Cook County MN will hold three open house meetings on Thursday, December 1, 2022, to gather community feedback that will inform the update of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for County buildings. The meetings will take place in the Commissioner’s Room inside the Cook County Courthouse at 411 W. 2nd Street in Grand Marais. There will be three presentations to accommodate attendance: from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. As room capacity is set at 40 people, those planning to attend should RSVP to [email protected] or 218-387-3602 in advance.

Each of the three sessions will start with a 20-minute presentation by the County’s consultant, CR-BPS. The presentation will provide a history of the County’s investment in and approach to maintaining its facilities. Attendees will receive information about the current condition of County facilities, current and future space needs, and life-cycle costing as a strategy to minimize long-term operating costs.

The remainder of each two-hour session will give participants the opportunity to visit four stations to receive more detailed information about topics from the presentation, ask questions, and provide feedback regarding the priorities the County should consider as it develops the CIP. A survey will be available for participants to complete at the end of each session,

For those who are unable to attend the open house meetings, the County will post informational materials on its website and provide an electronic form through which residents can provide feedback. One of the presentations will be videotaped and uploaded to the Cook County YouTube page for public viewing.

A second public meeting will be held in early 2023 to share the community feedback that was collected and to discuss how it is being applied in the development of the CIP. The County Board will also receive information about feedback gathered at the public meetings before the CIP is finalized and the Board is asked to approve it.

Those who have questions about the process or want to provide feedback are welcome to contact County Administrator James Joerke at [email protected] or 218-387-3687. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at one of the CIP Open House presentations.