WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=UiM0vKfQrls

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: UiM0vKfQrls):
- 00:00:02: Meeting Start, Agenda Overview, and Consent Agenda Approval
- 00:01:26: Discussion and Approval for Regular Meeting Schedule Change
- 00:05:34: Administrator's Report: Capitol Visit and Wastewater Funding
- 00:14:57: County Agreements, Library, Tree Board, Animal Rescue
- 00:23:04: EDA Meeting, Golf Course Sale, Grant Awards Approved
- 00:24:59: Grand Portage Land Exchange and Boulder Park Open House


Part: 1

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And you're live. >> All right. Thank you. It is 6:30. With us tonight is Craig Schulty, Bill Lois, myself, Michael Gary, Mike Roth, Kim Van Beck, and Gavin is here with the

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>> attorney's office. Okay. And we'll wait just a second or two for Ben Peters to return, and then we will get started. And while we're waiting for Ben, I'll just let you know that there's absolutely no one in this room for open

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forum this today. So, we will move on from that. Um, has everyone had a chance to look at the consent agenda at all? If there's any

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questions on that with us now is Peter's as well. We're on to the consent agenda, Ben. >> Oh, great. Thank you. >> Yep. And um if there's any questions about that or changes to the agenda in general if anyone needs um there's the

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raffle application for the Lions Club and um a grant. >> I make a motion to approve that. >> I'll second. >> All right. Um all in favor of the consent agenda as is. >> I All right. we move along and new

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business tonight and I'm going to turn that over to Mike um with a schedule change um for our meetings and you talked about this before. >> Yep. I talked about this before. So your meetings are

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um set by city code because statutoily there are different rules about what is considered a regular meeting versus other types of meetings and your regular meetings mean that they are regularly scheduled. Uh so as you

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can see chapter 3101 regular meeting sets currently the second and last Wednesday of the month proposing a change to the first and third Wednesday of the month mainly to accommodate our involvement in Simpa's monthly meetings

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which are always the second Wednesday of the month and only rarely are they here. So this simple change with two readings and then I just want to talk about the transition in the month of April. There's five Wednesdays which gives us a

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great opportunity to uh transition into this starting in May on the first Wednesday rather than in April. So my my suggestion would be that we meet the second Wednesday which is the 8th of April and then we meet two

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weeks um after that which is the 22nd of April rather than the last which is the 29th. So that 22nd would be a special meeting. We'd have to set the agenda for it. We would not be able to change it. Uh and then we would start the new schedule on May 6th which is the first

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Wednesday. So that would be every two weeks from today. The next meeting is regularly scheduled on the 8th. The next meeting is specially scheduled on the 22nd. And then this ordinance would take effect for the meeting starting in May on the 6th.

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And then on the 13th, we will be hosting SA and Grammaray. So any questions or concerns about this? >> Does that all work? double check. Um, and then someone will

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redo all those meeting invites. I think Patrick had originally created them all, but >> Okay. >> And then the planning and zoning will shift to >> I think what makes the most sense is everything backs up a week. So planning

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and zoning rather being the first Wednesday is the last Wednesday of the month. So the we would meet we're meeting April 1st. We already have a scheduled meeting April 1st and then we'll talk about whether we want whether that makes sense for the planning commission. We'll talk about that next

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week at their meeting. Uh but then potentially we'll schedule our next meeting for April 29th, which is four weeks later. Got it. And so the next it' be a second reading, right? Is that >> If you do a first reading tonight,

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there'll be a second reading. We'll do that on the 8th. And at that point, we'll add um language to say it takes effect May 1st and and uh we'll publish it sometime in April and then the schedule will start the first Wednesday in May.

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>> All right. So, uh, if any would like to make a motion for ordinance 2026-03. >> I would I would make that motion. >> Second. >> A second. >> Okay. Any further questions or comments

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about that? All right. All in favor for ordinance 2026-03 first round through the way I say it. Hi. >> Hi. >> All right.

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>> Okay. Um, let's see. We'll go over to um administrators report cuz it's on here this time. Yay. >> It's on here. Yes, I'm learning now that I'm back to doing this and hopefully not for very much longer. Uh, I'm hoping to

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get it right. Administrator report. We had a great week last week. A team of us traveled to the Capitol and sat down with our leadership, both our local representatives and also capital budget

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committee chairs to talk about our number one priority, which is our request for $5 million to help fund the wastewater treatment plant. It was, I think, crucial that we were there. A lot of the feedback that we've received from our partner organizations

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like the league and others is that a bonding bill may be hard to pass this year given the political uh situation and the absolute split and some of the really tough issues that are likely to be discussed. And I think some of the feedback we got in person was

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that maybe that's not actually true and that they really do want to pass a bonding bill. And of course they do because they all represent locals like us and they want to provide that service when they can. So I'm feeling a lot more optimistic about our success chances.

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How much is a different story. Um if they do pass one there's always a negotiation between the executive branch, the house and the senate about how much it should be for and then what should be included in it. So, we think that we'll be positioned pretty well to

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have our request in, but there was some talk about maybe not everybody's going to get all the money that they need. And it was good to be down there to get that feedback and to be able to respond to it and say if we don't get this much, we won't be able to do it. We need this

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much. We probably need more. But also to be able to commit to we'll do this project if we get this much. being down at the Capitol uh for a couple of days with a lot of northeast Minnesota folks

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in Duth St. Louis County days. It's nice because we have their attention. Um they they know that we're there. They're expecting to hear from us. Um we always have our our own senator and representatives attention. They're always great, but it's nice to have

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everybody else's attention on Northeast Minnesota at this time. And then just being in that space uh I met with Roger Scar four times in two days. So to get that repetition to be able to well I heard something at a different meeting and then see him again and ask him about

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it and just that iterative process is really helpful. So it's a big uh ask of our time and uh it's a worthwhile one. The um folks down at St. Paul are always happy to see us. Um they recognize,

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particularly our own northeast Minnesota people recognize how much time it takes to get down there. Um Senator Hoschild's office says that that they uh practice what did they say? Um

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about their hospitality. >> Oh. Um yeah, his Jamie. >> Yeah. >> Can't even I don't remember what she said, but exactly. It was a it's a an aggressive type word for their

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hospitality. And what she meant was >> Yeah. >> that if you've come down to St. Paul and you're one of Senator Hoschild's constituents, right, >> they know that it took you between four and seven hours to get there and so you will get to see the senator. And that's

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the kind of response that we get from our folks, but also really from a lot of the different uh people down there to go down with a team of locals that includes chamber members and the chamber leadership and last year hospital

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leaders, uh, higher education was with us, business leaders, and to have all of them say that the wastewater treatment plant is our priority, it's really important. So that we're doing this collaboratively >> uh is terrific. And thank you to Cook

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County Chamber of Commerce for organizing that effort and leading it and and making this a possibility for us. It's it's a good partnership for us and we do our part as well to advocate for our other partners when we need to

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do that. Um >> so they or so when we get there they organize the dinner in a set off room that night in the hotel where everything takes place and that means we have Grant's time and attention for a certain

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amount of time she has to go another function and we have Roger Scraba's time as well with all of just our group um and of course the lobbyist. Then the next day is the meetings and then the St. Louis

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days and duth days chambers whatever the whole county has a huge almost convention >> looks like a vendor show except we're the vendors >> vendor show but it's all their businesses and organizations including LHB

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um >> and MSA >> Yep. And a lot of our >> I saw John >> friends. Yeah. >> Engineer chatted with him. >> Lots of people. I saw the Arrowhead Library system people. Okay. >> They had a booth which they had a really

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cool thing which I had to send Electra. >> Okay. >> They like you have to get this for our library. >> It's there. You can It's >> like she can get it. They'll >> Okay. >> It's a button maker. >> Yeah. >> Oh, >> but it is very cool. >> But uh yeah, we just talked to a lot of different people. Um M was there. I got

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some cool ideas for Tech Night Harbor and uh yeah, just a lot of different people to visit with and um in the morning they had a big breakfast and a lot of people talk. Wallace showed up for a little bit and um and of course Grant Housechild and Roger were there

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and whatever. But yeah, >> it's to have uh to have the opportunity to go down there and advocate for our project is absolutely necessary. like we won't we would not be successful without putting in that time. So, let's keep on

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that. Uh thanks for supporting that and I'm happy to keep doing it as necessary. Not sure when the next time we'll need to do it is. >> Yeah. >> Uh there are literally every week there's an event as you've seen the calendar that I sent out. an

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organization that we belong to is having an event I think pretty much every week until the session is over. Uh so if anybody's just got a week where they think I'd like to go down to the capital this week, we can hook you up with an organization and get you meetings

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scheduled with people to to send that message again. Uh and in the meantime, our lobbyists and us will keep on top of where where the Bonnie bill is, where our bill is, what's happening with that. Do we need to go testify? Um, we'll see

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see how it goes. If we do get the money, we still have a lot of work to do and we recognize that, too. We have a million dollars from the feds. If we get five from the state, that's six towards what we think is a $10 million project. I say

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what we think because we don't know. The engineers estimate was for uh high eight three years ago. And you know how that can go. They could have been off by 50% then. We haven't

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actually done the engineering yet. It'll take a million dollars to do that. So, we're a ways from this project being done. We probably have a few more million to go find from other partners. So, we also spent some time talking to RB leadership and they'll be coming

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scheduling a visit to Graham Marray to talk to a lot of different folks including us about our project. So stay tuned. Lots happening, much more to come. Uh as I mentioned earlier in the um

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ordinance conversation, we are hosting SIMPA in May. So that's our 17 city members and the staff of the organization that'll be here in this room for the first time. Last time we hosted them was two years ago and we were in the courthouse because this

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building was being run over by an excavator while they were here which was really kind of exciting and fun to show everybody. Uh but it'll be more fun to show them this. Uh a lot of other organizations are starting to see this space as something they can use which we

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welcome and we feel really good about. Uh fire chiefs will be meeting here for their next meeting. They did some training in here. Arrowhead Regional Corrections has done some training in here. A lot of different local organizations are now using this space for their regular meeting. Uh that's

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what it's for. So, if you've got an organization out there uh that has a regular meeting and and are looking for a space or think this space might fit, let us know. We're happy to host it. That's what this space is for. Awesome. >> Uh I did have some conversations with

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the um county administrator. Uh she also accompanied us to the meeting last week. We have a a draft of the law enforcement agreement that's been uh reviewed by

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attorney and that I'll be sending out to um well, I'll send it out to all of you, but just so you know, two of you have been involved in that negotiation up until now. Uh our comments from our attorney have already been sent back to the county. We're going to be very close. Uh I think

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it'll be very soon where we'll have this in front of you to approve a new contract which is going to feel very very good after a number of years and a lot of staff transition. Uh boy, if we could get it done before Pat left, that would even be better.

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>> But if he doesn't, that's okay. Uh you know, there isn't that transition's not as big. And uh I'm feeling good about it. We're also talking about what's next and what's the next contract we're going to be talking about. Expect to hear uh

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from the county about Sawtooth Bluffs. Again, I think they uh are going to come back with a slightly different approach. Um maybe just a very more specific ask or more clear direction about what they need from us. So that that uh balls in their court right now and we'll expect

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to hear from them again about that. and um spent some good time down at my daughter's house breathing drywall dust this last weekend as long as I was in the >> cities for a meeting. So, that's always a lot of fun, too. >> Totally. >> Yeah.

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>> So, what what are all the agreements again that we have with the county >> or that are I mean, maybe not all of them. >> I can't say >> that when it seemed like we had like four of them that we were working on. not that many years ago >> there there were three and and so let's

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start with uh when 10 years ago maybe 12 now when the county hired an administrator for the first time we sat down he and I and also the uh county attorney and tried to figure out the

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answer to that question what are all the agreements whether they be written or informal or just cooperative efforts And I think there was three or four full pages of a list with notes in the margins before we were done. Uh that was

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drilled down to what are the priorities for us to get agreements fixed. Law enforcement, >> roads, >> street maintenance, and the why. Those are the three that were on our list and that we agreed to work with the

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county on. I suspect there's a few more that we'd like to see now. I mean, certainly Sawtooth Bluffs has been added to that list. >> Well, in the short stays, we were all ready to go with that and we needed that joint agreement. We had our resolution

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all set, but then they backed off on that because of >> changes to departments and now that change has just recently been accomplished. So, I think that's something we can bring back up and, you know, do do as well. And that wouldn't

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be anything more than saying like >> here it is because we've already done our piece or >> no um >> the joint agreement needs to be they had issues about >> who would be doing the work in the office you know on their part and all that.

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>> Yeah it's a question of uh resources really and so I think in terms of how difficult would the conversation be >> won't be difficult at all. They either will decide they have the resources or they don't. um that's where we've been before and whatever the financial needs

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are through that program that's fees we're charging to the folks that are participating and frankly the county's already figured that out. So I I think it's a much simpler deal and and I think that they're also willing to step back into that conversation and see

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if it makes more sense now. >> Were we going to do anything with the library? Is that okay? couldn't remember if that was a thing or not. >> Both. We're going to do something with it, but it's okay. So, it's not a priority. Like, we're not It's It's an older agreement. Uh I think it has some

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features in it that are different than some of our other agreements and maybe we could go back and think about or look at, but it's functioning just fine. So, >> there are the ones that are we have actual disagreements about that need to be resolved.

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>> Yeah, for sure. Can you think of any others, Craig? From >> what? >> Can you think of any others, Craig, that we >> Any other contracts? >> Yeah, joint contracts of stuff we have with them kind of stands

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out. And when we had those initial meetings, it just felt like there was a little bit more. Didn't we divide up who was going to do what and >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I was Who was it? >> That was with streets. >> YMCA. >> That was the one.

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>> Sheriff. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> We had three on the department. >> This just the three. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. That goes with the >> street. It was just law enforcement and YMCA were the three that we discussed. >> Those three. Yeah. couldn't remember.

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>> Yeah, >> all right. >> That was your question. >> You're all set otherwise? >> I'm all set otherwise. >> Okay. >> And I will have library tomorrow. >> Oh, how convenient. Tomorrow

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>> then >> and then the wide too. I saw an email where they're going to reset up those advisory things again. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Nice. >> Get that going. >> See, on the 12th I got together with

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Electra. It been a while since we had connected, so just kind of going over seeing how things were going and just a nice visit. Mhm. >> And then also on the 12th, uh, tree board back together kind of talking

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about next steps and then agreeing to be in regular meetings on, you know, regular basis every three months, I think, is what we came up with. >> They going to apply for that relief grant again? >> I think so.

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>> Ready? Shane will get going on that. And then Arrowhead Animal Rescue, of course, their burning question Mike knows all about. >> Is it a new one? >> It's not. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And >> they would just like be better, you

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know, more certainty about where they're at with their lagging project. >> They've been very patient and I appreciate it. and I feel terrible that they haven't been able to be as high a priority for me as as I'd like, but these other responsibilities have taken

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the forefront. We're going to be pivoting back to them. It was 77 degrees uh on Saturday in Minneapolis, so it's a nice reminder that spring is arriving. >> I was going to say, you move the dog pond down there.

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>> Yeah. Yeah. We we kind of need spring, right, to really do anything. >> Yeah. So, we've been talking to contractors, but there's a lot of details to button up yet. >> Um, I was the alternate for the EDA meeting um in Benson's absence

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and we approved the sale of the golf course. >> Um, I think there a lot of hard work went into that. We had a public hearing on that. Um didn't hear anything but positive feedback from people. Um some questions about maybe some uh some of

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the issues in the interim of of um of how the golf course was going to operate, the budget leading into it. The county needed to secure we needed a bridge loan, the EDA did from the county to operate the golf course through the sale.

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>> Um then we had to approve the budget for the golf course. through the sale. So, um, and then tons of awards, uh, grant awards were were handed out. I say tons. There's I can't remember. There's probably six or eight, um, worthy, uh, investment opportunities

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for the county. Uh, so it was really cool. It was a good meeting. So, >> yeah, >> I think those are the first awards under their new process where they're dividing them quarter. I think it's quarterly. >> Okay. you like they don't want all the

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money coming out at once. >> I think you mentioned that. >> Yes, they bring up. So, that was their first block. >> It was good. Yeah. I mean, it was organized for sure and uh it gave everybody an opportunity. I think everybody but maybe one or two uh were present at the meeting and were able to

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kind of give a brief summary of their project and what the need was and uh um there wasn't uh yeah it all seemed to fit and I think they were appreciative. >> Great.

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>> So that's really all I have. >> All eyes on Craig. >> I don't have anything. We did have a park and trail meeting out in Grand Portage last night, but I was unable to drive out there for that long of a stretch,

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but I will get information from that. Grand Portidge hosted the meeting at their new uh marina office, I believe it was. Yeah. >> Oh, sure. Way out >> at the marina, right? That big bu new building they put in up there. That's

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nice. got the the windows really frame the view when you set in there. It's pretty neat. I mean, it's a basic building, but when you're in there, the way the windows and everything, it looks pretty neat in there. >> Okay, >> so the details from that meeting.

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>> Okay. Um, speaking of Grand Portage, I went to the land exchange uh the other Monday and uh overflowing. They had to get more tables and chairs in there for that and I think they were very happy about that to see all the

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people there because they got a lot of press for that. So yeah, nice to get all that back. What's really nice is knowing places like Paradise Beach will now be preserved and >> that piece of it. So

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yeah, so that was nice. Um, we had another planning meeting for the open house for the Boulder Park work and we'll be having that on April 13th and we've just got to they're they're going to get materials ready and then we've

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got to put together um all our marketing get people there awareness to show up and uh I think we're 5 to 7 on that. And then we're also having another openhouse presentation that's Monday, but on Thursday of that week on the 16th

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because the archaeologists from Shipo are ready to have an open house to talk about what their project scope is and and what they're doing along with the important piece is getting local people to um either bring in artifacts they'd

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like them to look at or any information they have of interest. maybe here's a piece of land from whatever. We think you should take a look at it. That kind of piece. So, they're really hoping to draw a lot of local people in to help them because that will determine some of the direction of their work when they

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come back this summer. And they were asking me if they could dig yet or into April and I said, "Well, yeah, I don't know, but um they will be back this summer. Maybe not in time." They also have to share time with Redwing. Um so, work on that. and our job will basically

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to get the word out so we can get people in for that. Um, I did hear back from Joel St. John. So, we expect to have him on the April 8th meeting. Good thing we're not changing that date, >> right?

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>> That would not be good. Um, Mike gave you a pretty good summary of capital days. went to the community leadership meeting that was hosted this time by higher ed and unfortunately we discovered that that night matched with the school board's meetings which also

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meant it matched with grant portage so it took a lot of people out of the meeting and I'm not sure if some of the hospital people were at capital stuff too so they're going to rethink some of their meeting dates in the future if they're coinciding with um school boards

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So, I think that's it. That would do it. And so, it's uh 658. Wow. >> Well, well done. >> There you go, everybody. Thanks, Blake. Um,

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>> yeah. Thank you. >> Get that ready and thanks Gavin. >> Thanks, guys. What a great night.