By MaryHelen Swanson

Chisago County folks might soon be asking "what's happening" when they see growth statistics that appear a bit alarming. They've been hearing that Chisago County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state.

At the county board meeting last week, county planner Patrick Hollister gave a grim presentation about the face of the county today.

To date in 2007, there have been only 17 new home building permits. Within the last 10 years, it was about 1999 when the new single family home numbers peaked.

And maps of the townships, as he presented to the commissioners, show significant yellow areas, those being the undeveloped but platted lots in the cities and townships.

Possible reasons for the slowed growth?

Graphs show that residents of Wyoming and Lindstrom pay higher taxes on a $200,000 home than those in Blaine and Forest Lake.

And it is the same for commercial/industrial property of $1 million value.

Hollister also pointed out that the 2006 percent of commercial/industrial property tax base in Chisago County was 6.43 percent while the state was at 12.32 percent.

Other recent statistics indicate that the mortgage foreclosure rate in Chisago County is at 3 percent, near the top in the state.

With yet other data showing the projections of a significant aging population, the county faces slower growth and aging issues as the commissioners prepare a budget for 2008.

So far in the budget process, an increase in the levy is eminent.

County Administrator John Moosey told the commissioners last week that the county needs a 14 percent increase to do exactly what it is doing in 2007.

He is asking the departments to take a 3 percent reduction in their budgets to arrive at a 7 percent levy increase for next year.

Six percent of that increase is to cover the debt of bonds sold for road improvement projects.

But as of last week, the commissioners were in no agreement about the levy increase figure.

The commissioners will be meeting Aug. 1,2 and 3 to hear budget presentations. Moosey asked the commissioners not to reward departments who won't cooperate with the requested cuts.

Those budget meetings will include presentations from other agencies that receive funding from the county.

One, the Youth Service Bureau, had representatives at the board meeting last week asking for an increase in allocation from the county next year.

Noting the 31 years of service to the Chisago and north Washington county region, they asked for $33,600 to use as match for a state of Minnesota grant for youth intervention. The 2007 allocation was $10,000.

The YSB is strongly supported by Sheriff Todd Rivard because he said it helps keep kids out of the courts and gets the parents involved.

YSB director Jeanne Walz, said she knows the restorative justice services provided by YSB work, they make it safer for the community, she said, and help kids learn the values of respect.

The YSB request will be on the budget agenda in early August.

The budget meetings are open to the public.

In other business at the board meeting, the commissioners:

• Established a per diem rate for volunteer chaplains at $50 a call plus mileage. The chaplains serve in an official capacity under the county sheriff's jurisdiction.

• Approved acceptance of a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture for July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008. The activities involved include evaluating waste management procedures and providing classroom education for county school districts, and conducting teacher in-services as requested.

To apply the grant, solid waste officer Gary Noren will take a leave of absence for a year to coordinate the USDA grant on behalf of the county. An interim solid waste administrator will be hired for that year, beginning with internal posting of the position.

• Approved a JOBZ land transfer within the city of North Branch to allow for Topline Automotive, LLC to develop a 3.29 acre parcel in the ESSBY Business Park in NB.