The Two Harbors Farmers Market is looking for a new location for the coming season. The folks who run the market have asked the City Council for access to city property near the Breakwall Bottle Shoppe but due to concerns about safety (people parking along Highway 61) and the need for city code clarification on use of city owned land, the request has been denied.
City Code 6.41 specifies the parameters around which public markets can operate in the city. Entities like food trucks and public markets require permits from the city and their location requires compliance with certain codes. Beyond the safety issue, the catch for the Farmers Market having access to the parking lot near the Breakwall Shoppe hinges on the fact that the city does not have a clear definition on what constitutes an “exempt event”. The Council reached its decision with apologies, and the issue has been referred back to the Public Affairs Commission. It is unlikely that the PAC will be able to resolve the issue before the start of the season. Typically, the Two Harbors Farmers Market is open on Saturdays from 10:00 to 1:00 between the end of May and the middle of October. The market has previously operated out of the parking lot at Burlington Station. Market organizers do have the option of applying for a permit to operate from one of the city’s public parks. Bianca Seay who, along with her husband, runs the Market said that they are working with the city to clarify a location and that the Farmers Market will be in operation for the coming season. Stay tuned for further details.
The 2024 Audit report was presented to the Council. The financial statements provided to the auditor were fairly presented in all material respects and the auditor reported an unmodified opinion on the city’s books for 2024. This is the best designation that the auditor can give the city. The documents for this audit will be available for public perusal at City Hall.
City Administrator Patty Nordean reported on the meeting with Senator Amy Klobuchar that was held on April 21st. Topics that were discussed at that event included the importance of tourism to the Lake County economy and concerns about the negative impact that tariffs have had, and will continue to have on our local tourist industry. Nordean commented that $76 out of every $100 spent in Lake County are related to tourism. Klobuchar acknowledged the crucial nature of the tourism industry to the North Shore economy and expressed concern over an 18% reduction in border crossings from Canada in March.
In other business, the Utilities Commission will be reviewing electric and gas rates. The Finance Committee has been discussing utility extension on the west end of town. There has been no firm decision to install utilities in that part of town, but the committee did discuss the possibility of installing casings under Highway 61 when that project gets underway. Such a move would mean that when utilities do go in, the highway will not have to be torn up to accommodate the installation. The Public Arts commission has had 6 responses from artists regarding interest in public art installations. They will be working through a process to decide who will get commissions for the proposed mural project.
The next Two Harbors Council meeting will be held on May 12th at 5:30. It is noted that the second council meeting in May will be held on Tuesday the 27th rather than on the 26th in recognition of Memorial Day.
