The Duluth City Council held it’s first meeting of the month on March 10.

Numerous items were on the consent agenda, including a five-year contract with Visit Duluth, the organization that oversees promotion of the city as a tourist destination. After a contentious discussion last year over handing a marketing contract to an out-of-state firm, Councilor Mike Mayou shared his thoughts on the importance of having a local agency involved.

“I think What is really important with this decision we made tonight is that we’re going to move forward with an organization that’s going to have boots on the ground And a local board that’s going to be operating to kind of help Oversee everything that’s going on.” Mayou said.

Other noteworthy items on the agenda included a contract award for further lead pipe replacement in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, totaling over $9 million dollars, and money to for the second phase of demolition for the former site of the Kozy Building.

Councilor Mayou also spoke on the local impact of recent Federal actions, mentioning that he had been in contact with the offices of Senators Klobuchar and Smith, and saying that they had told any Minnesotans who’d lost Federal jobs in recent mass firings to reach out to them for support. Cuts to Federal funds were also brought up by the Councilor.

“One local nonprofit actually That works in the housing sector is slated to lose about four hundred thousand dollars in their operating funds from that federal impact Which 360 thousand of which is passed through to local organizations that work in housing. So that impact does run and cut deep in our community as well.”

A recording of the full city council meeting can be found on the city of Duluth’s website.