DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) – Duluth City Council voted 7\u2013to-2 Monday night to keep two Lester Park Golf Course petitions off the November ballot, claiming state law would override a local vote like this.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a debate that\u2019s been building for years \u2014 and city leaders say it traces back to 2020, when Lester Park Golf Course closed and questions about its future took off.<\/p>\n
Monday\u2019s vote was the latest example of the controversy, but Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert says the bigger decision is still ahead, with the land-use study in the works.<\/p>\n
Reinert says it\u2019s been a long-running discussion, with priorities like green space, recreation, and possible housing on Lester Park Golf Course\u2014but last year\u2019s park-status vote intensified the backlash.<\/p>\n
Mayor Reinert said, \u201cso, all of that separate from the question the council was presented last night, which was, are these ballot questions actually legal questions that the council can put on the ballot?\u201d<\/p>\n
The mayor along with the majority of council, under guidance by the city attorney, believe the answer is no.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a pretty clear opinion that they\u2019re not legal questions because the zoning area related to land use is actually superseded by state law, and that fits with how we deal with zoning generally,\u201d said Mayor Reinert.<\/p>\n
Many residents opposed the vote\u2014especially petition signers seeking a public referendum.<\/p>\n
Michael Bernstein, director of \u2018Our Park Our Vote\u2019<\/a> said \u201ca certified petition goes to the voters unless it is manifestly invalid, so clearly unlawful there is nothing left for a court to decide.\u201d<\/p>\n But Mayor Reinert says it isn\u2019t that simple, \u201coften we are asked to make the right policy decision that\u2019s not necessarily the popular or political one.\u201d<\/p>\n Reinert called the Monday evening vote good governance but says backlash has been unfair\u2014reigniting tension over claims he influenced the legal opinion.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat concerns me about this sort of attacking people\u2019s integrity and ethics for a short-term political points, is long term harm to the organization,\u201d said Mayor Reinert.<\/p>\n In regard to the current lawsuit filed by Bernstein against the city, Reinert says it\u2019s time to seek a quick district court ruling.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe there would be a positive ruling. But that needs to happen since it is an election related question,\u201d said Mayor Reinert.<\/p>\n He urges people to stay engaged, saying despite online rumors, no developer deals have been made, and the land-use study is still underway.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really easy to say no, it is much harder to say, maybe no, but, or yes, which are some of the more challenging things we have to do as city leaders,\u201d said Mayor Reinert.<\/p>\n The land use study recommendations will be made public at an open house on Thursday. <\/p>\n However, there is plenty of information on the study already available to the public. That information can be found on the Lester Park Golf Course Land Use study website.<\/a><\/p>\n