Energy technologies continue to evolve, and county ordinances need to evolve with them. On October 16, 2012, the county board authorized a public hearing with the Planning Commission on November 14 to discuss adding new provisions to the Cook County Tower Facility Ordinance.
The proposed provisions relate to allowing vertical axis wind turbines. Vertical axis wind towers spin horizontally around a tower and tend to be shorter than traditional propeller type wind towers.
Vertical axis wind turbines under 35 feet would be allowed without a permit, and those over 35 feet would require land use permits or conditional use permits depending on where they are.
Wind towers of any kind over 199 feet are not allowed.
Planning Director Tim Nelson said someone in the community is interested in developing a vertical axis wind turbine business in Cook County. He said he has been told they are quieter than propeller-type turbines.
Airport improvements
At the same meeting, Commissioner Jim Johnson reported that the Cook County Airport was closed as Ulland Brothers of Carlton repaired and widened the airstrip.
The application to the Federal Aeronautics Administration (FAA) for a runway extension was looking good as well, Johnson said.
The extension project was put off when the FAA required a $75,000 cost-benefit analysis, although the reason behind this was actually a lack of funding at the time, Johnson said. He said they might need to appeal to legislators for their help in moving the project forward. The county needs to be able to accommodate larger U.S. Forest Service aircraft in case of forest fire, he said.
The repair and widening of the airstrip is now completed and the airport is open.
Highway Department
The board approved an unbudgeted purchase of a $1,500 tool to take wheels off trucks. Getting truck wheels off has become a safety hazard with the way the department’s new truck wheels are mounted.
Subordinate Service District snowplowing contracts went to Mike Rose Excavating for Evergreen Road ($85 per occurrence with an 8 a.m. start); Frederick W. Smith for Mile- O-Pine ($75 per occurrence with a 10 a.m. start); Christiansen Plow Service for Voyageur’s Point ($90 peroccurrencewitha6a.m.start); and Grand Marais Standard for West Rosebush Lane ($65 per occurrence with an 8 a.m. start).
Outside lighting
Three bids from local electricians were received for placing two light poles on the north side of the courthouse. The job went to Hedstrom E & E at a cost of $4,838.
The board voted to send a letter to the Minnesota Department of Transportation asking for a street light at the intersection of Highway 61 and the New Gunflint Trail.
Budget status
Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers reported that ¾ of the way through the year, the county had gone through only 63 percent of its budget.
In other news:
. On October 30, the board authorized the Planning & Zoning Department to spend $36,318 in funds left over from this year’s budget on recycling equipment.
A can separator and a glass breaker will replace equipment that has been in place since the late 1980s, and a trailer will replace an older one from the early 1990s. These purchases will be taken out of next year’s proposed budget.
. The board approved paying Crawford Excavating an extra $13,602 for excavation and site demolition for the new hockey rink beside the current Community Center. The extra cost was for removing 35 3’x3’ pieces of ledge rock found underneath the surface and replacing them with soil. The total cost will be $139,756.
Change orders over $10,000 on the new community center and outdoor recreational amenities must be approved by the county board. The project has a $700,000 contingency fund to cover things like this.
. The board authorized a scheduled purchase of replacement computer equipment in the amount of $10,200. According to Information Technology Director Danna MacKenzie, the equipment being replaced will be used for lower-level tasks somewhere in the county’s computer network.
. This year, the county’s Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding will be 72 percent of what it was last year. The county received $602,231 last year and will get $435,020 this year. This will affect the Highway Department’s budget by about $90,000.
SRS funding comes from the federal government and is related to the amount of U.S. Forest Service land in the county.
. A subcommittee of the county’s safety committee is planning a safety drill that will involve locking down the courthouse and calling law enforcement to respond. This will involve closing the courthouse down for one hour. The community will be notified in advance regarding the drill.
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