Commission reports Sourcewell award for pavilion, plans trailer purchase and site visits for master plan

Park and Recreation staff told the Crosslake Park, Recreation, and Library Commission on May 24 that Sourcewell awarded $30,000 in Community Benefits Funds toward a pavilion improvement project estimated at about $40,000, and that staff are seeking roughly $10,000 more to finish the scope.

Park and Recreation Director TJ Graumann proposed a Phase 2a site visit on Wednesday, June 17, to review hockey facilities in Nisswa and Brainerd; he said staff will coordinate times with site personnel and try to include someone with hockey expertise. Staff estimated room for about eight attendees.

Separately, staff announced plans to purchase a 12‑foot enclosed trailer to haul equipment for community programming such as Big Fun Tuesdays, Whoville and Family Fest, which staff said would let them take programs to more park sites across Crosslake. No formal commission vote was recorded on the trailer purchase during the meeting.

Other operational updates included newly installed No Parking signs along Robert Street to reduce access bottlenecks and ongoing monitoring of traffic conditions through the summer. Staff also reported prepping the cold storage building site and coordinating with Pequot Sand and Gravel to transplant about eight ten‑foot evergreen trees (paid for by PAL); the parking lot will receive new striping.

What’s next: staff will continue to pursue the approximately $10,000 needed to complete pavilion work, finalize logistics for the June 17 site visits, and, if needed, return to the commission with purchase or funding requests for equipment.