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Grant Hauschild and his son Henry, who is holding Linda Jurek’s hand, all wonder “What’s in the bag?” Staff photo Brian Larsen
Minnesota State Senator Grant Haushchild (03, DFL) paid a visit to Cook County last Friday, February 10, to listen to area leaders’ concerns and ask questions about what bills he could take to the legislature or bills that could be changed to help the county. He left with a hefty list to address.
The luncheon meeting was held at Skyport Lodge. Also attending the listening session were Grant’s three-year-old son Henry, who was good as gold, and Orion DiFranco, U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s northland representative and Grant’s former campaign manager, who wiggled in his chair a bit but who also listened attentively.
Less than two months in office, Grant was selected to serve on the Education policy committee, Environment, Climate and Legacy committee, and Labor and Tax committees. In addition, he is the chief author of 46 bills that will be heard in committee.
Visit Cook County and Chamber Director Linda Jurek thanked Grant for his support for the one percent tax bill that helps to fund Visit Cook County. She asked for his support for the Gitchi Gami bike/walking path in the section going thorough Lutsen, and said she was “not opposed” to the family leave bill but it needed some tweaks. Jurek also pointed out how important North Shore Waste was to the county, and she voiced strong support for the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) work going on in the county.
A large group of business and government leaders met with State Senator Grant Hauschild last week to discuss area concerns.
Howard Hedstrom, retired president of Hedstrom Lumber Co. and a member of several boards and commissions, asked Grant to see if the state can improve on the money that Cook County gets from payment in lieu of taxes (PILT), especially for shoreland property.
Hauschild replied he authored a bill that asks the commissioner of revenue, by January 31, 2024, to consult with the D.N.R. and counties to produce a report on valuation methods used to determine the values of acreage and shoreline. He agreed the counties are getting shortchanged because of how the state assesses state-owned property.
Relating to public safety, Grant has a bill to establish a Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal emergency management coordinator position starting in 2024. Funds to pay the $145,000 annual tab would be sought from the public safety commissioner. The first reading of that bill took place on February 13 and referred to judiciary and public safety.
Grand Portage Tribal Chairman Robert (Bobby) Deschampe requested the senator to look into restoring watercraft rescue service to Cook County. Last year the Coast Guard station in Grand Marais was closed, and rescue service is now supposed to come from Duluth, about 150 miles from Grand Portage.
Deschampe stated he supported seeking funding for affordable housing in the county, and he backed many of the initiatives voiced by his peers in the room.
Hauschild has also authored a bill that, if passed, will help Ojibwe Bands covered under the 1854 Treat Area agreement, of which Grand Portage is one.
Under this bill, the Bands would see a significant boost in annual payments. The bill calls for spending $15 million in 2024 and $15 million in the fiscal year 2025, an increase of $9,950,000 more than the budget established by law in 1988.
Concerning jobs, Grant co-authored a Boundary Waters Area Economic Relief program to assist businesses adversely affected by the 2021 closure of the BWCAW.
Because the bonding bill wasn’t signed last year, there were projects left over that still needed to receive state funding. One of those was the Gitchi Gami Trail in Lutsen. Both commissioner Ginny Storlie and Visit Cook County Director Linda Jurek asked Hauschild to support the bill calling for funds needed to complete about a one-mile section of the Gitchi Gami biking/walking trail in Lutsen.
I.S.D. 166 Superintendent Chris Lindholm told the senator that the school district has the second highest rate of special education kids per pupil in the state, only behind Nett Lake, and the cross-subsidy imbalance needed to addressed.
Lindholm said he backed the proposed free lunch legislation for K-12 students. However, he also said when inflation was factored in, school districts now receive $1,200 less per student than they did in 2003. To help make up the funding difference, Lindholm noted that most school districts had passed local referendums, and the current excess levy referendum passed by the community only makes up half of that $1,200.
Marja Wiinanen, president of Historic Cook County, said more than two million dollars are needed to help build archival space and fund repairs and upkeep at five sites under the guidance of the historical society. A bill to address that need went nowhere when the bonding bill didn’t pass last year, she said.
Among other things, Cook County Public Health and Human Services Director Alison Mcintyre pointed out that stable funding for mental health care and chemical abuse services was “critically important.” More funding for childcare was also a critical need, she added.
Paid Leave bill
There was a bit of discussion about the proposed paid leave bill now in front of the legislature. No one opposed the bill, but no one had any answers for how it would work for their thinly staffed businesses.
On Thursday, February 16, a House Committee discussed the bill that now calls for up to 12 weeks of medical leave and up to 12 weeks of family leave. Under the current proposal, businesses and workers would contribute to a fund managed by the state. County Administrator James Joerke expressed strong support for the legislation, while several business owners questioned how it would work.
Gunflint Lodge owners John and Mindy Fredrikson expressed concern about the family leave bill as it is now written and said if it passes, to make sure it can work for small seasonal businesses.
Jan Sivertson, owner of Sivertson Art Gallery, said she supported the bill to keep the one percent tax for Visit Cook County. Jan said she was not against paid leave, but because of the thin staffing, she needed to figure out how it would work for her business.
Stephen Skeels, owner of Buck’s Hardware, made a similar point about the paid-leave bill. Skeels explained that hardware stores make “75-85 percent” of sales in two quarters. Staffing is tight at Bucks, and Skeels said he was concerned about how it would work during the busy season.
Eric Humphrey, co-owner of the Lake Superior Trading Post, said, among other things, he favored securing funding to build more affordable housing in the county.
Howard Hedstrom, retired President of Hedstrom Lumber Co., sits on several boards and committees. Howard favored the proposed K-12 free lunch program and asked for solar incentives for schools. He also suggested restructuring the Department of Energy and Economics (DEED) housing grants because they now shortchange small cities and towns.
Dustin Hanson, the owner of North Shore Waste, has been to the capitol recently to secure funding to expand and improve his business. North Shore Waste is seeking to build a modern 24,000 square foot transfer station powered by solar panels, convert eventually to electric garbage trucks, and reduce 20 percent of the area’s solid waste by creating a commercial compost.
Gregg Westigaad serves on the Cook County Soil and Water Board. Gregg told Hauschild that one-half of Minnesota’s Lake Superior shoreline is in Cook County, and he explained that CCS&W’s goal was conservation—” to conserve the land before it goes bad.” That said, Gregg asked for permanent funding for Cook County Soil and Water so it could do the necessary inspections to protect the lake.
North Shore Hospital Director/C.E.O. Kimber Wraalstad made the case to fix reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid. She said the nursing home reimbursement was 21 months behind, the diet and housekeeping departments were not directly reimbursed, and any support Hauschild could give to improve workforce housing in the county would be appreciated.
Grand Marais Mayor Tracy Benson said a big issue for her was the loss of the Coast Guard station. “We need that protection here.” She also said as more people move to the county we need to welcome the newcomers and work to preserve the beauty of the county.
County Commissioners
Commissioner Stacy Hawkins, District 2, told Hauschild that the state payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) funding formula has to be changed to reflect the values of state lands.
District 5 Commissioner Ginny Storlie talked about getting more funding to extend the Gitchi Gami bike trail in Lutsen and asked the senator to address the concerns about the closure of the U.S. Coast Guard station in Grand Marais.
Ann Sullivan, District 3, addressed chronic wasting disease, saying she wanted to prohibit any wildlife animal farms in the county. She asked for Hauschild’s help in getting the federal PILT payments to Cook County to reflect the loss of tax dollars to the county. With over one million acres of land that can’t be taxed the federal government has to come up with a fairer assessment of that property, especially the shoreline(s), she said.
Deb White, District 1,, asked for more funding for county roads and bridges, noting the county doesn’t have enough money to pay for all the needed improvements.
District 3 Commissioner Dave Mills told Hauschild he thought the most significant need for Cook County was to improve available housing and add more childcare.
Mills said there were 114 childcare slots open that needed to be filled and added he favored universal childcare. Children between ages 0-3 learn 80 percent of what they will learn, and from 0-5, they learn 90 percent of what they will know, Mills said, adding the government funds about $18,000 per pupil grades K-12 and $500 for kids 0-5. “It would make a lot more sense for the state to spend more on education for kids ages 0-5.”
Hauschild agreed, adding he was an author to expand the dependent care credit; to establish the Great Start Child Care credit.
County Engineer Robbie Hass made it a point to say that state speed limits need to be set by the state highway traffic engineers and no one else. He noted that Highway 61 was “a little bumpy” and hoped there would be funds in the bonding bill for more work to be done on the only main route to Cook County. Hass also asked for more funds in the bridge bonding.
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