By an 8-6 vote, Schroeder residents attending the August 12 continuation of the March 12, 2013 annual meeting agreed to decrease the 2013 township levy from $39,000 to $34,700 in 2014.
Some discussion was had about decreasing the 2014 levy even further, to $30,000, but when the vote was taken on Bruce Martinson’s motion, seconded by Linda Lamb to take $4,300 off the 2014 levy, it passed by a show of hands by two votes.
The annual continuation meeting took place before the regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The final 2013 budget for Schroeder was set at $94,440, and the regular monthly meeting was called and began at 7:40 p.m.
EDA housing program looks at West End
Nancy Grabko, Cook County Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) housing coordinator, introduced herself to the board and gave a brief introduction of who she was, her duties, and a history of her position.
Grabko said the EDA is considering applying for Small Cities Development Program funds from the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to rehabilitate homes in Schroeder, Tofte and Lutsen townships.
“Over the past four years, 36 homes in Cook County have been rehabilitated through this program and we are working hard toward securing funding for future projects,” she said.
If Schroeder would like to be considered, Grabko said DEED requires completion of a communitywide survey to gather information which will help determine the level of need and the impact the program will have on the community. “What we need from you are labels or addresses of Schroeder residents. We will send out the forms,” Grabko said, adding, “All of the information is confidential and will only be used to help us in our upcoming grant application.”
A pre-application for housing rehab assistance will also be sent with the survey, said Grabko.
“If someone is interested in getting placed on the waiting list, they just need to fill out the application and return it in the same envelope with the survey,” Grabko said. Homeowners who qualify for DEED loans won’t have to repay the loan if they live in their homes for 10 years following the work, Grabko said.
But the timeline is tight, with grant applications needing to be submitted by mid-November, which means the local survey must be sent out by the end of August.
The town board approved Grabko’s request and will work with her to get names and addresses of all Schroeder homeowners.
“Competition for these loans is fierce, so we need to get as much complete information in as we can,” Grabko said.
Birch Grove Foundation update on activities
Birch Grove Foundation representative Coralyn Koschinska came before the township with an update about her group’s role and duties concerning the Birch Grove Community Center and school.
“I’m not here to ask for money,” said Koschinska with a big smile.
“Our role has evolved and changed since the foundation was started in 1985,” said Koschinska, who then read the foundation’s first mission statement: “Our mission is to enhance the quality of education for all ages on the West End of Cook County. It is through a continuous partnership with the community that the Foundation is able to thrive, evolve, and work toward meeting the community’s need for education, recreation and a variety of quality services.”
In 2013, said Koschinska, a new mission statement was created that better encapsulated the group’s duties and goals, and she read that to the board, “Rooted in the West End of Cook County, Birch Grove Foundation informs, connects and facilitates the rich web of resources for building a healthier, sustainable community for all generations through cooperation, coordination and collaboration in training and education, arts and culture, and health and wellness.”
The town of Tofte owns the Birch Grove Community Center, said Koschinska, but the Birch Grove Foundation manages the building and grounds which house the Birch Grove Community School, Saplings preschool, Seniors Connect West, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic Lake Superior Hostel, Sven & Ole’s pizza delivery, Free Wi-Fi and computer use, monthly community lunches, and recreational facilities, including tennis courts, ice rink, playground and cross country skis.
The community center is also used for Zumba and Tai Chi classes and the Wednesday night pizza made over the center’s outdoor wood-fired oven is very successful, said Koschinska, adding that more than 60 people participated last week.
She said that more transparency needs to be garnered in the foundation’s accounting practices so that when people give a gift, “they can see where it is going.” Towards that end, she is working to see that those accounting changes occur, and when no questions came her way, she told the board she would keep them abreast of any new changes happening at the center.
Business development offered in Cook County
Pat Campanaro came before the board and introduced herself as the new Minnesota Small Business Development Centers consultant in Cook County. Campanaro works 15 hours per week out of the Cook County Higher Education office and is available to help new and existing business owners make a plan to grow or start their businesses at no charge.
“I’m here to really bring as many resources to help grow or start a new business as I can,” Campanaro said.
Those resources include financial planning, marketing, counseling, training, loan packaging, record keeping, accounting, business planning and advertising.
“I’m not the font of all knowledge, but I can connect people where they need to be connected,” said Campanaro, who works in conjunction with the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) small business development center.
Campanaro said she would try to work one day per month in the West End and one day per month in Grand Portage. In her first month on the job she said she met with 16 people.
The goal of the program, said Campanaro, is to help revitalize this economy. “We need to keep the kids here and they need to work for good wages,” said Campanaro.
West End County Commissioner Bruce Martinson said Campanaro is doing an excellent job. He turned to her and said, “I’m glad you are in this position.”
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