Duluth rec. area board expansion

The Spirit Mountain Recreation Area Authority operates a Duluth ski area that plans to expand to offer four-season activities and draw more tourism, according to Rep. Roger Reinert (DFL-Duluth).

He said the state authority’s board of directors has been working hard to make that happen, and would like to increase from a seven-member board to nine members. Adding two more volunteer members who do not receive any per diem would cost the state nothing, but would help the board carry out its strategic expansion plan, Reinert said.

He sponsors HF2786 that would make the necessary legislative change to expand the board. The House passed the bill 119-10 March 23. It now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL-Duluth) is the sponsor.

An amendment unsuccessfully offered by Rep. Mark Buesgens (R-Jordan) would have abolished the authority, and required the sale of the recreation area to private ownership. He said that while the area “does good things for Duluth” and visitors, all levels of government should re-examine priorities.

“What should government be all about? What should we leave the private sector to do?” he asked, urging members to “stand as a single body and say we are doing things differently” by focusing “on the main thing. That is solving the state’s budget problems and fundamentally reforming government and its relationship to the people.”