Mayor weighs in on lodging ordinance, stormwater management and levy

The Grand Marais City Council met on Wednesday, September 12 and took action on a number of items that have been on the city’s agenda for quite some time.

The city reviewed ordinance changes suggested by the Grand Marais Planning Commission regarding lodging on the first floor of downtown businesses. After lengthy discussion, the council passed a motion to adopt the proposed ordinance change, which allows lodging on the first floor, but only with a conditional use permit.

That means anyone who hopes to create lodging on the first floor of the downtown waterfront area would have to appear before the planning commission and city council with plans. Although Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux and Councilor Jonathan Steckelberg expressed concern that the criteria for the conditional use permit was not clearly stated, they cast votes to approve the ordinance change.  

The council also adopted its Stormwater Management Plan, approved liquor licenses for area businesses, and more. 

One of the final matters was approval of the 2019 levy numbers.  Just as the county did, the City of Grand Marais set its preliminary levy for 2019 with a 5.99 percent increase.

Mayor DeCoux and the other councilors noted that the 5.99 is the maximum – the city will be working to reduce that number before the final levy is adopted on December 26, 2019.

WTIP's Rhonda Silence spoke with the mayor about the lodging ordinance, stormwater management and the levy. Here's that interview.