Day On The Hill | Community of Minnesota Resorts

CMR Members Clint Mueller (far right) and Mike Schwieters (left) testifying on behalf of the CMR in St Paul. Rep. Josh Heintzeman (middle).

Make An Impression

The CMR has made lasting impressions on our Minnesota State legislators in the last two decades. Displayed in their St Paul offices, you will see CMR give-aways. For example, when you visit their offices, you may see CMR logo hats, sunglasses, bobber coolers, "Preserve-A-Resort" mason jars, fishing lures, and other gimmicks over the years as token reminders of how vital resorts are in Minnesota's tourism industry. They look for us every year due to the creativity of our legislative teams throughout the history of the CMR.

Our lobbyist, Joel Carlson, has diligently represented us since 1997, and we feel most appreciative of his wisdom and mentorship through lawmaking waters.

What Resorters Have To Say

Bonnie & Jeff Brand – Pinecone Resort

"I am so grateful for the CMR, our presence at the Capitol, and Joel Carlson as our lobbyist.

Our resort is located on Big Sand Lake in Park Rapids. There is only one public access, which means our own guests continually use it. The DNR had made plans to renovate this sole public access, which forecast a closing of the access for 6-8 weeks in the middle of the summer. Our resort’s lakeshore does not have the capability to have a boat launch for pontoons or large boats. The closure of this public access would greatly affect our guests and our business. Once we heard about these plans, we talked with DNR about the impact on our business. No changes were indicated. Then we asked for help from our senators and representatives, which helped to get a constructive conversation going with the DNR. The final push came from our very own CMR lobbyist, Joel Carlson, who I contacted and asked for help. He connected with Bob Meier, who is the MN DNR Assistant Commissioner. Through these contacts, our voice was heard. The DNR has announced that they will do the project in different phases – keeping the access open in the summer – and only closing the ramp for short periods of time in the late fall and early spring 2022. We are so happy that the DNR came to a creative solution that is good for businesses and lake residents alike!

I have had the opportunity to go to the annual CMR event Day on the Hill. Our presence does make an impact. Little did I know then that our business would greatly benefit from these contacts. We encourage your participation in CMR Day on the Hill, you never know when you might need a helping hand!"

Kim Bowen – Crow Wing Crest Lodge

“I became a member of the CMR for the educational aspects, really. Legislative issues were NOT on my radar. However, I began to take notice when we started getting a homestead tax credit on our property taxes. (Prior to 2005, any resort designated as an L.L.C. was not eligible.) The CMR had chosen this as one of their key issues and got the bill passed. Yeah!

(bottom line for this particular year {2015}: our resort is saving about $7,000 directly due to this credit. Holy cow! Enough to pay for several years of membership to CMR, right?)

I sincerely appreciate all the efforts the CMR has made on my resort’s behalf, and highly recommend ANY resort to join our organization, if only to support legislative efforts.”

Jamie Keller – Brookside Resort

“Our business is a seasonal one (14 weeks). Because of this – every, single week of our season is important to make sure we can keep our business healthy and thriving!

Families who know they don’t have to get back to school and routines until after Labor Day love to end their summer with some family time at the lake. Also, we lose many families each summer to the pull of school/activity schedules cutting into the summer months.

Post-Labor Day school start dates are imperative in helping us fill the last weeks of August (almost 1/7th of our entire season).“