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BIG ISLAND VETERAN'S CAMP <br />Tom Jacobs and myself attended the Big Island Board of Governor's <br />meeting on November 2nd at which time the Department of Veteran's <br />Affairs turned title for t:ie Veteran's Camp over to the Board of <br />Governors. Additionally at that meeting the architectural firm <br />Setter, Leach and Lindstrom, that had been hired by the Board of <br />Governors, presented their report which outlined a master plan <br />for development of the Camp to make it available for Veterans. <br />The estimated construction cost to bring the facility in line <br />with the master plan was approximately three million dollars. We <br />have requE,ted that a copy of the report be sent to us and we <br />will be reviewing that report for comments regarding the <br />necessary actions that the City of Orono will have to be involved <br />with, should such development go forward. Additionally it should <br />be noted that Marty Jessen of the Hennepin County Park Reserve <br />was in attendance and has indicated their willingness to <br />negotiate purchase of the property. It was interesting that the <br />appraisal presented to the Big Island Board of Governors by their <br />consultant valued the property at between two and three hundred <br />thousand dollars. The valuation placed on it by the Park Reserve <br />-,)istrict was closer to one million dollars. While there are a <br />handful of people that feel strongly that the Camp should be <br />preserved and improved, it is our present understanding that the <br />significant sup ^rt groups that make up the Big Island Board of <br />1,overnors do not have the desire necessary to carry through the <br />project (in the scale proposed. At the Board of Governor's <br />meeting in December they wi 1 1 be considering : -1d commenting on <br />the report together with determining the di: -tion they will <br />undertake in negotiating with the Park Reserve District, if that <br />is their desire. As a side note a group of the people that <br />regularly use the Camp have volunteered to go out and at present <br />have removed approximately 8 or 9 of the worst buildings out on <br />the site. <br />