The Cook County Board of Commissioner held a special meeting on April 3 to consider and vote on a short list of items. The board talked about a new cleaning contract for the YMCA, issuing a permit to Arrowhead AED for a raffle, and approving a loan agreement with the Cook County Economic Development Authority (EDA). Board Chair Ginny Storlie was absent, so Vice-Chair Dave Mills filled in to facilitate the meeting.
The Arrowhead AED raffle permit passed with relatively little discussion, but both other items prompted conversation from the commissioners. While the YMCA contract and EDA loan agreement were separate questions, in considering both items, the board talked about the relationship and budgetary oversight that the county has with the respective organizations.
YMCA Cleaning Contract
Over the past year the board has discussed several options for maintenance at the YMCA. At different points over the course of Cook County YMCA history, cleaning has been done by county employees, school employees, and independent contractors. At the special meeting, the board considered a contract with a new service provider.
Ultimately, the commissioners present voted unanimously to approve the contract, but before the motion was made, both Commissioners Garry Gamble and Deb White brought up some concerns generally with the county’s relationship with the YMCA. White said that she would like to see better review of the contracts, both new and ongoing, with the YMCA, so there is clearer understanding between the organizations. She also advocated for ISD 166 to be involved in the conversation, because some of the original agreements between the YMCA and the county included the school.
Gamble echoed White’s desire to review the agreements with the YMCA, noting what he described as inconsistencies when it comes to the obligations that the county has to buildings under its ownership. “We are inconsistent in how we support our buildings, when it comes to what we pay for and what we don’t pay for under the umbrella of ‘our building,’” he said.
Gamble also requested more communication between the county and the YMCA about financial accounting and clearer agreements about which organization should be covering different costs.
Loan to the EDA for Superior National at Lutsen Golf Course
The board also came to a final decision on a loan agreement with the Cook County EDA. The loan request was brought to the commissioners in February, and discussed throughout March. The board agreed to loan the EDA $200,000 during the first of their March meetings, but tabled the official agreement during the second March meeting.
The loan would cover a shortfall that will result from repairs to the septic and irrigation systems at the Superior National at Lutsen golf course. The EDA is in the process of selling the golf course, and the maintenance needs were discovered through the due diligence process of that sale.
The EDA is currently owed $200,000 by the owner of the Gunflint Vue, who is expected to repay that loan between September 2026 and September 20207. When the EDA first approached the county board with the loan request for the golf course, they cited the Gunflint Vue loan repayment as the source of money the EDA would use to repay the county.
Since the initial vote to enter a loan agreement with the EDA, the county discovered that there is a mechanic’s lien against the Gunflint Vue. EDA was not aware of the mechanics lien at the time that they originally made a request to the county for a loan. EDA Chair Peter Clissold told the board that the county discovered the lien and notified the EDA.
Several commissioners expressed their discomfort with the lien and the board opted to table it to finalize language that they felt adequately protected the county against financial loss if the Gunflint Vue was unable to repay the EDA.
In regard to the updated agreement, County Attorney Jeanne Peterson told the board, “I believe what’s reflected here is indicative of what the board had asked, as far as being really clear that no repayment or forgiveness of indebtedness will occur by reason of future levy dollars or future tax monies.”
White said she would like to see more financial accountability for the EDA on large projects. She talked about the original understanding of the golf course, saying that the EDA committed to a self-sustaining business that would not cost Cook County taxpayers anything. “That didn’t turn out to be the case,” she said.
In addition to the golf course, White also questioned the management of the lots at the business park, another EDA project.
While Gamble and White both described themselves as conflicted on the specific loan question, they said they supported the sale of the golf course, and the loan agreement passed unanimously.