Hal Greenwood
A request by the Cook County Revolving Loan Fund (CCRLF) to rename the Committee after its founder, Hal Greenwood, was tabled by commissioners at their December 22 meeting.
Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers began the conversation by stating that the CCRLF committee met on December 9 and voted to recommend that the county board pass a resolution to rename the CCRLF the Hal Greenwood Cook County Revolving Loan Fund in honor of Greenwood, who passed away November 19, 2020.
Reading from the CCRLF resolution, Powers began, “The Cook County Revolving Loan Fund, using seed money originally issued by the state of Minnesota and no county contributions to date, has issued upwards of one hundred loans of approximately $6 million cumulatively helping establish and maintain many businesses in the community, and the jobs they create, including Hedstrom’s Lumber, Buck’s Hardware, Lutsen Mountains, the Village Inn (now Caribou Highlands), The Crooked Spoon, Gunflint Lodge, Poplar Haus, Cedar Grove Veterinary Clinic, and many others unnamed here, of all sizes, profit-and non-profit-driven.
“Hal is said to have been a crucial influence at the Capitol to facilitate the original grants from the State to Cook County to establish the Cook County Revolving Loan Fund and served on the Revolving Loan fund Committee continuously for decades, as chair for many years and contributed to the work of the Committee through much of 2020.
During decades of community service in Grand Marais and for the county, Hal was the longtime chair of the Planning and Zoning and Public Utilities Commission for Grand Marais. He led the Cook County School Education Foundation and founded the Cook County Chamber of Commerce. Plus, He was well known for working behind the scenes to find financial support for countless projects to benefit the county.
Greenwood also served the community. Powers also noted much of the other service to community work Hal had done.
When Powers finished, County Board Chair Myron Bursheim asked if any Commissioner had any comments.
Commissioner Mills asked if the county had a policy for renaming buildings or committees etc., and was told the county had no such policy in place.
Mills noted that Greenwood had made significant contributions to the area but added that any tribute to Greenwood should be done correctly.
Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk said she agreed with Mills.
She said it was unfortunate that the county didn’t have an application process for naming buildings, committees, fields, etc., after people who might be deserving of that honor, and said the county should come up with policy and procedure before naming the revolving fund after Greenwood.
Doo-Kirk added that if the county board didn’t follow through at the (December 22) meeting with the naming resolution, “it might bring some sadness to the family.” But noted she would like Hal’s kids and grandkids to participate in any ceremony to honor Hal and asked the board to table the motion until the county had come up with a policy.
Commissioner Sorlie requested the board follow through with the resolution put forth by the revolving loan committee to rename the Committee after Hal Greenwood. She suggested the board look at Commissioner Mills’ request now and in the future to come up with a renaming policy, noting that “As far as this request, we could be two years out with COVID-19.” Which meant it would be two years before Greenwood’s family could realistically take part in a renaming ceremony.
Board Chair Bursheim said he understood Mills and Doo-Kirk’s point of view but said Hal Greenwood had “done a lot in the community and for this community… I support Commissioner Storlie and what she has stated.”
Doo-Kirk agreed with Bursheim and Storlie that the name change was appropriate and deserving but said as long as she had been on the county board, she had been told: “We don’t name things for people dead or alive.”
Doo-Kirk cited a request for a name change for a person who had spent more than 30 years working to make the county a better place, and after five years of hearing that request, it never made it to the county board for a vote.
“If you say yes to Hal, then it’s not fair to the other person,” she added.
Commissioner Mills asked the board to take a step back, “and not have this be about any individual in the past. This is about making decisions based on a fair process. .. We should try to fix the deficiency,” he said.
Storlie asked, “Do we need a policy committee?”
County Administrator Joerke said if the board approved, he would work with County Attorney Molly Hicken to frame a policy and bring it back to the board for consideration.
Doo-Kirk motioned to table until Administrator Joerke and Attorney Hicken could come back with a renaming policy and Mills supported it. All four commissioners supported the motion, and the resolution to rename the revolving fund after Hal Greenwood will be tabled until a policy is formed.
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