By Aaron Vehling

A plan to join together Harris and North Branchís wastewater pipes may be in jeopardy.

At the Harris City Councilís regular meeting Monday night, Mayor Rick Smisson and City Engineer Chuck Schwartz discussed abandoning plans to connect with North Branch in favor of a treatment plant in Harris.

During Schwartzís reports to the council, he said he was waiting for consultants in North Branch to pull some numbers together.

Smisson said he was concerned that at the pace things were moving, there would not be any action for many years.

ìWe need to begin pursuing Plan B,î he said in a reference to the construction of a wastewater plant just for Harris. ìThis would open up other doors for us.î

Smisson said Harris was ìnot a bunch of beggars.î

ìI donít want to give away any autonomy we donít have to give away,î he said.

Schwartz told the council that if it wishes to travel down that road, they need to pick up the pace.

ìWe really need to tie that down in the next couple months in order to get things into construction in 2006,î he said. ìWe need to pinpoint a piece of property in the next couple of months.î

Smisson asked Schwartz if it is possible to push North Branch to speed things up.

ìYou can push them,î Schwartz said, ìbut also pursue Plan B.î

There was no vote on the subject Monday night, but both avenues will be pursued.

Also at the meeting, Councilmember Dan Walton expressed some concerns about the conduct of Harris city government.

First, he was concerned with the amount of money the city has paid City Attorney Peter Grundhoefer. Walton said the reason they got rid of the last city attorney was because he was getting expensive - to the tune of about $15,000 a year.

ìWeíve had the new guy for two months and weíve already spent $9,000,î he said.

The exchange became heated when Walton accused Smisson of lying about making phone calls to Grundhoefer. Smisson rebutted.

ìAlmost all of the $9,000 comes from him preparing documents that the last guy should have done over the last four years,î he said. ìHe is doing both old and new business.î

Former city attorney Kevin Shoeberg, who resigned in January, responded to Smisson's comments. He said in a phone interview with the Post Review that he was city attorney for Harris for only the past two years - not four.

"I was instructed by the council to keep my fees within the budget," he said. "I offered to assist with transition information, but the council declined. I did the job I was told to do."

Another concern Walton had was with the mayorís use of his home computer for city budget use.

He asked the mayor: ìAre you bringing city budget stuff home and putting it on your home PC?î

Smisson said he was building a database on his home computer for the city to use in the office. Walton said this was illegal, based on information he gathered from the League of Minnesota Cities. Smisson tried to clear up the situation.

ìI keep the documents here (in the office),î he said. ìI donít bring them home.î

Walton said he just wanted to make sure things were done legally.

ìPeople went to jail over this in the past,î he said referring to the money laundering scandal of 2000.

Also at the meeting:
ï Dan Gervais, an 11-year resident of Harris, was appointed to the planning commission.

ìHe seems like someone who could add some value here,î Smisson said of Gervais. ìIím not looking for people with a personal agenda, but for people who really want to see the community fixed up.î

Gervais said he believes the city has been in decline for the last six or seven years. He has seen drug dealers and drug users, he said.

ìI see 50-60 mile per hour traffic on my road,î he added. ìIíd like to bring in some tax revenue to help us with getting problems solved around here.î

Councilmember Wayne Buisman asked Gervais how long he intends to live in Harris.

ìI would like to stay in the community if it gets better,î Gervais answered. ìThis council feels better than in previous years.î

ï Maintenance manager Mike Kriz reported that the city could save $7,000 by refraining from putting chloride down this year. Chloride holds moisture into the road, he said, which allows for a less dusty travel on gravel roads.

It is transported via rail and only one person in the area applies the material to the roads, Kriz said. Harris is on a waiting list after Sunrise, which has only applied the material on one-third of its roads.

ìItís a waste of money because it puts us as late as August,î he said.

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