October’s second meeting was a dense one, covering a wide range of topics, spanning both past issues as well as lots of future potential plans. The City Council heard two appearances regarding possible improvements for Two Harbors. First, Danny Margarite of Engineering and Environmental Consultant Carlson McCain had an update on work discussed a year ago. At the time, the group had been asked to inspect the J&J Castings site in preparation for its cleanup and purchase by another company. When the deal fell through, it caused the cleanup effort to stall out in turn. Since then, Carlson McCain has been in talks with City Administrator Patty Nordean about options for the site and possible funding sources to move forward with its inspection.
Margarite’s update centered on word of what might be a great funding source: a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), a branch of the state government dedicated to funding “environmental restoration and protection efforts”, according to their website. The grant is specifically designed to cover initial investigations of sites prior to cleanup. That investigation and subsequent environmental cleanup are necessary before beginning construction of new buildings or other projects in the area to avoid potential hazards and health risks down the road. Margarite’s approach to the Council was to check their interest in the grant “in an effort to get the site as ready to develop as possible when a new prospective purchaser comes along.”
Nordean was positive about the grant’s potential and added several other possible sites that could benefit from it and a following cleanup, such as the old city dump on Fairgrounds Road and the Waterfront parcel the City is in the process of receiving from the state’s Department of Natural Resources, which Nordean noted has possible old industrial contamination.
Money for the grant comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is then awarded through MPCA to nonprofits, cities, and developers. If awarded a grant, MPCA would take care of 100% of the related costs, providing a checklist of requirements for the investigation to have the grant fulfilled. Margarite expressed some confidence in the City’s projects being able to gain at least one of the grants, noting all potential projects could be submitted for a relatively low application fee and if a site isn’t approved, the City can resubmit next quarter. He also added as a disclaimer that Carlson McCain has been used as a consultant by MPCA in the past, but there is no guarantee they would be chosen by MPCA for investigations on these sites. The Council approved Carlson McCain to apply for the grants.
The second appearance, also coincidentally regarding one of the sites needing cleanup, was a proposal from Dan Cruikshank, representing the Two Harbors Trail Alliance. The nonprofit is seeking use of the old dump land off of Fairgrounds Road to build a multipurpose trailhead center that would connect a new bike park and the Erkki Harju and Bigfoot trails, along with adding a bike trail to Two Harbors High School. Cruikshank shared details on the project with the Council, outlining a plan funded by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Lake Superior Coastal Program and the City of Two Harbors’ Recreational Board, with matching funds from the Two Harbors Trail Alliance.
He expressed the group’s flexibility in working with the City, with the overall goal of the plan being “trails for all, skills for life,” adding opportunities for outdoor activities for residents and tourists. Although the nonprofit’s focus is on non-motorized trails, he noted a trailhead center would also be of use to the ATV and snowmobile communities. The benefit, he argued, would be economic as well, noting Crosby, MN, estimates they have gained over $21 million a year thanks to their trail system.
The old dump site is already zoned for recreational use, and Cruikshank sees it transforming into a world-class recreational destination. It would also, he pointed out, bring Two Harbors more up to speed with Silver Bay and Ely, which have both built multimodal trailhead centers.
Response was cautious but with some positivity. Prior to the appearance, Nordean had warned the Council of several conflicting projects seeking to make use of the land, advising “we have to be careful about any commitments that we make at this time.” Following the presentation, Mayor Lew Conner thanked Cruikshank for the nonprofit’s efforts putting the plan together, saying they “appreciate having this to get started with” and expressing his admiration for Silver Bay’s new trailhead center as a model to follow. At the end of the session, Councilor Robin Glaser pushed to refer the Trail Alliance’s plans to the Public Affairs Committee, Planning and Zoning Committee, and the Recreation Board for further discussion, which the Council approved.
Brief reports from City staff began with Finance Director Miranda Pietila reminding the Council of preparations for the December 14th Truth in Taxation Hearing prior to adopting a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and 2027 budget and final levy. City Planner Robin Caufman has been making progress on the Park Study Plan, with 235 survey responses collected so far at the time of the meeting. Once the feedback has been sorted through, she plans to meet with the Council to gather their own opinions, ideally this November, before drafting plans informed by all shared results.
City Engineer Andy Brotzler was away for this meeting; standing in for him was Bolton & Menk Design Engineer Zeke Myers. Myers’ update for Lighthouse Point Road covered a pay app on the consent agenda and confirmed they should be wrapping the project before winter. In response to a question from Councilor Todd Redmann, Myers confirmed the trail and some of the alleyways will also be paved as part of the work. The project was recommended for a public assessment hearing on November 23rd, which Council approved.
Committee Reports started with a small update on the Waterfront project, which is currently in talks with Duval over possible continued service. Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) discussed a 5-year plan and other financial preparations, as well as costly but necessary repair jobs involving trash room doors and plumbing. Glaser gave a shout-out to Deb Scott, Executive Director of Two Harbors Community Partners, for her work getting the HRA “back on its feet,” saying “it’s really been wonderful working with Deb and she’s really gotten things squared away down there.”
On behalf of the Library Board, City Council President Uriah Hefter announced that a bookmobile will soon be visiting the Two Harbors area for the first time. Its first date will be on February 8th starting at 4:15 pm at the Larsmont Trading Post, after which it is tentatively scheduled to set up at the same time, same location every third Monday of the month. More information will be coming soon.
As of the time of this meeting, Public Works was still waiting on demolition of the band shell, which should be “very soon.” In related news, the recent purchase of a temporary stage is so far so good, with new tires installed and the trailer on its way to Two Harbors. Redmann warned the trailer will need more work before it would be ready for use, but once done it should “fit its intended purpose.” Other topics at hand: Sidewalk replacement on 1st Avenue is scheduled for 2027. A proposal is being considered to allow concrete grinding for the Highway 61 Project at a rented space along Fairgrounds Road. The recent Airport user survey results are being reviewed and shared with the Personnel Committee to help draft the new Airport Director contract. A recent suggestion of more native plantings in the cemetery was rejected due to concerns that maintenance would be more than keeping turf grass. Finally, Public Works is recommending the establishment of a diesel hub/storage area at the City Garage, which would allow city and fire department vehicles to easily refuel during the Highway 61 Project, whereas Kwik Trip (their current refuel stop of choice) will be far less accessible.
Councilor Donna Heil was unable to attend the previous Trees and Trails meeting but gave an overview of two items on the agenda. First, an honor garden proposed by local suicide awareness group Love Life along the Two Harbors Lakewalk near the Edna G. and the future Veteran’s Memorial, which Heil noted seemed appropriate given there would be relevance for some Vets. Second, the removal of an old guard shed in Paul Hoven Park, with removal being done in-house. Both issues were approved by the Council.
Utilities is searching for grant funding for EV stations. They also received a notice from Minnesota Power of the City hitting peak load in July. This would normally be cause for concern as it would mean going into higher than normal rates, but given the unusual weather conditions at the time, MN Power determined it was an anomaly and will continue to give the City normal rates. Frontier Energy’s contract was renewed, with Councilor Ben Redden noting they have been used for many years and “they do a really good job.”
Public Arts is still discussing its budget increase request to eventually send to the Finance Committee. Work on the utility box art is complete, while the mural art originally planned for the band shell has been delayed to next year. Given the band shell’s state, it is currently unknown where the mural art will be instead, though Conner sounded optimistic they would find a suitable location. The Committee is also in talks with the library on potential future collaborations.
At this point, the meeting closed temporarily for consideration of a real estate transaction. On reopening, it was almost immediately recessed for a public hearing on the 2021 small cities development program grant award. Myers, standing in for Brotzler, briefed participants on the matter. Two Harbors was awarded the federally funded grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development in 2021. The grant was then used to fund the 4th Street Watermain Project this past summer. The public hearing is a required step to gather any input from residents, after which Bolton & Menk can continue the grant reimbursement process. After several unanswered calls from Hefter for comments, the public hearing was closed.
Consent agenda items of note and approved included: review of proposed installation of temporary wayfinding signs on bicycle paths; posting the job position of Electrical Superintendent; and a lease agreement between the City and Two Harbors Youth Hockey for use of the marquee sign at the old liquor store.
The Council received notifications concerning the opening of three separate working agreements with Teamsters General Local Union No. 346, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Two Harbors Supervisory Employees Association (THSEA), respectively.
New business items approved but not yet covered were: updating the Bloodborne Pathogens Manual; an updated quote from Duluth Dirt of approximately $90,000 for planting 230 trees; sale of a Ford Police Interceptor; a real estate listing and marketing agreement with Legacy Real Estate pending the City Attorney; purchase of a plate compactor for Public Works; an MnDOT agreement regarding gas line relocations and related reimbursements for the Highway 61 Project; referring a grant for native plantings to Public Works; and a letter of support for the 148th Fighter Wing in consideration of the F-35 Lightning II Mission.
The Council also approved the State of Minnesota Department of Transportation and the City of Two Harbors and Lake County Cooperative Construction Agreement for the Highway 61 Project. This followed concerns about the terms given by Nordean at an earlier meeting, after which she worked with City Attorney Costley and Brotzler to gain some concessions, most notably taking out some potential liability issues for the City. Nordean recommended the passage of the agreement’s current iteration at this meeting prior to the Council’s acceptance.
