Grand Marais city councilors began their March 31, 2010 meeting by hearing from three parties during the open forum portion of the agenda.
Mark Sandbo, representing the Grand Marais Lions Club, gave a progress report on the club’s efforts to create additional restrooms in the downtown area. The Lions proposed the idea last summer, and said that although they didn’t have any money to actually undertake the project themselves, they would spearhead the project by speaking informally with business owners and come back with some suggestions and possible locations and funding options for the facility.
Sandbo said last Wednesday that the Lions still don’t have any money for the project, but the group has held three meetings to organize the effort, and there have been few— four, at the most—comments offered in support. “So,” he said, “this may not be as big an issue as we thought?”
Nevertheless, said Sandbo, some proposals have been put forward that have some merit.
The purple building behind Threads and off the city’s parking lot has been offered by the owner as a possible site. Sandbo said that building would need some renovation, but it already has plumbing and could be a possibility. Another possibility is including public restrooms accessible by a separate entrance in the proposed library expansion project. That’s another good idea,
said Sandbo, but its location on the other side of the highway doesn’t meet the goals of being centrally located.
Sandbo said the Lions are also continuing to look at potential sites on which to build new public restrooms downtown, but the cost of such a project would probably be prohibitive.
” Councilor Tim Kennedy said it would make more sense for the city to add on to the existing restrooms adjacent to City Hall rather than to put money into a building the city doesn’t own. Besides, he said, the Threads building and the existing public restrooms are virtually in the same location; an expansion of the city facilities would only mean a loss of a few parking spaces. “It makes no sense to build new rather than add on,” he said.
Sandbo agreed that that suggestion also had merit, and it could be explored in more detail. He said he had no request to make of council, but expected to be back later with a funding request and/or to ask the city to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the project.
Mayor Sue Hakes and City Administrator Mike Roth pointed out that, while there may be a need for additional public restrooms, the project is not included on the city’s priority list of capital improvement projects. “There’s no budget to even take care of the restrooms we have now,” said Roth. “If you’re serious about this, we need to put it on the list.” Hakes said such a project would be financially risky, considering that the city doesn’t know how much state aid it may lose next year, and the budget is already extremely tight. Kennedy said some of the problem could be alleviated by posting signs around town to direct people to the city’s public restrooms. Roth said he would see that that happens.
Burning down a house
Grand Marais Fire Chief Ben Silence and Assistant Chief Mike Flack next updated council on the department’s plans to conduct an allday training exercise involving the burning of a house at 406 First Avenue East on April 10. Silence said notices have been posted around town, specifically in the affected area, and Flack said he plans to notify every residence in the immediate area by knocking on their doors and explaining the situation.
Silence said the ambulance will be posted nearby and three fire departments will participate. Because a “substantial” investment has been made in the preparations and procuring the necessary permits, Silence said the burn will be cancelled only in the event of very strong wind.
Asked what would happen if a “real” fire were to happen during the training exercise, Silence said there will be plenty of manpower on site to handle an emergency. “Not all of the trucks will be tied up,” he said. “We’re always ready to cut and run.”
Parking lot problems
Bev Green, director of the Senior Center, said there have been problems in the municipal parking lot caused by both the bigger size of Arrowhead Transit’s new buses, and an ongoing construction project off the alley which will reduce its width to 14 feet.
Green explained that the buses used to be for senior citizens’ use only, but the service has been expanded for the entire population, and that has dramatically increased the bus usage. She said that has led to increased congestion in the parking lot, which will only worsen during the summer, and asked if the city could designate a space for bus parking and/or a bus stop on Broadway in front of the Senior Center.
That way, she said, the drivers won’t have to try to maneuver the large vehicles in and out of the lot, and there would be more available parking space for the public, since the buses takes up about eight spaces.
Roth said he would work with the Senior Center and consider marking off a restricted space on the street, but said enforcement would likely be a problem. As far as finding another location for overnight parking for the buses, which Green requested, Roth said that shouldn’t be a problem. “We can find you a much more convenient place for parking,” said Roth.
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