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Considered legal and final
By Anne Thom
Stacy, Wyoming and Wyoming Township have settled their annexation contest. The annexation matter has dragged on for nearly a year.
Administrative Law Judge Steve Mihalchick presided over one final public hearing on June 30 at Wyoming City Hall. The purpose was to allow anyone who had a comment the opportunity to speak. The judge had received no written comments. The hearing was recorded by the judge without the benefit of his court reporter. Wyoming City Administrator Craig Mattson and Wyoming Town Board Supervisor Roger Elmore quietly watched. Only City Councilor Mel Aslakson attended from Stacy. The parties didn’t speak, the judge did the talking.
“This is a hearing that appeared to be necessary, on the proposed stipulation between the city of Stacy and Wyoming Township,” Judge Mihalchick said. Citizens and public officials may have felt however that there is nothing left to say. This public hearing that could have been held at a drive-thru venue. Mihalchick had taken a great deal of testimony already at a public hearing on March 26. Mihalchick was either puzzled or relieved at the sparse turnout.
“Everyone has been notified” Mihalchick said, including state and local representatives, cities, towns and residents.
Mihalchick acknowledged after the hearing that it had been difficult to determine who to notify as the majority of the land involved in the Stacy-Wyoming settlement appears to be within Carlos Avery Wildlife Refuge.
Stacy will receive what are identified on an area map as Wyoming Township Sections 5 and 6 abutting Lent and Linwood Townships. Judge Mihalchick said he would now be ready to issue his order in the matter of the City of Stacy vs. Wyoming and Wyoming Township. He inquired of attorney for Stacy Shelley Ryan whether the parties would prefer a single order or multiple, specific orders containing the rulings and dispositions on the matters before the court pertaining to all municipalities. Attorney Ryan requested she have time to speak to her client before she responded.
With that, the judge adjourned the hearing. “I guess we made it legal,” he said as he closed his laptop.
On to the council meeting
There was no salutation of “Happy Trails” uttered during the public comment time. Stacy resident Cindy Brusse spoke to the council regarding horses in the city park. Mayor John Daher explained to Brusse the council had passed a resolution last year banning horses from the parks, but Councilors Wilson, Olivolo and Mel Aslakson rescinded the resolution. Aslakson stated he voted to rescind pending the council rewriting the ordinance to address “exceptions”. “That wasn’t my understanding,” Daher said.
Brusse explained she and her family have been using the park and playground equipment recently but left fearing for her grandchild’s health and safety as riders had come through at racetrack speeds and the danger of ruining one’s shoes from an encounter with horse manure became very real.
“Those people ride those horses at a gallop in that park. Is there something that can be done about that?” Brusse asked. She said she didn’t think cleaning up after pets should be the responsibility of city maintenance staff.
Councilor Barbara Avalos concurred. Avalos said she has had several residents complain to her about horses in the park and she asked her colleagues to address the safety concerns. Olivolo thought it over and said he would like to change his vote, adding that the exception he would allow would be Stacy Daze.
City Attorney Peter Grundhoefer stopped any further discussion reminding the council the item was not on the agenda for consideration or citizen input and suggested the matter be deferred to July 22. The resolution to ban horses from Stacy city parks will be on the agenda of next council meeting.
Getting ready for Stacy Days
City Maintenance Supervisor Tom Archibald is getting ready for Stacy Daze Aug. 1-2. Archibald will have his crew out painting curbs and crosswalks. He also is coordinating public safety measure with Corporal Chris Henricks of the Chisago County Sheriff’s office. Archibald reported he has ordered a new crosswalk marker to replace the one stolen in April. He requested to speak to county road staff about the possibility of mounting the new marker to the pavement. “I would prefer to nail it down,” Archibald said, given the cost of the sign. Mayor Daher agreed that would be preferable “in case it grows legs again.” The stolen sign has not been recovered. The council will now have to spend $450 to replace it.
Wireless in town
The city is trying to come to an agreement with Nextera to provide broadband wireless service to the area. Nextera is proposing to position its equipment on the new water tower. While initially this is being done for the benefit of Polaris, the council agrees broadband capability would be a great benefit and a draw for other businesses thinking of relocating to Stacy. Grundhoefer and City Engineer Chuck Schwartz are reviewing the contract and the plans respectively, in the hopes of having an agreement this year.
In other business,
• The Stacy Economic Development Authority has its own, new web site stacymn.com. The EDA will be holding a Business Appreciation breakfast on Sept. 17 at 7:00am at the Doyle Field Building. For information, contact Stacy EDA President, Mayor Daher at 651-462-4486 or 651-214-9974.
• Residents interested in working with the city’s adopted military unit, the 101st Airborne serving in Afghanistan, can attend a meeting on Thurs., July 17 at City Hall at 7 p.m. City Account Clerk Lynda Schmidt, the city’s coordinator, hopes to have heard back from the unit’s commander by then in order to plan future events for fundraising and supplies that will be sent to the unit.
• District 17B Representative Jeremy Kalin and State Senator Rick Olseen delivered a session update. The elected representatives went over information they thought was relevant to deliver to local government, and what they considered the highlights of the 2008 legislative session which ended in May.
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