The Gunflint Trail is sinking. At least one part of it that runs through a swampy area near Sea Gull Lake. “Up by Sea Gull Lake there has been an area of considerable settlement,” County Engineer David Betts told the county board on Tuesday, July 24, 2012. “It’s pretty bad. Actually, it’s really bad.”
A section of road about 100 feet long has sunk one to two feet over the years, one side faster than the other, Betts said, and previous attempts to fix it have not worked. He said, “It’s my understanding that this has always been a problem”— from the very beginning when Russell Blankenburg and Art Nunstedt put the road in.
Betts requested authorization to hire a firm to conduct geotechnical borings to determine what exactly is underneath the road—the amount of moisture and organic material in particular. The borings would go down about 25 feet but even farther as needed. “We don’t know what we’re going to find,” Betts said. Ameliorating the situation could involve constructing a bridge or installing Styrofoam, he said, and he expects it to cost quite a bit of money. The Gunflint Trail, or County State Aid Highway 12, receives funding from the state for maintenance and repair of the road.
The board approved hiring Braun Intertec Corporation of Duluth to conduct the borings. They proposed drilling eight holes—and sealing them back up again—for an estimated $9,037.50. The work can be done in a day.
“This is kind of a road version of Devil’s Kettle,” said Commissioner Jim Johnson.
“I just call it ‘the sinking road,’” said Betts.
To assess or not assess permit fee
Approving the special event permit for the Sawtooth Challenge Mountain Bike Race to be held September 2 was not controversial, but whether to honor the request of Tim Kennedy of the Superior Cycling Association to waive the $100 fee provoked some discussion among the board.
“I think you should give some consideration to waiving that fee,” said Kennedy, also a Grand Marais city councilor. Cook County’s nonprofits are trying to create events that benefit the community, he said.
Highway Engineer Betts said the Highway Department deals with 10-12 events a year that involve use of county roads. They have been waiving the fee for one of them— Mush for a Cure—because it is a charitable event, raising money for the fight against breast cancer. “Our roads aren’t parks. They’re roads,” he said. “Where do we draw the line?” The Democratic and Republican parties are nonprofits, too, he said. Would they want to waive the fee if one of those parties wanted to hold a rally on Wisconsin Street?
The people who sponsor these events do it because they like those kinds of activities and/or they get residual business profits from them, said Commissioner Fritz Sobanja.
The city doesn’t charge a fee for events like this, Kennedy said. He asked the board to consider discussing its policy with the community organizations that sponsor such events.
These events cost the county money, Commissioner Jim Johnson said. “…Charging a fee makes that point,” he said. “Philosophically, I can see both sides. …It’s a philosophical issue.”
The fee is small, Commissioner Sobanja said, and most of these organizations have people on them who could easily pay it. “It’s hardly worth the time to sit around and talk about it,” he said.
“Then maybe it’s not worth the time to collect the fee,” said Kennedy.
The board approved the special event application but did not waive the fee or make a plan for reviewing its policy.
“I think the policy…is appropriate,” said Betts.
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