The Grand Marais Municipal Campground has had one of its busiest summers ever. It’s a perfect place for family and friends to gather.
Speaking at the Grand Marais Park Board meeting on August 4, Director of Parks and Recreation Dave Tersteeg reported a small gain in profits from last year’s record July. Proceeds were at $251,000 this year, edging out last year’s July high water mark of $249,000.
“It’s hard to show an increase in profits because we were full last year and full this year. There’s not much room to make any more revenue in July,” Tersteeg said.
Daily rates were up $18,000 (14 percent) while weekly rates fell $7,500 and monthly rates increased 2 percent, or $1,300 over last July.
“Once again, the big gain in daily rates and the big drop in weekly rates is due to our prime sites no longer being discounted at the weekly rate,” Tersteeg said.
While the campground flourished, the marina faltered, with fuel sales falling $7,100 under last year’s July total.
“There seems to be a lack of bigger cruising ships coming in here this summer. And we’re not getting the big sailboats, the 38-footers,” Tersteeg said. “Some people speculate that it’s the fog and the lake has been cold. However, ever since the Fisherman’s Picnic, the big boats are starting to come in, and the good news is that our year-todate revenue through the end of July stands at $58,3979 up 18 percent over last July.”
2016 budget
Tersteeg went over a preliminary 2016 budget with the board. While the park is profitable, Tersteeg told the board that all profits go into the city’s general fund, and the budget has to be approved by the city council. When a big project comes along, the park board has to go to the council and ask for money to do an improvement.
“We’ve never been turned down by the council,” added Tersteeg.
Park Board Member Sally Berg said she would like to see more assurance that the park board could receive funds from the city. She asked if the city council could earmark capital for future projects requested by the park board to guarantee the money would be there for those projects. Board Members Reid Dusheck, Kaye Tavernier and Park Board Chair Walt Mianowski agreed with her and Tersteeg said he would bring that to the council for review.
Golf report
After a slow start, Gunflint Hills Golf Course Manager Mike Kunshier said golfers have come out to play, and year-to-date the sales have brought in $98,059.10, almost identical to last year’s figure.
So far 86 people have become members, up 4 from last year, and Kunshier reported season pass sales of $23,573. Mike said there is one men’s league with two start times and a senior league, but no women’s or couples’ league. “That takes time to organize, and maybe when I retire I will do that on my free time, but right now I don’t have time to promote and organize those leagues,” he said.
Harbor Park tent
Mianowski asked Tersteeg why the park’s blue tent wasn’t up in Harbor Park for the Fisherman’s Picnic.
“We had it up on July 26 for the Splintertones, but unfortunately winds of 15 to 20 knots came up and put a small tear in the upwind corner of the tent and we had to take it down. Fortunately the 36-inch metal stake in the ground bent to relieve the pressure and the damage was minor. Mathew Brown from North House had the tent repaired on one of the big heavy-duty sewing machines. It didn’t cost us anything, but we learned a lesson. Now we know that we can’t put the tent up when winds exceed 10 knots per hour, which they did over the Picnic, and that’s why we didn’t put it up.”
Tersteeg then asked the board to consider charging a set-up and take-down fee for groups who want the tent set up in the park. “Would this include the Fourth of July or Fisherman’s Picnic?” Mianowski asked.
“No. This would be for people who, say, wanted to set up the tent so six kids could dance under it. Or for the music groups like the Splintertones who want to perform on a weekend,” Tersteeg said.
When asked how long it takes to set up and tear down, Tersteeg said one hour. But he noted that park crews had to perform this task on the weekends, typically, and he thought a small fee should be included to compensate the park for their time.
The board discussed this matter and decided they would set a policy for tent set up/take down sometime next winter before the 2016 season.
Best campground
“Our campground won Best of the Lake 2015 in the latest edition of the Lake Superior Magazine,” Tersteeg said. Berg felt the campground was deserving of the award, but added that park improvements and upgrades must continue.
City Council report
David Mills gave a brief account of the city council’s wishes for the park. Mills, the city council representative to the park board, said that the council was looking at ways to increase revenue from both the park and the city’s municipal liquor store.
“The number one priority for the council right now is to build a new city hall, with a new city garage a close second. We’re looking at doing something with the liquor store. Right now it’s part of the city council building. We’re looking at what some private liquor stores are doing to increase revenue. As far as the park and liquor store, we want to invest in the two places where our money makers are so we can get more revenues from each.”
Berg warned that as of now, the Grand Marais Campground had the highest daily fees “anywhere on the lake.” So she cautioned Mills to take that message back to council so they could reflect on the justification of possibly raising fees too high at the recreational park.
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