TOWN OF
PUBLIC MEETING
The June 6, 2006 Public Meeting was called to order
by Chairman Jerry Pohlman at 7:45PM at the Crane Lake Fire Hall with the Pledge
of Allegiance recited by those in attendance including: Supervisor Jerry Pohlman, Clerk Jo Ann
Pohlman, C.J. Fernandez of the U of M Center for Changing Landscapes, Nancy
Larson and Tim Engrav of the USFS, Ruth L. Carlson, Community Property Projects
Committee Chair, a reporter from the Voyageur Sentinel, and 11 members of the community.
Chairman Jerry introduced invited guests Nancy
Larson and Tim Engrav of the U.S. Forest Service from Cook.
Jerry then introduced C.J. Fernandez of the
University of Minnesota Center for Changing Landscapes and turned the meeting
over to Mr. Fernandez for his presentation to the community.
Mr. Fernandez recapped the community wish list that
was presented to him at the beginning of this project and mentioned how it
dovetailed with the Community Action Plan, which is being revisited this
year. He further explained that all of that
information had been put together for his presentation, which was and continues
to be an open process.
Two main directives were considered – Trails and
Open spaces and the Land Exchange. Five
major issues reviewed were 1) Lack of Town owned land; 2) What more can Crane
Lake offer to attract future residents; 3) Where would those people work; 4)
Lack of lodging for seasonal employees; and 5) The changing environment of
Crane Lake with a resort being sold and the prospect of that continuing.
Some of the wish list items of the community
were: Recreation opportunities such as
tennis and basketball; a Town Center/Hall; Trails – paved and hiking; Trailhead
visibility; Museum location; Office space for the Township; Possible business
opportunity for Tech./Computer businesses.
The project looked at what 80 acres could provide,
where the money would come from, maintenance, and tax increases. Mr. Fernandez stated that there are
organizations that could be worked with to provide funding and work forces for
project work. He stated the importance
of the community agreeing on what options to pursue.
The Center for Changing Landscapes would provide a
book/manual related to the project work.
Ruth L. Carlson provided a handout explaining the
priorities of the plan, description of the Land Exchange and purpose, the
benefits and downsides of the exchange and an overall assessment.
Community members may go to gis.umn.edu to view the
The presentation was followed by questions and
answers.
Next Meeting: Board
of Supervisors’ Meeting, June 13, 2006 – 7:30PM, Fellowship Hall.
The meeting was adjourned at
approximately 9PM
Jo Ann Pohlman, Clerk Jerry
Pohlman, Chairman
This draft of the