Reader likes Cedar Grove for Homeland Security

Dear True,

Last weeks Town Hall forum on the proposed new facility for the U. S. Border Patrol should have left little doubt in anyone’s mind that, even though The RFP isn’t in, so we don’t have all the information yet, this project looks to be good for Grand Marais and should be built in the Cedar Grove Business Park.

Matt Geretschlaeger and most of the EDA board have dealt with this issue in an extremely professional and forthright manner. In no way was there any attempt by Matt, intentional or otherwise, to deceive, mislead, or misconstrue any of the facts. Those who feel that this was improperly dealt with by Mr. Geretschlaeger, in any way what-so-ever, are simply wrong, and owe him an apology. We know what he knows.

Please, consider that this building is going to be built in Cook County no matter what.

The U. S. Border Patrol is an important and valued part of our government. If we didn’t have it, we’d have to come up with it right now.

The best place in Cook County for this building is the Cedar Grove Business Park. It is designed to handle such a facility in terms of the buildings size, function, and essential features and communications requirements. Locating it there will minimize environmental impact in terms of road construction, vehicular travel, other infrastructure demands, and sprawl, to name just a few.

It will be in the best location to benefit, through direct and indirect employment and the purchase of support services, the city of Grand Marais.


Because it is privately owned and leased, it will benefit our property tax base.

It will help balance the local economy both in terms of seasonal activity and in terms of employment sectors. No one has yet put forward any argument as to why up to 50, full time, full benefit, higher level jobs are bad for Grand Marais or for the county.

Locating this facility in the business park, due to the controls and restrictions built into the EDA policies and agreements, gives the community the more leverage in affecting the outcome than we would have were it to be built elsewhere in the county.

Granted, there are questions regarding conflicts of interest involving EDA board member and City Council member Tim Kennedy and Mayor Mark Sandbo, who now reportedly works for Mr. Kennedy’s real estate firm. These need further explanation. It is incumbent on the EDA and the city attorney to look into this issue thoroughly. This would be in the best interest of the community and the individuals involved. I ask that both investigate this matter so it can either be laid to rest or properly dealt with.

It is troubling that also no sound economic argument has been presented in support of building this facility. The U. S. Border Patrol representatives said they average one to two detentions per month in this sector with no indication that any are slipping through due to a lack of manpower or coverage. 50 agents + 34,000 square feet = dollars per year in the millions = 24 apprehensions a year? That is hardly cost effective, but then very little in government is – it isn’t meant to be.

This is good for the local economy, but bad for the federal taxpayer. It is, however, typical federal government spending.

The argument that it takes up spaces in the business park that could otherwise serve private sector business, does not fly. That same space could have been taken by a business that would simply use it to park vehicles and employ very few people and those at low wages. None of the speculative alternative businesses would be likely to have as much positive impact as this one facility.

We do need to see an RFP, but when you weigh the pluses and the minuses we have so far, whether you are progressive or conservative, an environmentalist or a motor head, a peace worker or a war monger, a Bush lover, or, like me, a Bush basher, this facility should be welcome in Grand Marais and the entire community should work hard to see that it is built here and built in the most logical place we have for it, Cedar Grove Business Park. We should not waste the community’s energy arguing about it and Matt Geretschlaeger should be congratulated by all sides of the political spectrum for the fine job he has done on this project in the face of very difficult circumstances.

John Haluska