Meeting briefing: Lake County Board

Talk about it

Items of interest from the Lake County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday:

Spending low for fire

Two Harbors Fire Chief Mark Schlangen gave an update on what’s going on with the fire department. He said there should be no capital expenditures for 2010-11. He said the department is also looking at an intern program for young people who are interested in becoming firefighters.

New radio voted on

The board passed a resolution to go forward with the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response system that is being implemented throughout the state. The Federal Communications Commission has mandates that regions switch from wideband to narrowband radios, meaning better coverage over larger areas. It means new equipment is needed. The system could cost the county about $2.6 million over 10 years with money coming from other county entities using the services, including city police and school bus fleets.

Trail to Silver Bay

Kevin Johnson, of the Minnesota DNR, gave an update on the Gitchi-Gami State Trail expansion from Beaver Bay through Silver Bay. Plans would connect the trail with Outer Drive in Silver Bay, which would mean wider sidewalks.

The trail to Silver Bay had been stymied by the need for an underpass at the NorthShore Mining trail line. The trail is expected to be finished this summer.

Twenty-one miles of the trail have been completed with eight miles under construction this summer. The Gitchi-Gami State Trail, when completed, would offer an 86-mile paved route along Highway 61 from Two Harbors to Grand Marais. The last portion completed was in 2006 and 21 miles are usable. Used extensively by bicyclists, the longest stretch of continuous trail is 13.1 miles between Gooseberry Falls State Park and Beaver Bay.

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