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By MaryHelen Swanson
Many citizens came to the Lent Township meeting last Tuesday, Nov. 17.
Among them was David Milles, a former township supervisor, who presented a petition, with 132 signatures of electors of Lent Township, calling for a special town meeting, allowable by Minnesota statues.
Milles also presented documents in addition to the originally signed petition including:
•A statement explaining why a special town meeting is being called; the particular business to be transacted; and that the interests of the town require the meeting; as required to be filed with the Township Clerk under Minnesota Statutes Section 365.52, subdivision 1
•A Public Notice of Special Town Meeting, to be published and posted by the township clerk as required under Minnesota Statutes Section 365.51, subdivision 2, and
•A suggested agenda for the special town meeting to be presented to the moderator selected by the electors of Lent Township present at that meeting.
As a result of that petition presentation, Lent Township has published the following legal notice:
“The Town received a petition of town electors calling for a special town meeting. Notice is hereby given that the requested special town meeting will be held at the Lent Town Hall, located at 33155 Hemingway Avenue, Stacy, Minnesota, on Monday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. The purposes for the special town meeting as stated in the petition are:
1. To openly and publicly review and discuss the final draft of a Development Agreement by and among the town of Lent and Sunrise River Energy, LLC prior to any official vote of the Lent Township Board of Supervisors to approve and/or sign the Development Agreement; and
2. To present and vote on a resolution requiring a public referendum on the question of approval or disapproval of any Development Agreement by and among the Town of Lent and Sunrise River Energy, LLC prior to any official action or vote of the Lent Township Board of Supervisors to approve and/or sign the Development Agreement; and
3. To present and vote on a resolution requiring the Lent Township Board of Supervisors to comply with the results of that referendum when taking any action or vote to approve and/or sign a Development Agreement.
All interested parties are encouraged to attend, but only Lent Township residents who are qualified to vote at a general election may vote at this special town meeting.
It is also noted on the township Web site that the Lent Town Board will hold a special board meeting on Wednesday Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. to meet jointly with the Lent Township Planning Commission to discuss the power plant matter and related development agreement.
Time is running out, but the Lent Town Board is also seeking public input on the proposed power plant Developer’s Agreement and Site Plan. But you must mail or e-mail your ideas for this proposed development to the town clerk by 4 p.m. today, Nov. 25.
The town board intends to vote on that development agreement Dec. 15.
At the township meeting last week, supervisor Lyle Johnson said he had spoken with Chisago County Commissioner Ben Montzka and said Montzka told him he (Montzka) wanted to have the county board approve the developer’s agreement soon after Lent Township approves it.
Johnson suggested a joint meeting with the county commissioners.
During public comment at that meeting Tuesday, a gentleman put on an easel what he called a “farm boy chart.”
Divided down the middle, the man asked the Lent supervisors to make their decision known by marking either the power plant side or the people’s side.
“Either you’re for the plant or against the people that elected you, he challenged the supervisors.
Supervisor Mike Olson asked the man why he was against the plant.
The man said he had worked for 30 years not to live in the city. “We don’t want the power plant,” he said.
But M. Olson said Lent Township is going to have a plant one way or the other.
The man brusquely said there would be a clean slate the next election.
Another man told the supervisors they were in charge at this point.
Chairman Gene Olson told the man he’d have an opportunity to give his opinion at the Public Utilities Commission meeting.
And yet another man, with a differing opinion, spoke.
He said most people supporting the plant are traveling around the country looking for a job.
The meeting was adjourned although there appeared to be others who had wanted to speak that night.
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