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Votes at a glance: Cook County EDA approves staff contracts, audit firm, grant extension and parcel covenant removal
Summary
At its Jan. 21 meeting the Cook County EDA approved a slate of routine and project-specific resolutions including staff employment contracts for the golf course, professional services agreements, selection of an audit firm, a $25,000 grant deadline extension for Grand Marais Apartments, and removal of restrictive covenants on a remnant parcel.
The Cook County Economic Development Authority on Jan. 21 approved multiple motions and resolutions covering employment contracts, professional services, audit services, grant deadlines and property covenant changes.
Key outcomes at a glance:
- Resolutions 2025-1, 2025-2 and 2025-3: Approved employment agreements for named Superior National staff and two professional services contracts with Mike Larson (operations oversight and sale liaison). (See separate article on the Superior National sale.)
- Resolution 2025-4: Approved an engagement with Redpath and Company, LLC to conduct the EDA’s 2024 audit.
- Resolution 2025-5: Approved an extension of the Grand Marais Apartments (One Roof Community Housing) grant deadline. The grant in question was a $25,000 award from the EDA’s Business Development Fund; the grantee reported partial completion and requested more time to finish remaining work.
- Resolution 2025-6: Approved an exclusive brokerage agreement with SVN Northco for sale of Superior National Golf Course at Lutzen (6% commission; $200,000 minimum). (Also covered in the related article.)
- Resolution 2025-7: Approved removal of restrictive covenants on Parcel 2B (a remnant parcel adjacent to the 16-unit rental at Lutzen owned by One Roof Community Housing) so the property owner may sell the parcel without restriction.
- Financials and payments: The EDA accepted the EDA financials, January 2025 payments, and the December 2024 financials for the golf course; the meeting packet included cash position summaries and year-end budget-to-actual results.
- Administrative votes: The commission approved the 2025 meeting dates, the 2025 slate of officers (Peter Clissold, Howard Hedstrom as vice president, and Heidi for secretary/assistant treasurer), and 2025 committee assignments.
Vote patterns and process notes: Most motions were approved by voice vote with commissioners present recorded as voting “Aye” and no recorded nays on the motions discussed in the meeting transcript. The meeting recorded five commissioners present (Commissioners Clissold, Mills, Benson, Shackleton and Anderson) and one absent (Howard Hedstrom). Several items (for example the workforce housing loan agreement referenced later in the meeting) prompted staff direction to follow up and return with draft documents or clarifications at the February meeting.
Why it matters: The approvals move forward a mix of routine administrative actions (audit, meeting dates, committees) and project-specific steps that affect housing projects and the golf-course sale process. The extension of the Grand Marais grant and the removal of restrictive covenants on Parcel 2B are of particular interest to local housing providers and the HRA.
Taper: Commissioners asked staff to bring additional documentation in February for several items, including the golf-course listing agreement and proposed stipulations and a clearer summary of restrictions, marketing and rent-rate practices for the Grand Marais/One Roof housing project.
