Thank you. Good morning, everyone. I will call to order the Cook County Board of Commissioners regular meeting on this day, Tuesday, October 14th, at 8:30 a.m. And we begin our meeting with the pledge. Please rise.
I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Is there any adjustments to the agenda?
Mr. Sullivan. Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion to approve the agenda as written. All support. All in favor? I oppose. Same sign. Motion passes. Um at this time, we do offer um public comment
period if there's anyone who would like to come before the county board for five minutes and and um present um any thoughts or comments. Um, I see nobody in the audience. So, we'll move on to
the uh unless anybody here has anything. Okay, I'll move on to the consent agendum items of which we have claims and minutes from our um September 23rd meeting. Cook County Snowmobile Club raffle permit application and a
donation. And I'm going to pull that and we're going to discuss that at toward the end of the meeting because it's a little more involved than what we normally have uh from Patty Lasin. Uh going on then to authorization to the list equipment of Minnesota Department
of Administration surplus site. Uh we have the approval to hire Daniel McFarland as family services case manager. And we also are to approve the retirement of uh David Eckle.
Anything anyone else wants to pull? Commissioner Gamble. Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you. I I would like to pull item G, retirement of David Eckl. And we'll put that along with the um uh number D. Thank you.
Okay. With that, I make a motion to approve the consent agenda as amended. Support. All in favor? I I opposed. Same sign.
And we'll move on to our first um presentation which I will turn over to uh administrator Treble. All right. Thank you. So we have um administrator Lindstöm here to present on the
what was it? Lind. Superintendent. Superintendent. I apologize for that. I'll let you introduce yourself. You could use your titles. Yeah. Right. No worries. Uh it's good to be here. Thank you. Chris Lindholm,
superintendent of ISD 166. Uh it's lovely to share in a county uh commissioners meeting when I know all of you. So, um it's good to be here. Thank you for the invitation and the opportunity to take about 5 10 minutes just to share what the school district
is um up to right now. And I am here strictly as an information provider. Um I am not here um by law advocating for or against the school district bond referendum. I'm here uh as a pipeline to the facts and what it is voters are
being asked to do. So with that, I will start our slide deck if I got the technology working. All right. Thank you so much. So, um, in Cook County, uh, school district, uh, we are on November 4th, or as soon as ballots actually hit mailboxes, which might be as soon as
today or yesterday for some of us. Um, voters are being asked to consider a $6.65 million bond referendum. And bond referendum dollars, to be clear, cannot be used for general operating expenses of a school district. They are for brick and mortar. They are for building and
construction purposes only. Uh we are I would I would argue uh Cook County Schools has done a a fabulous job of keeping up its facilities over the time. And I have a really cool map in my office of the 1952 build and the 1962
build and the 70 edition and the 98 edition. And um now here we are in 2025 26 uh looking to add some more footprint which will indeed happen thanks to um the successful passing of the referendum uh last nove November for just over 24
million. So, uh, when we did the that election last November, uh, our the the first question, the $24 million question did pass. The second and the third question did not. And the board uh really struggled with the fact that in
question two, there was a a significant investment in the arts and an investment in in activities for students and that did not pass by just a slim margin by 2%. Uh and it's the philosophy of our board as this slide says that activities are
an absolutely essential component of a kid's education. Uh I was actually a high school AAA award winner. Uh if you don't know what that is, that every uh school gets a chance to nominate a male and a female in a senior class uh for a AAA award. And that's that's a student
who does well in academics and the arts and athletics. and someone named Kristen Lynholm was a year older than I am. She actually won that award a year before I did uh from the same high school. So, we're we're quite proud of that. Um when we were
working towards the referendum in 2024, uh the board engaged in over 10 listening sessions, surveys, lots of community um involvement in that student listening groups, staff listening groups to try to figure out what the priorities
are for the bond referendum. And when questions two and three failed, uh, the board went ahead and said, "Let's let's re-engage the community." And again, uh, went through a couple of different community surveys, uh, and said, "Chris, please see if we can find some other funding sources." And so we went to the
IT RB and I'm proud to tell you that the IT RB has approved officially a $5 million matching grant to reduce the c the cost of this project uh on our local um homeowners and and business owners.
And the third bullet point here uh is a celebration. uh we were able to land a $250,000 LCCMR grant uh which ultimately is through the legislature, but it's it's basically the uh funding that comes through from the Minnesota Lottery. Um
so that will be targeted towards outdoor learning spaces and improvements to the school forest. The things that we're trying to address uh in this bond referendum include uh you can see a picture here of the auditorium uh an update to the ACA, the Arrowhead Center for the Arts that was
built in 1998 and if you do the math that means it's almost 30 years old. Uh it needs just updates. Uh and uh one of the requests from the Playhouse and Sue Hennessy and um the folks that use the auditorium is you can see in these pictures uh this summer if you went to
the ACA they did a theater in the round layout. Uh and the that kind of creativity is the things that are the things that uh the Playhouse enjoys doing and serving not just our kids but our greater community. Um, however, doing that right now is a herculean
effort because of the the way those chairs are designed and the way those risers are designed. It takes a team of about 3 4 days to actually get that all taken out and rearranged. Uh, today's technology um and full and chairs that
are easier to move uh is the ask of the playhouse community to make it more flexible. but just because of age, updating some lighting, uh getting some new rigging in there that's not 30 years old, uh putting in a catwalk to make it safer, uh and a simple carpet update are
some of the things that would be put into that. And if you don't know, uh the that theater sees well over 5,000 people a year. It programs for kids 5 years old all the way up to senior citizens. Uh it is used non-stop uh by numerous
organizations. other challenges to be addressed. Um I think most prominent is that we have an incredibly successful track program of 70 to 80 students and they have no track and uh they actually have to take a day off school, drive all the way to Two Harbors or Duth, practice running
hurdles, practice running jumping into pits, um practice some of those things. Otherwise, the first time they get an experience with that is at their first meet. Uh so uh the goal here is to help those students have a home place to practice, host meets um and and feel
like they're a part of the community uh that you know I would argue they are. The athletic field, that football field you see there does just fine. Uh it the the target here is not to make a new field for our football program. Our football program would argue their their field is just fine. Uh what we're
missing though is a softball field uh on on home turf and we're missing um the ability to use that field about 90% of the time. A natural turf field has to sit unused uh in order to be game day ready uh come a varsity football game.
So our community edi other kids really don't get to use that field 95% of the time. Uh so by putting in artificial turf uh you can use that field 24/7. And so, uh, this would actually be a new field for Cook County Schools if you
think about it, uh, because it would be able to be used all day, every day. If you were at our football game last Thursday, you know that the lights are a problem. We started them three times, uh, to get them to work. Uh, so part of this would be obviously some new lights
and lighting for our football, our baseball field. Uh, and probably most prominent here is the field would go from a one-dimensional field to a three-dimensional field. It would serve softball, football, and track and field along with be striped for soccer and some of the other things that our
community likes to engage in. I think I might have skipped the slide there. No, I didn't. This is a nice pie chart to show the taxpayer impact of the 6.65 million bond referendum. Uh uh most notable talking point here is our
homeowners would be paying about 28% of that cost. uh and uh the ITRB has great graciously stepped in to cover almost half of that cost along with uh some cost to uh commercial and egg
properties. If the referendum passes, there will be a significant investment into the ACA, as talked about, supporting outdoor learning spaces, both in the front of the building and in the current school garden, and then also out in the school forest,
and if it passes, an investment in a full track and field facility, a multi-purpose field for numerous sports, updates to the baseball field, and inside this plan is uh a plan for a
concession stand that would include plumbing for bathrooms. Uh and um if you've if you've been to a football game or an event at our at our stadium, you know that getting a wheelchair from the entrance to the stands really is is not possible by yourself. It's all bumpy and
it's rudded and it's it's not ADA compliant. Uh so part of this would be making sure that we are ADA compliant and our uh bleachers are accessible for the entire community. This is just a visual uh that shows you the foot the baseball field and then where the
stadium would go. Notable on this particular uh picture is a year ago when we were talking about question two. We we did have um where the west end of the track is right there an additional parking lot in the plan that pl that
plan has been taken off the table. So there is no additional parking lot in this plan. Uh there is no bus maintenance garage in this plan and no road going to that maintenance. That was all done as a an effort to reduce the cost overall to reduce the cost to
taxpayers. If the referendum does not pass, uh we will not receive the $5 million from RB. That's very much a talking point in this and then the improvements that are being proposed would simply be passed down the road for another another day when things
are more expensive. The overall tax impact uh for commissioners to know is basically $1 a month for every $100,000 of value for a homeowner. So if it's a $400,000 house that's about 400 $4 a month, sorry, $4 a
month. If it's a $500,000 house, be about $ five dollar a month. Essentially, a cup of coffee a month. Actually, not even a cup of coffee. All right. So, uh ballots should be hitting mailboxes like yesterday, today,
this week. Uh I want to take a moment to thank Mr. Powers and his team. Uh they do an incredibly great job managing elections and uh they are managing this election. It's the only election in Cook County this year. Um, thank you to you,
Brady, uh, and to your team. It's, um, it's truly a blessing to have a county that is willing to do that and, uh, take it on. With that, I'm going to stop and then ask if there are any questions. Again, I'm not here advocating for or against,
simply making sure people know the facts. I do have a meeting next week in the Looten Township uh, board, and I'm have had several since prior to this. So, um, with that, I'll take any questions. Okay. Thank you so much, Chris. Information is always good and
especially since people can tune in and and hear you also at our board meeting. Yeah. And appreciate you coming to Ludson. I'll see you next week. Perfect. And I don't know if we can hit Toi and Schroeder before the election, but we'll see if we can or not. Okay. So, I'll
open it up for questions or comments. Anybody have Commissioner White? How does Sue Hennessy change the lights these days? You're talking about catwalk. What does she do now? I appreciate that question. First, they
have to move seating and risers out to clear the path uh for a lift to be brought in and then she goes up in the lift and changes them and then has to move the other chairs to move the lift to go back up and move it again. uh it
is incredibly labor intensive for her to do that. Um so thus the proposal for the catwalk. Thank you for that qu that question. I have another question. Last season I saw the baseball no
football field. Um, I believe I heard that the team couldn't use it actually until the first game because it was such a wet season and they could not use the football field because they did not want it to be
a muddy mess for the first game, right? Yeah, that is true. We have the multi-purpose field up above uh to the west of the main field and that's where they generally practice so that they don't tear up the main field. uh this year uh if you remember I think it was their first home game that it rained
non-stop and they ultimately cancelled it because of lightning which was a blessing because had they played that game they would have trashed their field for the ne next three four games so um that that occurs you're absolutely right Commissioner White um thus uh artificial
turf is really a trend if you look across northern Minnesota districts that we play against have artificial turf and it's for these same reasons the rain the snow the ice um we we figure we would gain about a month onto our girls softball season uh by being able to play on it much earlier. Thank you for that.
Another question. The turf these days, is it like the oldfashioned turf that would cause uh injuries not to heal or is it can you explain what the new turf is like? Not in any detail. No. Uh however, the
technology has absolutely evolved. Uh, and uh, if you watch a professional game and you see the games played now, when they hit the ground on a tackle, you see these little things fly up in the air, it looks like dust. Um, that's part of the new technology and that that material needs to be added every single
year to make sure that the fe the turf field uh, stays safe uh, and playable. And when I talk to my colleagues, superintendents who have installed artificial turf, they've seen no change in injuries. Uh, and I think if you ask asked our football coaches, they would
tell you that's for a lot of reasons. One is, yes, the technology has come a long way. Um, but they'll also tell you that natural turf isn't forgiving either. Uh, holes, ruts, bare spots, um, all that exists on natural turf. And so artificial turf is
far more predictable uh, and flat and even. So there it's a both and. And, um, in the districts I've spoken with, there's been no change in injuries, injury rates. Okay, one last question. Obviously, I like football, but it's the football season. Okay, so can't help it.
Um, so now all of that I forget what I was going to say. Oh, how many how many students are participating in football that come from Grand Portage or homeschool kids or for GES? Do you
have I don't have any data on that. Um I do know that uh about uh 65% of our students are in activities of some of some sort. 65 to 70%. Um and we definitely have um strong strong uh
engagement with our Grand Portage community. And Commissioner, I'll I'll also remind folks that the Vikings are undefeated this year. Okay. Yeah, thank you. Can you Okay, he when I asked about the Grand Portage, do you There's uh
football for younger age kids and there seems to be an awful lot of parents and community p people from Grand Portage coming down because of the number of kids from Grand Portage, third and fourth graders and seventh and eighth graders
or maybe it's fourth and fifth that are engaged in football. So the numbers of people, it's astounding that come to football games to see learners learn how to play football. So it's a I think it's
a countywide community uh positive community growing space. So yeah, I I appreciate that comment, Commissioner White. And um what I can tell you is over the last 3 years, we've seen about an 80% increase um
year-over-year in the engagement in community education. And I blame a lot of that on the pandemic, right? There was nothing going on in 2021, 2022. Um but we've staffed into that and we it has absolutely exploded. Football is just one of the things but baseball,
softball, uh little little kids playing soccer. Um you've seen them out there. it it's exploded and I think that that's nothing but positive. Um but it speaks to the need for um providing spaces for those wonderful activities. I'm done.
Thank you, Commissioner Mill. So is that Thank you for for being here and and providing these these details. Um so that 80% growth um is that go bringing to that 65% activity level? Is
that what that that translates into? It's grown to 65% activity level or Yeah, I that's a fun uh algorithm to try to study, right? Like if community ed and youth things are exploding, then what's going to happen, right, four or five years later as those kids
age into middle school and then high school? Um, that's what we would love to see. Yeah, fingers crossed, right? Yeah, that's what I was wondering is so 65% I have no perspective if that's how we compare to other districts or or whatever, but I was just wondering if
and it's my assumption if this passes hopefully that number would increase or allow it to increase or you know invest in that direction at least. And that was the belief statement at the beginning of our PowerPoint is that our board believes that activities are essential
to a good education and and a student's well-being. And uh we know that kids that are in activities do better academically. So uh we we want to make sure that we um provide the opportunities for students to engage in activities and move that number from, you know, well over half our high school
kids in sports to why not 65 70 75 80%. Thank you. Any other comments or questions? Thank you so much for coming and we have a nice handout here, too. So, appreciate that. Thank you.
Thanks, Chris. Thanks. These are everywhere. Next, we'll move on to highway discussion. Robbie is here with three different items he'd like to present to us. Good morning. Morning. Morning.
All right. It's a tough presentation to follow. Excellent handout. Um, so I think the the first thing we have on the agenda here uh is something we've talked about the last few years um and something that really helps us do the
amount of work that we do every summer is construction inspection contracts. And so what I attached um was the estimate for each of the projects that we have going out next year. Um, I think the the important thing to remember if if you are able to see the summary is
most of this is reimburseable and so a lot of these projects are funded through state funds um or federal funds. Um, some of them are local as well, local funds, so our local tax dollars. Um, but the the vast majority of this is 100% reimburseable from the state. So, the
local contribution, that's probably the thing most people are curious about, uh, is really just any of the costs associated with our Chicago Bay Road project. And so, I think if you zoom in enough on there, oh, where are you? You know, right around $65,000 more or less.
So, um, the last few years when we've done these contracts, um, we we don't, you know, we typically come in somewhere 90 95% of what these kind of initial costs are. Um, but again, it's it's the main reason we're able to do, you know, deliver five projects or four projects a
year instead of, as we've talked about in the past, historically, we we've been one, um, or none in some cases. And so, um, I'm I'm a big supporter of this, and I know you all have been as well in the past. So, does anybody have any questions about this?
Okay, questions or comments, Commissioner Gamble? Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. So Robbie on the uh looking at all of the the listings there that you have the various areas and most of it's reimburseable and the one I believe is the bridge is
reimburseable first come first- serve basis. So what have you learned as far as how to achieve that then when it's first come first serve something like that and I actually have a great update on that project. Um, but yeah, first come, first serve is one of the things we've talked about a lot about basically
being able to hire consultants, getting plans on the shelf, and being able to be first in line. And so, your support for us being able to hire consultants is a big reason we're able to achieve that. So, as of yesterday, actually, I just got the funding letter for that project.
That means I have the signed plans now and we could go out for bid, you know, tomorrow. Well, I can't tomorrow. There, you know, you got to wait a few weeks and post it a few places. But so we're we're in line with that. So that's secured. Um but we're not able to do that if we're not able to, you know,
hire a consultant um and and plan ahead of time for this type of stuff. So that is actually secured right now. Um so and madam chair as a followup to that um when we look at um objective and then we
look at how we get there and then how we manage cost relative to that. So how that plays out in what in this scenario that you're talking about is that if we hire a consultant and then that consultant enables us to
be able to get in line so that we get the money so that we get the funding so it becomes reimburseable as opposed to putting it as part of the levy. The question is is that what does it cost us to be first in line and of course it's predicated on the amount that that project is that we're looking I think
was 85,000 something like that. So to answer that question, um, in in our experience in the highway engineer is that if we have an highway engineer that comes in that is able to secure dollars to reduce the tax burden because of of
how they operate and how they work and what they know, then then we we see the benefit of that. And in this case, if we're hiring a consultant relative to the cost of consultant for what we get because we're first in line, could you speak to that?
Absolutely. Um I I think another thing to bring up too with the consultant, I think sometimes that word it can be a dirty word. Why aren't why aren't I doing the work? Why isn't my staff doing the work? Um for some background, we we do take on a number of in-house projects. We have limited capacity to do
that. Um, in this case, you know, this is a bridge and so we do not have the capacity to do that. There are whole teams of people it takes to put together, you know, bridge plans and just the math alone that used to be just my job was that, but now I get to come to meetings instead, which I like more.
It's fine. Um, but but you know, there's whole teams of people that put together bridge plans and something even as simple as this. And so a structure like that we just we can't do inhouse. we we can't um St. Louis County has their own bridge department. That's a whole other
different animal. And so this is kind of a situation where regardless with this project, we have to hire somebody at the end of the day. We have to we don't have a choice. Um as far as kind of that return, you know, we we were able to, if
you remember a few years ago, the the whole UT road system, that type of thing, those UT signs you see everywhere. by by going that route, that's why we're able to fund this particular project with non- levy dollars. And so, you know, that return
there, you know, for this project, you figure I think we're in the 1.2 range as far as a preliminary estimate on that structure. That's $1.2 million that is not coming from our local tax base directly. That would have had to
otherwise. Um, and so, you know, acknowledging yes, we are spending money. Um, I know that. Um, but also that return of we're getting over a million dollars of funding from elsewhere and also, you know, kind of relating back to to the construction
inspection that we're talking about, all that's coming back as well. And so, a lot of these, yes, there is there there is a local component. We do have to spend money sometimes. It's the nature of the job. Um, but most of this, like I said, with just being able to tweak how we do things a little bit, those signs
that go up, you know, um, it enables us to bring in millions. Um, which I'll stare at a UT sign every day for that for that dollar amount. Does that answer your question? Yeah, I I think from the public standpoint um if we look at how
much we invest in our infrastructure uh that comes through your department um if we see um two things I see one is being more aggressive in that area because we've made it a priority so we're looking for outside dollars to try to
address infrastructure challenges and the other thing is how much we're spending for what we're getting and uh so an investment upfront that has a return that is favorable, reduces tax burden overall and increases better infrastructure
is a good scenario and I think it builds trust within the community when we see that that's how we're operating. So, okay. Yeah. And that's I think I kind of maybe didn't elaborate on that part so much. Yeah, we we could and I I touched on this at the beginning. we could not
do this program, but then what we would have to do is go back to what we were doing of only one project a year, maybe two. Um, you know, I just had one of my technicians retire, so now I am down to two, two and a half if you include me.
Um, but I shouldn't be in the field. Um, and so that it really limits what we're able to do. um if if that's what and we saw that historically. I think the graphic I had up from a committee of the whole a while ago showed you know it was one project since the early 2000s that
that's what we were doing. And so now kind of that return of yes we're spending money most of it's reimburseable but now we're talking about four or five projects and we're really improving our infrastructure is something like to me I find very worthwhile is that
yeah I think another component which would be it'd be good to have I don't know how achievable it is and that is if you did comparable counties and of course when you're talking about comparable counties you'd want to do it in the basis of just how much road
infrastructure we have. Um, and so, uh, the the reason would be to use the comparable county to show what percentage of of revenue is generated through resourcefulness to address that road infrastructure
when you're looking at comparable counties, right? and and that just saying well my goodness when you look at Cook County and what we have the number of roads we have whatever but the amount of money that's being d generated through resourcefulness comparatively that would be a good indicator to reinforce what
you're saying and what you're doing yeah I appreciate it commissioner white I would like this on the record when Chicago Bay gets some work done on it we have the Old North Road.
Yes. That is a minefield of potholes and lumps and whatever. And so would you explain please how we're going to slide over? You are going to slide over and do something to improve that road. I
have a constituent who wants to know. That's fair. And that's something you and I have talked about a lot. Yes. But we need to have this public and on record. Oh, sure. One more time. I mean, all our emails are public. Everything we have is public. But that's okay. Yes. Uh, so a lot of times what we do to try and save mobilization costs,
that's a big thing um that I'm sure most of us are aware of. If you're not, it's the cost of moving equipment and staff up here. And so something we contend with quite a bit is when do we authorize a small project, when do I wait, and try and pair it with bigger projects. Um so
you know things we contend with and I think sometimes too people kind of forget how much things cost um up here much less postco how much things cost and that is something in the construction industry that has not leveled out. It keeps going up and up and up. Um when we did a patch up at the
Gunflint Pines right there last summer, two summers ago, we did all the work. The only thing we didn't do was pave it and that was still looking at I think it was like 25 or $30,000. That's like a 100 ft maybe. And so, you
know, when we uh you know, we couldn't the a similar portion on County Road 60 where we had some pavement there adjacent to the gunflint before the bridge. We had that reclaimed uh and then we graded it out. You know, that was north I think that was right around4
or $50,000. No paving though. And so it it's a tough thing to try and say, you know, yes, I'm just going to mobilize the whole thing to go repave or fix. How long is that stretch? Quarter of a mile if, right? And so, not to underscore it,
but we're trying to time it. And so, can I save in that mobilization cost? That's the big one. So, I say all of that to say, yes, next summer, we will fix that part of the North Road there. Um, you know, it's not officially going to be in anything like this. What actually we're working on right now is trying to figure
out whether or not we want to go collect some survey points. It's a long enough stretch of road, too. You don't want to just kind of willy-nilly. Um, if you remember that part of 61, I'll throw in under the bus a little bit right now. Uh, just south of the tunnels there. I
think Betty's pies when that was getting redone. Remember how that did that for a while? Yeah, we don't want that. So, so what we're trying to assess is, you know, do we put together one or two pages of plan sheets and also put that out for bid, you know, as part of a big
project? So, maybe it goes out for bid with Chicago Bay Road and it goes out for bid with the Arrowhead, or is it something where once we award those two projects, because we'll do those together, do we just add this on? Um, we're trying to figure that out right now, but regardless, it'll get done.
North Road will get fixed in 2026. And if not, you'll be back to explain why. Probably there'll be I would hope there's a very good reason, but yes. Thank you. You're welcome. Any other questions or comments?
Otherwise, I'll hear a motion to approve the use of WSB for 2026 construction inspection services. So moved. Support. Any further questions or comments? All in favor?
Oppos? Same sign. Motion passes unanimously. Wonderful. Thank you. Uh the next thing we'll talk about is our county road safety plan. And so what is that? We probably haven't talked a lot about that. Um it's a document that we have up here that we work with mind
on to kind of assess basically what it says, the safety of our county road system. So what does that entail? It looks at the striping needs on our road. It looks at, you know, potentially, I'll put in quotes, dangerous curves, so sharp curves. Um, it looks at unlit
intersections, that type of stuff. Um, what this document allows us to do then is it it's kind of a template to say we can use this to now apply for additional funding. And so, if you've heard of HSIP funds, highway safety improvement funds,
um, it's a source of federal money that exists out there to do things like we just mentioned, rumble strips is another scenario. uh roundabouts, all that type of stuff. I'm not saying we are doing any of that. I'm saying it helps us make a case for it or not make a case basically. Uh and
so this year is our year to update um the county road safety plan. So it's led by Mandot. So there is a cost participation part of that because it's federal funding. Um the 20% uh they cover the 80 um or the 80%, I'm sorry, covered with federal funds. We have to
cover the 20%. So, for us, it ends up being just over $28,000 um to put the put this plan together. So, does anybody have any questions about this? Questions or comments?
I've learned to like roundabouts. It took a little while, but I like them. I don't know if they belong up here yet. Yeah. I was just thinking about our stop light, and I mean, I know that's not your call. It's like half our call, actually. Okay. Okay. It's like a half out.
Yeah. Yeah. We get that. Some people like them too much though. There's the roundabout followed by a round. By the time you get out of there, you go the wrong way. Yeah. Uh also, um uh unlit intersections. Um
uh if I'm unfamiliar with a place, I can really see where a light at the intersection would be really helpful. When I drive at night, um, I almost find those lights distracting versus like, oh, there's a car at that intersection cuz you see the headlights. But is it
that is the safe way to go is the the lit in intersection? Well, I think I think what's different and and I'm I've experienced this now living up here is we don't have any ambient lighting. Mhm. It is bright when you see a new like
when we have our signs up. And we purposed and we've talked about this a little bit. We purposely, I won't say downgrade our signs, but we try and do the least, I'll put in quotes, the least bright one we can. Um, I believe the the brightest standard you can get is like I think it's DG through diamond grade
reflective something or another. And if you see one of those at night, I mean, it is blinding, but I think a big reason when I've talked to folks too is we don't have any ambient lighting up here. I'm not looking to light up every single intersection. I frankly don't want to.
But yeah, I mean generally you are correct. A lit intersection is going to be more safe um just from being able to see cars, see people, animals, whatever it might be. But you know, again, similar conversation to the roundabouts and to rumble strips and all of that. If
it makes sense, sure. But we're not just going to do it for the sake of doing it. Yeah. Thank you. I think Duth can be our training ground for roundabouts. It's helped. It's helped me. Any further questions or comments?
Commissioner Sullivan. Madam Chair, I'd like to make motion to sign the agreement and resolution supporting county road safety plan cost participation. I support. We have a motion and a second. Any further questions? All in favor?
I oppose. Same sign. Motion passes unanimously. Wonderful. Thank you. Um, so the last thing we'll talk about uh is our winter sand contract. And so just for clarification on this, this is just the sand. This doesn't include the salt. Um, and I believe we we do the mixing of it.
And so once we get salt for out of out of a mindot contract, once we get that, then we kind of do all the mixing ourselves. If you remember, we built that salt sand shed a couple of years ago, and we that's where everything is housed. Um, generally speaking, our
budget line for this is, I think over the last couple years is $100,000. Um it depends on the winter though. Last winter not not really gnarly. Therefore we don't need that much extra. If you go back a few years you'll see um you know
maybe we spent 110 or 120 you know because we had those bad winters in the early 2020s if you remember that. Um this is also a line item where we hadn't increased it the budget line for years and years. So for a long time it was an $85,000 line item. what we were starting
to see as we kept going over it. Obviously, the price is going up and up and up every year. Um, so that's where we increased it. But, um, does anybody have any questions about about sand? Any questions or comments? Commissioner Gamble?
Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. So, we we talked about it prior to our meeting. Um, and uh, looking looking at what we're paying on this, we we we pay double what the norm is up here. And uh it is something that we let out for bid.
So we get we have one bidder and it's consistently been Isaac Hansen. Um when you look at what you could expect to pay in the state of Minnesota per yard, $15 to $30, we're we're paying 56. So we're we're paying about double.
Um and if if you qualify it, it's it's how much you're paying and then where you're located to get it to you. So that's that's an issue. And we did talk about the fact that if we're going to scope out where we do have sand available as a resource up here in Cook County and that can maybe alleviate some
of this. There's some other components that have to look look at relative to washing that sand. But um again it comes back to the the foundational things which is what are we trying to do? Well, we need sand for winter and then the fiscal
responsibility. How can we buy that as inexpensively as we can? and and I did contact although they didn't get back to me a place in Carlton as I'd mentioned just to see what it would be and um uh
anything that we can do uh to try to reduce cost if the process requires that we let it out for bids and that's the way it goes then we comply with process and this is the end result we get. If there's something that we can do that doesn't
compromise process but allows us to get more competitive, that I guess is what I what I would encourage. Sure. Yeah. No, we uh we do have to go out for bid. Um just with the nature of how we're paying for this. Um and so that is something that Yeah. I mean, I think as long as I know and as long as
I've long as I've been here and as long as I've heard, we've always only had one bidder um with this. And so I appreciate that Isaac's does this obviously. Um but it is it's part of that bigger conversation. If you remember the DNR and the aggregate mapping program, they
were up here that presentation. Um you know once those maps are done I think it'll be really interesting to see what type of resources are potentially up here. To the point you brought up of you know the sand availability. You know we need clean sand. It has to be washed.
Um, if there is clean sand up here, I mean, that's a that's a huge cost savings. I know I know there's other contractors that have talked about, you know, opening another wash plant up here. Um, but, you know, that is several millions of dollars of an investment um
that, you know, a private company would have to do. And so, I can understand the trepidation with it. I can understand, you know, maybe yes, there is a demand, but is it enough of a demand to warrant that type of investment? you know, um I think that's where, you know, again, the
results of this program, you see kind of the partnership too that the county is now doing through the transfer station. Is that something we can look into in the future, either with our gravel pits, with sand, with some, you know, I don't know. I'm just spitballing at this point, but it is a real concern that we
have. Um, we've looked in the past as well trying to truck it in elsewhere and the cost just doesn't make sense. The product itself might be cheap. Uh but again, you know, if I just picked on Carlton all the way down, all the way back, um you know, and you're talking
1500 yards, 10 yards a truck, 15 trucks, you know, that's multiple that's an endeavor. And so, yeah, so that that that's where to the points you brought up, that's where we pay for it. One source, we're in the middle of nowhere. And so trucking it up here is kind of the thing. I think what we're going to try and do in the future is
right now we just let it out for bid in the paper. You know, post it for a few weeks. That's what we've always done. Um, but we're slowly pivoting everything over to our online system and so maybe that would open it up in the future for people to see. Um, it's what we do with our construction projects. Um, it hasn't
changed who has bid, but it makes it easier to bid, I guess. So, yeah, if anyone knows anyone with lots of wash sand, appreciate the appreciate the conversation. Yeah, Madam Chair, I'd make a motion to award the contract to the sole bidder Isaac Hansen and Suns
for 84,300 for 1500 yards of winter sand. I'll support. Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any further questions or comments? All in favor? I oppose. Same sign. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you very much. And I know there
was a request. It's not on the thing, but for a couple of updates on some projects. Is that is that okay? Sure. Yes. Okay. Uh, so there was one we were trying to do a culvert um up on County Road 92. So that's just past Midtrail way up there. Um, I think it
got delayed a week. Um, I'm not sure. We must have gotten caught up somewhere else, you know, trying to wrap things up before winter. But just as an update is that that will be happening. Part of the n, you know, County Road 92 will be closed while we're doing that. So, if you need more information, we have the
press release, but otherwise, it should be uh it looks like it's about 1 and a half miles in uh from one and a half miles west of the eastern entrance uh to the 92s. And it'll happen between 9 and noon on
today. No, yesterday. Monday. Monday the 13th. It already happened. Nice. Yeah, that's good. Perfect. Perfect. Done. Great. Thanks. Uh but thanks for the advancement. You're very welcome. I went out.
Uh but then uh another big one, the Gunflint, our Mill the Hill project. You know, everybody's probably noticed some big changes there. You can see that there's an actual deck to a bridge. That's very exciting. Um so the next steps with that are putting on the railings or the barriers in the railings. Um and then pulling out the
temp bridge. uh as far as that piece is com concerned right now we're working on finishing the shouldering and grading and paving and so you're going to see a lot of traffic pattern changes so please please please I said this before on the radio and I'll say it again just be mindful when you're driving through
there daytoday it could be different depending on where they're paving so um yeah keep that in mind and then cut off road and that old ski hill road intersection there's a lot of paving work going on so just when you're in the area just please slow be mindful. Um,
yeah. Thank you. Okay. Thank you for the updates. Appreciate it. Mhm. Next item number six, we have a uh land services presenting um Katie Johnson in
use permit with NEA. Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning, board members. Uh on October 1st, the Cook County Planning Commission met. The first item that we'll discuss is an interim use permit submitted by Katie Johnson. This was a renewal interim use
permit. She runs a mobile tattoo business out of a trailer on her property. The interim use permit was initially issued in 2019 for 5 years and so we were doing a renewal of that permit. We received no written comments during the written comment period and no one was present at the public hearing to
speak for the request. So, the planning commission did make a recommendation unanimously to approve the interim use permit for an additional five years and they did include if you attach um conditions of approval that are six conditions of approval that were
included in your packet. Okay. Questions or comments? Commissioner Sullivan. Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion to approve the resolution for the 5-year renewal for the interim use permit to allow a home
business operation in the FAR 3 zone district on property adjacent to County Road 7. Support. Any further questions or comments? All in favor? I oppose. Same sign. Motion passes
unanimously. Thank you. The next item is a reszone request. So, this is submitted by Skyler and Clay Johnson. This parcel is about 44 acres just off of the Pine Mountain Road near Devil's Track Road. This was previously state of Minnesota
land that went up for auction last year. So, this is the first time it's transferred into private land ownership. It was originally zoned F1, which is consistent with a lot of our large tracks of public land in Cook County. And it is near the F3 zone district. Immediately next to it is other land that's F3. So, the applicants are
requesting to have this parcel reszoned to F3. And this would allow it to have more subdivision potential and also reflects more uses um compatible with more residential zoning than the F1 zone district that it currently is. During
the written comment period, we did receive one written correspondence that expressed some concerns about the road designation of Pine Mountain Road and wetland concerns um and utility access considerations. So, we did do some research on those
concerns and those were integrated into the staff narrative for the planning commission's consideration. And after and at the public hearing, there was no one present to speak uh for or against the application. The planning commission felt that this reszone was compatible with the existing area with the
residential uses that are just off of the Pine Mountain Road in this area and the Devil's Track Road corridor. And there is no F2 zoning in this area. So the jump from F1 to F3 is fitting more so with that character. There's no F2.
There's no middle ground, so to say um when considering what what options were alternative. Um, and so this was a recommended unanimous approval by the planning commission. There are no conditions attached to reszones. It's just a flat. You either are reszoned or
you're not. And they did recommend approval. The, you know, just to address some of those concerns identified in the staff narrative from the neighboring comment letters, uh, we did get information from Arrowhead Cooperative about the utility access. So, there is
electric and internet that comes pretty much up to that property. there might be more investment to get it throughout that parcel. The road designation concerns, I did get a hold of the federal employees uh while they're still in the office there and they said there were no unique road designations with
the Pine Mountain Road. It's not like a scenic specific road. Um perhaps if we were over on the Gunfllin side where the Gunland Trail is a scenic byway, that would have been more of a consideration. And then the wetland consideration, that's a natural part of our subdivision review process. So that would be
something that we'd integrate into any natural subdivision process administratively or through a platting process. And I'm happy to answer any questions about the nature of the rezone. Questions or comments? Commissioner Sullivan? Uh just a comment that the wetlands are
primarily on the south side of Pine Mountain Road. And so as you look at potential development for the future, most of that development, most of the land is on the north side. Um, it also seems to fit very well, and this was part of the discussion at the
planning commission with the flavor of that area where Pine Mountain Road intersects with Devil Track Road. There are other people living there. Um, there's the trailer court, there are private residences, and so it seems like a natural place for development.
Okay. Any comments or questions then? Otherwise, I'll hear a motion. Madam Chair, yes. I'd like to make a motion to approve the resolution for the Ruse zone of the 44.05 acres from FAR 1 to FAR 3 on
parcel ID 53 2301400. I support the board. Any further questions or comments? All in favor? I oppose. Same sign. Motion passes unanimously. Right. Thank you. And the last item is a conditional use permit request submitted
uh by Northshore Waste and in Cook County. Um so this is at the toy side of the Northshore Waste Hub and spoke model of their waste plan. Currently Tafty has a transfer facility that the county has been maintaining over time. It's next to
the highway garage just off the Sawbell Trail. However, it is at an age where there was no original conditional use permit. And so we felt it was appropriate to run this through a conditional use permit hearing as we look at expansion and um intensification of that facility and provide the
neighbors the opportunity to comment and express any concerns they might have with that. Uh with that said, there were no written comments submitted and there was no one at the public hearing uh to speak for against the application. The planning commission felt that this plan by Northshore Waste is very reflective
of the buildout that's done in Hovindland. That's been very well received by that area of the county and they uh were appreciative of the details provided in the application by Northshore Waste. And again, it was a unanimous recommendation to approve the application. There were some conditions,
five conditions to reflect the conditional use permit is um consistent with the application as proposed by Northshore Waste just to be protective if it ever changed hands to different ownership to remain consistent with that. Have you heard if there's a starting
date from Dustin? I have not. I haven't either. Okay. I I appreciate the maps because then I can take this to the township and provide a set to each of the supervisors. So, Madame Chair, I can speak to the start
date. I met with um Reena and Reena Rogers and um Dustin out at the transfer station on Saturday. Um we we did a little tour. We started in Grand Marray and then I um on my own went out to the toy site. Um but got an
update on both projects and at this point we're focusing on the Grand Marray transfer station and so we do not yet have a start date for the TFY. Okay. Okay. But to be expected to be expected coming. Any questions or comments on this?
Commissioner G. Yeah. Thank you, Madam Chair. I make a motion to approve the resolution for the conditional use permit for a permit by rule transfer station for municipal solid waste, recyclable materials and demolition waste at 198 saw bill trail
toy support. Any further questions or comments? All in favor? I oppose. Same sign. Motion passes unanimously. Thanks. Thank you for all of your updates. Have a nice day. Thank you, Neva.
Moving on to Brady on um voting delegates from MCIT. Thank you, Madam Chair. This is an annu annual event. Minnesota county's intergovernmental trust, that's our insurance uh company. It's a joint powers agreement. So, every year they
meet during the AMC conference and December 8th this year. And uh there there are things to vote on this year. they have candidates for the board and they need to get our who is our voting uh member and our alternate and they need that by the end of October. So
right now they have listed as Jenny Stoley as our delegate and Anne Sullivan as our alternate and we don't have to respond if that's the same. Um if you're going to change it I need to put that down and send it to him. So I'll be there and I'll be there.
Okay, Commissioner Gamble. Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. So, if the two representatives that we have in place are going to be there and going to attend, then it makes sense that they would be our delegates to vote. So, I'd make a motion to that effect if that's what you need.
Sure. Otherwise, if we just leave it and it I think a vote is good. Okay. All right. Support. Any questions or comments? All in favor? I post same sign. Motion passes unanimously.
Okay. So, we'll be moving on to uh administrator updates. Madam Chair, would you like us to take questions on the um retirement of David Eckle at this time? Yes.
Okay. So, I have asked um Allison and Brooke to be here as well um in case there's any questions about um the agenda item that was pulled from the consent agenda, which was approving the retirement of David Eckle.
Mr. Gamble, you did ask for that. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you, Madam Chair. I I really didn't have any questions. I think we all knew that this was coming. I appreciate that that you're available for that. I just felt that it was appropriate given David's nearly half a century of service to our community to express our gratitude for David's
unwavering commitment and years of dependable service. His announced retirement December should not be shelved in the personal archives or personnel archives without pausing to recognize that such longevity is a rare and remarkable testament to David's
outstanding work ethic and personal character. He has consistently demonstrated a positive attitude, humor, and as long as I have been privileged to know David is characterized by his heartwarming smile. David's legacy extends not just to his steadfast
reliability and performance, but also to the people he has inspired. He has been a friend to so many of us, and we are all better for having had the opportunity to work alongside David. On behalf of a grateful community, we offer our most sincere and heartfelt
appreciation for your unmatched dedication. Thank you, David, for 47 years of publicspirited service. You have earned this next chapter in life, and we wish you health, happiness, and God's richest blessings in the years
ahead. Thank you. And luckily he will be here for a while yet. So we can express our gratitude to him as we go along. Make a motion to Sorry, David couldn't be here. David's
has a day off today. He's starting early. And we we will be celebrating David. Um we are in the planning process for a retirement party for him as well. Yeah. That's great. Yes. So I make a motion to accept with regret his retirement announcement. support.
All in favor? [Music] Okay, we're going to move on then and bring up the um donation request. It's a very unusual one. If you look over um a resolution that we need to sign, we are
required for a motion and a second A's and N's recorded and um so forth. So, it's something that we've not we're not familiar with. So, I've asked attorney Peterson to fill us in and give us a little background on this. Um, thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have the factual background, but apparently
this was a donation that was made to the Cook County Search and Rescue Unit. Um, this is a volunteer organization. However, the sheriff calls out the unit and kind of directs um directs its action or directs where it's headed. So,
I think that's probably the reason why the donor provided the um these gift cards through the sheriff's office and had the condition or the term that they be used for the volunteers for meals for the volunteers. So, um what is before
the board currently is a resolution which needs to be approved on a twothirds basis to accept the donation and upon the specific terms as requested by the donor. Administrator Trouble, did you have anything to add? I do not. Thank you.
Okay. So, um I believe um have you do you have copies? Otherwise, I will go over. Do you have the copies? I don't have copies that we have it electronically. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So you've read it through so you understand that when I call for the
motion the second I we have to record the A's and the Naz and um and then the witnesses would be um chair and auditor. So okay. All right. So if there are any questions
or comments, Commissioner Sullivan, I'll just make a a motion to approve or and accept the gift to search and rescue for meals for responders by resolution. Okay. And um Madam Chair, should is there an amount
that should be noted in that motion? We can we can indicate um the $50 gift cards? Yeah, the two two $50 gift cards. Yeah, I support that motion. Okay. So, I'll call for a for a vote.
Uh, all in favor? I oppose. Same sign. Motion passes unanimously. Okay. It's kind of an unusual one, but thank you for all of your input. All right. Then moving on to uh any further updates on Minister Trouble.
Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. So, I do have a couple additional updates. Um I wanted to mention um we issued a press release for this as well but we had a pigeon river crossber exercise activity that was on October 8th. It was
phenomenal. It was um very interesting um to participate in the meeting before as well as hear about the activity. So, it was a joint effort between Cook County and Grand Portage Emergency Management in conjunction with the Pigeon River International Emergency
Management Committee and our Canadian partners. Um, so what happened is essentially search and rescue operations were tested with a ground search and they use Canadian drones through and the Minnesota Air Rescue Team was also called in to assist as well as the
Minnesota State Patrol helicopter. So they had someone um basically um be lost next to the Pigeon River and then facilitated this activity where they had to um be rescued by search and rescue
and all of our partners. Um we had about 50 people that participated. Um what I've heard from the team is there were some really great lessons learned and it was a great opportunity to part partner with all of those stakeholders. Um we also learned that we need to engage in
more discussions about permanent crossber communication solutions with Grand Portage Tribal Coast Guard. So it was again just a really really interesting opportunity for our community. Um in addition to that I also
wanted to mention that our assessor Bob Thompson was elected president of the Minnesota Association of Assessing Officers. So we're very proud of him and he will serve in that role for about a year. Awesome. So then the last thing I wanted to mention and go ahead. Yeah, excuse me. And madam chair I just
to interject there in in meetings that I've had with Bob with his peers or whatever they he's very well respected. So this is is welld deserved and and it's it's always um admirable uh or reassuring when somebody is elected to a
position by his peers when they're respected. So, he's he's earned the opportunity. So, I just wanted to know that. So, and thank you. Thank you so much for adding that. Yes, like I said, we're very proud of him. He's very excited about this opportunity. So, we can
certainly share more as the year goes on. So, we we assume that all pill matters will be taken care of if he's listening. Yes. So, then the the last thing I wanted to mention is I just wanted to acknowledge um the article that was in the
Northshore Journal. um earlier this week. Um and just mentioned that we will be bringing more information to the PHS board meeting next Tuesday um which those meetings are typically from 8:30 that it will be from 8:30 to 10:30. Um
so at that time we'll we'll have one of our consultants Megan Mo um present on the assessment that she will be doing for our PHS team um and we'll answer questions and be able to provide more information at that time. So that has been our approach is bringing
information to P the PHS board meeting. Um and that's how I'm hoping to proceed as we move forward as well. So just wanted to make sure that the public was aware of that. Thank you, Commissioner Mill. If I were to guess, we may not have time
for our committee updates at that meeting just because of that. Thank you for that reminder. Yeah. Okay. Thank you, administrator. Uh, we'll move on to commissioner reports and meeting updates. Anybody
have anything they would like to share? Well, the administrator just talked about the whole thing up in Grand Portage, which was a really uh impressive coordination of resources.
and Jay was up there and Rowan were up there and they were talking radio channels and how to compensate for something and how to improve something. And then the border um border patrol was there and um EMS
merchant yeah from Ruth and uh Mike were both there. So it was a um a great opportunity on the ground for people to actually see how it how it is coordinated and worked
together. Also um they brought in a helicopter of course and they was just like if you see it on TV. I mean, someone actually said, "This is just like on TV because they lowered someone down to pick up the rescued person and then
they lifted them up." Now, had we known, we would have brought binoculars cuz it was in the distance, but it was uh pretty impressive. I think I saw it that that day as I was downtown at noon heading out over Grand
or uh Lake Superior and I thought what's a helicopter doing going out over the middle of the the lake and it came from St. Paul refueled I think in Duth maybe
and then made its way up to rescue person. It was very comforting. Very comforting to know. Yes, Commissioner. Um, Administrator Treble mentioned the Canadian drones and I just wanted to know if they were a little more polite
or if they were any pretty much similar. You know, I honestly don't have a lot of information on difference. Is it something coming? Any other updates? No. Commissioner Sal. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um just wanted
to mention that the Cook County Historical Society had their centennial celebration. I was reminding it of PE uh for the public when we were together last time, but it was very well attended. Um beautiful evening and uh just appreciate all the effort that was
put into celebrating the history of Cook County. Um, CCIP met recently and one of our discussions was about the um, pullback on a lot of the grants related to energy. But as the group met, we talked about what can we continue to do
even without an executive director because there are not a lot of um, funds available or grants available for um, getting those director positions in energy filled at this time. But we talked about continuing to work with energy audits, um, pilot projects,
shared procurement of funds, um, weatherization and retrofitting like we're doing with public health and human services and the HR, affordable housing efficiency standards. So, the group is still going to be active, but in a little bit different way. Um we had an
opportunity to have a firewise meeting and um had um no one there from the US Forest Service, but did um have some updates on prescribed burns that were done prior to the government shutdown and um the fact that they're continuing
to work on the grade um that we are hoping um that that will project will be finished in the near future. Um we don't have a specific date but um continuing work there. We had our final meeting for the Roso district, the residential over
open open space overlay. It was very well attended here at the courthouse and we have uh people that are interested. So um hopefully Reena will be uh or not Reena, excuse me, NEA will be contacted in the near future about potential
projects. uh soil and water conservation district met and one of the things they did is talk about the new open meeting law. And one thing I would hope is that our um county attorney um would have an opportunity at some time to talk about
that and how it will change potentially our meetings um in the future. And then we did have the bonding tour um last week and both on Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday the House came and Thursday
the Senate was here and it was really um very um busy, lots of activity and a short period of time, one hour on Wednesday and a half hour on Thursday. But we did have an opportunity to um
speak with our representatives and specifically Representative Scraba and Senator Hoschild. thank them for all the support they've provided for our community and I think the tour went really really well. So I'm appreciative of the time that was spent and our
opportunity to interact again with our representatives. Um Cook County Coalition of Lake Associations had a very different type of meeting this month. They had a panel of speakers talking about copper nickel sulfide
mining in northeastern Minnesota. And so they had four different agencies and it was just uh an opportunity for them to present and then questions and answers afterwards. But uh really nice um setup. And then lastly, I want to talk a little
bit about a project that we've um helped related to child care. Cooperation Station had an open house this past Saturday and it was an open house for the public and they talked um at length about their programming about the
redesign for the actual building inside um and new playground areas. There's a new sandbox sitting out there. Um, so anyway, it was uh really nice to be able to attend that and take a look at all the facilities and the improvements that
have been made and the opportunities that we have for child care here in Cook County. And with that, that's um what I you did. Yeah, I just wanted to give a heads up that the EDA's um TAC harbor
subcommittee is posted on the website and there'll be regular updates on that website as the committee meets and um as Stantech, you know, bounces ideas off and gives presentations. So, please uh if you have interest in that, you can go on the website and there'll be regular
updates. Also, um grateful for Commissioner Sullivan mentioning the open meeting law. I am um going to be gone on November 25th and so I would like to uh attend virtually and so we
need to post for that. Um so I'm hoping we can have that posting just as a a standing posting. Um but I don't know what's involved in changing that. So but just want to give a heads up. Interesting. It's either that or a 14-hour drive back following
Thanksgiving. So that might be an option. I'm just talking. Yeah, please. Yep. Y it's And they've simplified it quite a lot is my understanding. I'm a lawyer, but they've simplified it quite a lot. So, it was ve very restrictive before and now it's pretty loose honestly. So,
interesting. I have a question. Does anybody know what they're doing at Tech Knight Harbor there with what's going on right now? They're decommissioning it and that's what they're just bringing in different soil. I don't know the techn technically
exactly what they're doing, but there are uh state and federal um mandates when you shut down a power plant, especially a coal power plant to kind of reclaim. I see a lot of work on on the east end of that where it looks like they're Yeah. So um and part of this committee
will be looking at uh um you know what is specifically involved in that decommissioning process and where does that leave the land and what can be used or what would need more work for something else to be put in there and all that kind of stuff. So um it's a
long process and of course there's a little bit of anxiety because of the sale of Elite Energy to Black Rockck. Um but I haven't heard peep about it from officials. So, yeah. Thank you.
Anyone else? I'll have a couple little updates. Um, we had our Niko meeting. We're still reorganizing, bringing new people in and looking at uh what we need to support and what they need to support at the Senate and representatives when they have a chance to meet and when they
meet too. I believe the Senate is being called back together again. So, we'll see on that. Then I'll just give you a little side story. A couple weeks ago I attended a class reunion and um I hadn't seen a lot of my classmates for a long
time but I knew one fellow there and we have an interesting statistic out of my class. Myself and Bob Colleen are the two commissioners from my class. He served 24 years in Lisor County as a commissioner.
And so I sent a little note to Julie and I said, "Is this common to have two classmates um being commissioners?" And she's going to look into it. May be very common, it may not be, right? It was just kind of fun to refresh my
memory with Bob and talk about some of his funny stories about campaigning at the farmer's barn and yeah, chicken coupe and all of that out that way. So, um, anything else for reports? Then
we'll look at, um, the upcoming meetings. To note, our next board meeting will be October 28th. And then we do have a change for the W fire wise committee. Instead of October, it's going to be Wednesday, November 19th at 10:00 a.m. It'll be a Zoom at the
community center. Oh, no. That's for um what was that? Firewise. Um, no, it's um invasive species, I think. Cook County invasive team. Okay. Invasive species.
Okay. Invasive. Not till November then. Cook County invasives team. CCIT. Don't worry about it then, folks. Nothing this month. Uh, coming this uh Friday, we have our district meeting
down in Duth. I hope that many of you can come 8:00 on Friday morning and then also I'll get together with the tribal folks at the courthouse on Thursday afternoon. So it's kind of a full Thursday
Friday morning I'll already be in Duth because of my meetings. So that will take place then for a little bit longer stay in Duth and anything on that being in Duth. Are is anyone else um going on that boat ride? Uh not on the boat ride.
Oh. Oh okay. Or okay. Yep. Okay. And um we have um in our packet the lodging tax comparison through July. And then we
also have October staff anniversaries. Uh Garrick Trener, Highway Department, one year. Kristen Peterson, public health, one year. Kyle Mson, assessor's office, four years. And Bob Thompson,
county assessor, nine years. Before we end the meeting, I'd like to make a rec I'd like to present a recognition. Yesterday was the Indigenous uh People's Day. uh 10 years ago that was brought before our board
and much discussion both uh positive and not and I would like to say that that's the first time we passed the fact that we would recognize the indigenous day and um so we have a u recognition of that I'd like
to read so yesterday on um October 14th the community observed an indigenous people's day a day established to honor the rich cons cultures, history and contributions of the indigenous people
across our nation and continent. The day serves as a reminder of the resilience and strength of the indigenous communities including Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippoa. The Grand Portage Band is rooted in rich heritage
of the Anishabi people, embodies the spirit of the perseverance and connection to the land. For centuries, they have thrived in vibrant landscapes of northeastern Minnesota, cultivating deep relationships with the natural
world. Their traditions, languages, and customs are woven into the very fabric of Cook County and the entire Arrowhead and beyond, enriching our cultural tapestry. Indigenous People's Day is not only a
celebration of these contributions, but also an opportunity to reflect on the historical injustices faced by indigenous communities. It's a moment to acknowledge the impact of colonization,
including the loss of land, culture, and language. By recognizing the day, we commit to understanding these histories and working towards reconciliation and justice. We honor the Grand Portage
Band's achievements in cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and community resilience. The ban plays a vital role in safeguarding the natural resources of the region and advocating
for sustainable practices that honor traditional knowledge and promote economical balance. As we observe the indigenous people's day on Monday, let us embrace the opportunity to learn from indigenous
voice voices and their perspectives. By engaging with the histories and the stories of Grand Portage Band and the other indigenous people, we deepen our understanding of their experiences and the ongoing challenges that they face.
Whether through art, music, storytelling, literature, or community gatherings, every effort to amplify indigenous voices contributes to a broader understanding and respect for their heritage.
Together, we can work toward a future that honors indigenous people, promote their rights, and fosters a deeper connection to the land that we share. By embracing that day, we can take a step
toward healing and justice for indigenous communities, ensuring that their stories and cultures continue to thrive for generations to come. And with that, we have no further business. So where we are journed.
Thank you.