The Grand Marais Park and Recreation Board met on the first beautiful, sunny, warm day of spring, April 4, to discuss a variety of items.
First up was the Grand Marais Lions Club Centennial Year community project. Lions Millie Spry and Katie Viren came before the board and said that it is the 100-year celebration of the Lions, and each club is supposed to do a legacy project for their communities.
“We are looking for ideas,” said Spry. “Something solid, permanent.”
Some suggestions included putting up a bigger, stronger tent in Harbor Park for summer events, paying for viewfinders on the harbor so people could look far out into the lake, helping to fund a boat museum that has been proposed for Boulder Park (or Coast Guard Point), or contributing to pay for playground equipment for the community center playground, etc.
“These are good ideas,” said Spry. “We can take them back to the club and discuss them. We have another year to get whatever project done that we select.”
Grand Marais Park and Recreation manager Dave Tersteeg reported year-to-date revenue at $73,393, up two percent over 2016.
“Trending for the park has been up the last three months,” said Tersteeg. “People are using our online service, and the demand is up. Maybe that’s due to marketing, I’m not sure, but people are booking earlier to get what they want. Thus far, 2017 is trending 14 percent up for reservation deposits versus 2016,” he added.
Tersteeg presented two bids for electrical upgrades to 44 trailer sites. Nordic Electric of Grand Marais submitted an estimate of $79,000 while Hunt Electric of Duluth tabled an estimate of $74,950.
The work includes new 20/30/40 amp pedestals and all necessary wire, conduit, and main disconnects on 28 sites on the east side and 16 sites on the west side of the park. The contractor is responsible for trenching, and pedestal installations and part of the requirement is that the work is completed by May 12.
Board members Dave Mills and Kay Tavernier questioned the bid from Hunt because it wasn’t from a local contractor. Tersteeg pointed out that Lacey Kimball, a local, is Hunt’s representative electrician for Cook County. He also said if Hunt Electric needed more help, they have the resources to send more people to Cook County to finish the job in a timely fashion. As far as the quality of the work, Tersteeg said both companies were excellent and good to work with. A vote was taken having Mills voting against the park board recommendation to the Grand Marais City Council that Hunt Electric be hired to perform the work.
“This has been work we have been hoping to get done for years,” said Tersteeg. “This will solve a lot of headaches and create a lot of goodwill,” he added.
Some other spring projects include getting 20 new picnic tables and 20 new in-ground fire rings that will replace old tables and rusted out fire rings. Local contractors are being sought to repair or replace roofs on the pavilion, recreation hall, and three older bath houses. Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc. has promised to perform necessary paving in the park this spring after the electrical upgrades are completed, said Tersteeg. “The goal is to have both electric and paving done before Memorial Day.”
Seasonal hiring for the campground and golf course are under way, with many jobs paying close to $13 an hour. “Most of last year’s staff will be back. However, we have several openings, particularly at the golf course and front desk clerk at the park office,” noted Tersteeg.
Two special event permits were granted; one for the Arrowhead March for Science and the second was for the Earth Day Beach Sweep event that will both take place on April 22.
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