The county board approved final payment to Northland Constructors December 22, 2009 for reconstruction of the east end of County Road 7. The cost of the project was $2,672,889.27, about 12% over the bid, according to County Engineer Shae Kosmalski. The extra cost was due to increases in the cost of blacktop and design changes that had to be made... READ MORE >
Superintendent Beth Schwarz outlined the school’s FY2011 budget at a truth-in-taxation public hearing December 21, 2009, although no community members came specifically for the hearing. Currently the school does not have an operating referendum to support its budget, but Leonard Sobanja wrote in his December 9 school board work session minutes, “By consensus the board agreed that we needed to... READ MORE >
At the invitation of Cook County commissioners, Association of Minnesota Counties Executive Director Jim Mulder came up from St. Paul to discuss at the December 22, 2009 county board meeting the possibility of hiring a county administrator, something Mulder openly supported. The board started talking about hiring an administrator after passage of the referendum authorizing a countywide 1% sales and... READ MORE >
The county received seven “qualified” bids from firms around the country for engineering design and construction management of a countywide fiber optic communications network, Cook County Information Systems Director Danna MacKenzie reported to the county board December 22, 2009. A six-member review committee interviewed three companies and decided Spectrum Engineering Corporation of Auburn, Indiana was the best fit for the... READ MORE >
The sun returned after a Christmas weekend of tempestuous weather. City and county workers were back at work, and seniors showed up at the Senior Center for lunch. Numerous citizens were happy to answer some Christmas and New Year’s questions for the Cook County News- Herald: What was your favorite Christmas present this year? What is one of your most... READ MORE >
On Tuesday, December 22, 2009, Cook County Agricultural Inspector/Highway Engineer Shae Kosmalski volunteered $4,000 from her agricultural inspector budget to help the county board keep its 2010 levy increase down. After an outcry last summer over the possibility of spraying noxious weeds, the county board decided not to spray. Kosmalski said she is anticipating sharing a $50-100,000 grant with numerous... READ MORE >
Theexterior of the courthouse is in need of repair, Maintenance Director Brian Silence reported to the county board in November 2009. The material used on the surface is good for only 12-14 years before cracks start to form. Water gets into the cracks, freezes, and then creates holes, Silence said, something he already sees happening. The newer portion of the... READ MORE >
Upgrades to the Cook County Law Enforcement Center’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system are paying off, Sheriff Mark Falk reported to the county board Tuesday, November 24. The project has reduced propane use “drastically,” he said. Between June and September last year, the building went through 5,000 gallons of propane. In the same time frame this year, it... READ MORE >
Lutsen Town Supervisor Diane Parker reported to the town board Tuesday, December 15, 2009 that the work on .4 miles of the Lutsen ski hill road (County Road 5) passed inspection by District State Aid Engineer Walter Leu. Lutsen has received $350,000 that it will pass along to the county from the Iron Range Resources Board (IRRB) for project expenses.... READ MORE >
After the third quarter of 2009, all three Cook County tourism associations had lost ground on 3% lodging tax income from last year at the same time. As of October 31, the Gunflint Trail Tourism Association was down 8.1% (although some lodging establishments had not sent their reports in yet). The Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association was down 11.4%. The Grand Marais... READ MORE >
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