County signs MOU with Grand Portage for donated marine vessel, explores loan to Lutsen Township

The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to accept a donated marine vessel to be used for patrol and rescues on Lake Superior and inland lakes during the April 28 meeting.

It’s part of a broader effort led by the Grand Portage Band to strengthen rescue response capacity on Lake Superior after the 2022 closure of the U.S. Coast Guard station in Grand Marais.

The Grand Portage Band launched an Indigenous-led marine rescue unit in 2025, funded by a $3 million state grant. The initiative included the acquisition of four rescue vessels. Two are based in Grand Portage, while one was donated to Cook County and another delivered to Lake County on Tuesday, May 5.

During the board of commissioners meeting, Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen outlined the terms of the MOU, which state that the vessel must be used for marine patrol, search and rescue, emergency response, and related public safety operations. Furthermore, the agreement states that if the vessel is no longer needed for public safety purposes, ownership of the vessel shall revert to the Grand Portage Band. The vessel is not to be sold, leased, or otherwise transferred to any other party without prior written consent of the Band.

Eliasen said the Cook County Sheriff’s Office will operate the vessel. A deputy and the current jail administrator have undergone training to obtain a captain’s license, he said.

Cook County Commissioner Gary Gamble asked about the vessel’s operational costs and whether the MOU includes any financial responsibility for maintenance, fuel, and related costs. Eliasen said the associated costs would be the sheriff’s office’s responsibility and would most likely be covered by a state boat and water grant, administered annually.

Eliasen told WTIP after the meeting that the sheriff’s office receives approximately $5,000 annually from the state for boat and water-related costs associated with rescues, patrols, and public safety.

He said he expects the annual costs to range from $2,000 to $3,000, depending on staffing availability for full-time patrols. “The cost then will need to be forecast with fuel, equipment, and personnel all calculated,” Eliasen said. Other grant funding sources are available to the sheriff’s office to cover any additional costs associated with the vessel, he said.

As the busy summer season arrives along the North Shore, the return of marine rescue vessels on Lake Superior brings added reassurance for the sheriff’s office and search and rescue teams.

County Administrator Kristen Trebil-Halmbersma called the vessel “an incredibly generous donation from the Grand Portage Band,” adding that the county is “thrilled that we have access to this to ensure that people are safe on our shores.”

Cook County has received the new marine vessel, and it will be in operation this summer.

Eliasen told WTIP that as of May 5, it is not yet 100% confirmed that the vessel will be stored at the Coast Guard station dock in the Grand Marais harbor. Eliasen said that is the intended outcome, but if the sheriff’s office is unable to keep it safely docked there, the vessel will be stored at the Law Enforcement Center and trailered to the harbor as needed.

Loan to Lutsen Township for Rescue Truck

Another agenda item discussed during the April 28 meeting was the consideration of a loan to Lutsen Township for the purchase of a new rescue fire truck.

Lutsen Fire Chief Steve Duclos and Lutsen Township representative Chris Homyak attended the meeting to present a loan request of $306,501.

Homyak said the loan request covers 75% of the total purchase price, with the township covering the remaining 25%. The total purchase of the rescue truck is $408,668.

Duclos said the fire department’s rescue equipment, including ropes and the jaws of life, is spread across all the department’s trucks. The purchase of a designated rescue truck would consolidate all equipment and necessary tools into a single truck. He said some of the trucks contain various pieces of equipment that may be loaned out for wildfires when needed, requiring the fire department to shuffle rescue equipment to the appropriate trucks.

“The need for the truck is pretty obvious in our department,” Duclos said.

Homyak said the build process for the rescue truck is approximately 600 days, and the township is looking to sign a contract by May 20.

Homyak said the township does have a truck fund for purchases such as this, but that during a recent township meeting, the citizens and board wanted to maintain a healthy fund balance in the event of an emergency or equipment breakdown. If the township covered more than 25% of the cost of the new rescue truck, it would greatly deplete the fund. Homyak also said the township has been applying for grants, but can’t rely on receiving any state or federal grants at this time.

“Our plan is to apply for anything and everything that we can find,” Homyak said.

Homyak said the final rate or terms of the policy do not have to be finalized yet, but was seeking approval from the board of commissioners for a loan before the May 20 contract deadline.

The board approved a loan to Lutsen Township for the purchase of a rescue truck, with the rate and final terms to be determined and finalized during the May 12 commissioner’s meeting.

The county has historically provided loans to local fire departments for the purchase of equipment and for the construction of fire halls.

“We do have a policy in place for providing loans to volunteer fire departments,” said Trebil-Halbersma. “It is a policy that has been in place for quite some time.”

Trebil-Halbersma said the current loan policy needs updating, as the latest terms date back to March 2012. She and County Treasurer/Auditor Braidy Powers will work on revising the terms and rates and bring the updates to the next board of commissioners meeting.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with County Administrator Kristen Trebil-Halbersma following the board of commissioners’ meeting. Audio is below.

Kalli Hawkins May 5, 2026