smaller size of this parade. Commissioner Sue Hakes asked Highway Department Maintenance Director Russell Klegstad, “Russell, does that give them opportunity to go around twice?” He wasn’t sure.
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