City council discusses 3rd street improvements and hunting and trapping ordinance

The Grand Marais City Council met Wednesday, Feb. 11, to review proposed improvements to 3rd Street, hold a second reading of a hunting and trapping ordinance, and address several other agenda items.

For several years, the council has continued discussions about potential improvements to 3rd Street, prompted in part by the proposed Bjorkberg housing project from developer Jon Petters.

The Bjorkberg project has undergone numerous iterations since the initial proposal as a 21-unit townhome development on 3rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. The plans for the latest rendition of the Bjorkberg have not been presented to the city council or approved, but the project is expected to be a smaller version of the proposed housing project.

One of the main areas of focus for the city council in the past year, before any housing project moves forward, has been determining the cost of the needed improvements to 3rd Street and the associated costs for extending utilities between 6th and 7th Avenues. The street improvements will include widening, adding curb and gutter on the south side of the street, and installing drainage features.

During the Feb. 11 meeting, the city council reviewed draft construction plans for the 3rd Street improvements, presented by Jon Loye, the public works project manager with MSA Professional Services.

City Administrator Mike Roth said the draft construction plans outline both the portions of the project the city would finance and the share that Petter’s would fund. The city is planning to work with MSA to put the entire construction project out to bid rather than separate the two parties’ respective projects.

Loye said he intends to put the project out for bid in early March.

Roth told the city council that in mid to late March, the council will review a list of submitted bids, a bid summary, and the project’s associated costs.

“Then the council will make a decision if the price is right and if they want to do the project,” Roth said.

The city council voted unanimously on Aug. 13, 2025, to approve a developer’s agreement with the Bjorkberg developer, contingent on coordination with the City of Grand Marais and the final costs of infrastructure for 3rd Street.

Roth said that after the city receives the estimated project costs, the council will have to amend the developer’s agreement to reflect the identified costs.

Hunting and Trapping Ordinance

During the Feb. 11 meeting, the city council held a second reading of the proposed hunting and trapping ordinance, which was initially presented at the Jan. 28 meeting.

The city council said it had received one public comment on the proposed ordinance since the Jan. 28 meeting. The city council discussed the ordinance language and considered revisions.

Grand Marais Mayor Tracy Benson proposed removing item B.2. from the ordinance which would allow a person to trap bats, snakes, salamanders, lizards, weasels, mink, squirrels, rabbits, hares, raccoons, bobcats, fox, opossums, muskrats, or beavers in such a manner that is in accordance with Minn. Stat. 97B.655 on land owned or occupied by the person where the animal is causing damage.

Benson said the situation could represent a potential loophole, allowing a property owner within city limits to continue trapping by asserting that an animal is causing damage. However, she said, “But we’ll never know that was the reason why.”

The council agreed to remove item B.2 from the ordinance. With the removal, the only authority for trapping within city limits would be by duly authorized representatives of the city, county, state, or federal government acting within the course and scope of their employment.

The city council unanimously approved the second reading of the hunting and trapping ordinance. The ordinance will now take effect.

In addition to the trapping restrictions included in the ordinance, the ordinance restricts the use of vertical bows and crossbows in city limits. The city already has an existing ordinance that prohibits the discharge of firearms for any purpose or the use of air rifles or slingshots within city limits.

View the Feb. 11 agenda with the second reading of the ordinance here.

Kalli Hawkins February 14, 2026