The Steele County Park Board discussed applying for a state Destination Development grant and reviewed ongoing operational problems at the Lake Store restaurant during its Aug. 5 meeting. Board members said the grant application is due Sept. 1 and could be used for a common area addition and to finish an activities pad; the board also reviewed repeated freezer failures and nuisance alarm problems at the restaurant.
The board said the Destination Development grant comes through the state Department of Commerce and could be used to support the recreational and tourism aspects of the Lake Store project. A board member said the application is a "long shot" but worth pursuing if the board can clearly describe an expanded common area rather than simply a bar addition.
Members described use cases for a separate common area — for example, a recent "ladies night out" where the restaurant was full but visitors were reluctant to enter the dining room — and said finishing the activities pad would better position the site for recreation-focused grants. The grant deadline is Sept. 1, and board members said they will work through August to define project scope, estimates and what to include in an application.
Separately, restaurant staff reported what they described as repeated failures of a two-year-old freezer system. According to meeting remarks, the freezer suffered three failures in the year; a failed thermostat prevented alarms from sounding during the most recent event, and a large load of food thawed and spoiled after the system stopped. Board members described prior component replacements — fans and compressor — and said the unit now operates much like a new system but that the alarm behavior and thermostat issue must be fixed. One board member said the restaurant may seek a monitoring program similar to what Public Health uses for vaccine freezers.
Board members also discussed seasonal hours and septic and winterization concerns for the restaurant. The restaurant expects to begin fall hours the weekend after Labor Day; winter operation was described as uncertain and dependent on patron demand and efforts to mitigate septic freezing.
No formal vote was taken on a grant application at the Aug. 5 meeting. Board members agreed to continue drafting possible project scopes and cost estimates this month so staff can determine what to include in a possible Destination Development application.
Park board members asked staff to investigate remote alarm/monitoring solutions used by Public Health and to bring cost and options back to the board for follow up. The board also noted a need to replace the deck and consider sound-deadening options for the new common area.
If the board decides to submit a grant application, the next steps identified at the meeting are to finalize a project list, gather cost estimates and prepare the application before the Sept. 1 deadline.