Cook County may be forming a new Subordinate Government Service District (SGSD). On October 15, 2013, two residents who access their property from Rosebush Hill Road, which starts at Highway 61 just west of Grand Marais, presented a petition to the county board requesting the SGSD.
All seven of the property owners who live along the road have requested the SGSD, although only one of them is a registered Cook County voter. They are having work done on the road that would bring it up to the standard the county requires to oversee snowplowing for a group of property owners.
The county board agreed to move forward with the process of creating the SGSD and set a public hearing for 10 a.m. November 12 in the courthouse commissioners’ room. If the SGSD is approved, it could be March before the bidding process would result in finding someone to plow the road. Resident Nancye Belding said that finding someone to plow regularly has been difficult.
Commissioner Sue Hakes indicated she expects this to be a less contentious issue than the creation of the Irish Creek SGSD in Hovland since everyone who would be paying for the services has requested them.
In other county news:
. Active Living Steering Committee Coordinator Kristin DeArruda Wharton announced to the board that the City of Grand Marais was named a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. The city is one of 10 communities in the state that the organization has designated bicycle-friendly and is the second smallest community in the nation to receive this designation.
Bike racks throughout town, the Gitchi Gami Bicycle Trail along Highway 61, bicycle safety education, and the Moving Matters project promoting active living contributed to receiving the award.
An October 15 press release from the Active Living Steering Committee states, “Grand Marais and Cook County have reached a point where there are opportunities for moving beyond education and bicycling promotion to start addressing infrastructure and policy needs that will make bicycling safer and more accessible.”
. The board approved an expenditure of $3,480 for new carpeting in the area to be occupied by the new county administrator and a secretary. The work will be done by 1010 Interiors, the low bidder.
. Mike McMillan was the low bidder on plowing around county buildings with a bid of $50/hour for pickup plowing and $55/hour for Bobcat work.
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