• City golf course manager Mike Kunshier reported that the course is scheduled to open May 15, but cart use may not be allowed until the ground firms up. He said there are some areas that will need to be treated for snow mold, and there was some tree damage caused by the spring ice storms, “but nothing too bad.”
In an effort to cut down on expenses at the behest of city council, Kunshier said he will try to get by without hiring anyone this year, and will again offer local discounts, but not for League play. He said he is also encouraged by some inquiries he received from West End golfers wishing to play the Grand Marais course.
Park Board member Walt Mianowski said he believes the cash-strapped Grand Marais course should receive more help from the city, which historically contributes to the upkeep of the Superior National Golf Course in Lutsen through its support of the EDA . “That bugs the hell out of me and the rest of the golfers,” said Mianowski.
• Pool Manager Charles Christiansen told the board the new floor looks good, and has brightened up the place considerably. Following the annual April closedown of the pool for cleaning and maintenance, Christiansen said everything is up and running well.
On the other side of the coin, however, the pool manager said income is down about $2,400 from the same period last year, and attendance is down by about half during the same timeframe.
Christiansen said the pool is fully staffed for the summer, with the recent hiring of two high school and one college lifeguard. And once again, the pool will participate in the county’s Incredible Exchange Program.
• The board spent some time reacting to a letter from Harbor Friends stating that the organization has “temporarily withdrawn” an offer to gift its Outdoor Classroom Program to the Rec. Park. Lenz said he was very disappointed when he saw the letter, and faulted the board for “projecting a lot of negative feelings” when the presentation was made at the park board’s April meeting.
“We should be accepting this type of program,” said Lenz, adding that there is still a chance of the city Parks Department taking on the $200,000 educational program.
As was the case a month earlier, concerns were expressed about the ongoing cost of maintaining the program, the propriety of a city agency distributing a booklet that solicits funds for a nonprofit organization, strain on park staffers’ time to run and administer the program, and other unidentified “strings attached” that might accompany acceptance of the program. Tersteeg advocated for acceptance of the program, and said it could be tailored to fit whatever budget the city and/or park board decided to allocate. There is no obligation to do a specified number of tours, he said, or to give away the books. Because of the number of questions and members’ desire for more information — namely, the cost of running such an undertaking — the subject will be placed on the June agenda, when hopefully a final decision will be made based on additional research.
• The board said it had no problems with the addition to the Rec. Park of a new $40,000 travel trailer that resembles a park model, but technically is not. Tersteeg said the owners are very conscientious, and just wanted to make sure the new trailer will be accepted before going ahead with installation. The new trailer will use a lot more electricity than a traditional model, said Tersteeg, and board members had some questions about the patio doors. But, unless the city’s park model standards are redefined, such a trailer is allowable. “We just want to avoid the look of permanence,” said Mianowski.
• Tersteeg said the Rec. Park’s revenue is positive through April, and is actually up about $1,000 from the prior year; however, April has been down a little. The summer appears to be good, too, he said, with reservations up, particularly in July and August. In fact, Tersteeg said campers are not always getting their first choice of dates due to the demand.
• The board authorized the expenditure of $2,200 to repair floors in two campground bathhouses, and another $4,700 to paint the exterior of the park office.
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