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Wilmar Nordic Ski Club asks city to pursue joint‑powers agreement to preserve 60 acres for recreation
Summary
Forrest Peterson and the Wilmar Nordic Ski Club urged the Willmar City Council to pursue a joint‑powers agreement with the state to formalize public recreational use of roughly 60 acres long used for volunteer‑maintained ski trails; staff were directed to research the JPA structure.
Forrest Peterson, speaking for the Wilmar Nordic Ski Club, asked the Willmar City Council to pursue a joint‑powers agreement with the state to secure continued public recreational use of about 60 acres north of the golf course that the club has used for cross‑country skiing and year‑round trails.
Peterson described two decades of volunteer work to clear and groom trails, planting windbreaks through a city grant, and ongoing maintenance arrangements with local groups and the high school cross‑country ski team. “We would be strongly in support of any kind of a joint powers agreement,” Peterson said, and he told council members the club is a nonprofit in good standing and would continue to provide volunteer maintenance.
City Attorney Robert Scott outlined how the arrangement would likely be structured. He told the council the state property is managed by the Department of Human Services and noted the state appears receptive to continuing recreational use if a government partner is formalized. Scott said the typical approach would pair a joint powers agreement between the city and the state with a separate agreement assigning day‑to‑day trail maintenance to the ski club, effectively passing the city’s obligations through to the nonprofit.
Councilmembers asked practical questions about liability, insurance, who would perform maintenance, and what costs the city would assume. Councilmember Audrey said she wanted more clarity on legal responsibilities and insurance before committing. Peterson said the club has no employees but operates as a nonprofit corporation with a board and that members would continue volunteer work; he also noted opportunities for prairie restoration and grant funding for habitat work.
The council did not approve a JPA that night but directed staff to research the proposal and report back with a draft agreement. City Attorney Scott said staff would prepare both the proposed JPA and an agreement between the city and the ski club so the items could be considered together at a future meeting.
The next procedural step is staff research and drafting; the council gave direction to proceed rather than taking a final vote.
