Jessica Foster
Staff WriterThe field of candidates for Forest Lake mayor and city council is growing. Filing closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7.
As of late Tuesday, three local men had filed for the two year term of Forest Lake mayor. Among them are Lloyd Nelson, Terry Smith and John (Tom) Lynch.
Lynch, who has served on the city council since 1993 and has lived in the city for more than 30 years, will be retiring from his day job next month. With that, Lynch said he would have enough time to do the job of mayor.
He said he would like to see projects such as Broadway redevelopment, TH-97 improvements, community center and EDA downtown work come to fruition.
ìI think I would bring a lot to it with my experience,î he said. ìWe need to move forward and make this a place where you want to live for years to come.î
Nelson, who served on the Forest Lake Town Board prior to annexation, said his primary reason for running is to help forge cohesiveness in the community.
ìWe became one community four years ago but Iím not necessarily sure weíve been one community,î Nelson said. ìLetís start working as one community. This is my hometown. Stop focusing on the past. Letís just move forward and quit looking back.î
Smith, who previously served on the Forest Lake City Council, was defeated in his bid for mayor in the last city election.
In a filing statement, Smith said his campaign will be ìa message of building a solid economic foundation and promoting a prosperious business environment across our community.î
Smith said the city has emerged as a regional economic center in northern Washington County.
ìOur city must also assume a leadership role beyond our borders, reach out to neighboring communities and work together in addressing the challenges that come with high pressure growth and development.î
Filing for two-four year city council seats are residents Tom Anderson, Jerome Balsimo, Bo Bogotty, Judy Bull, Eric Langness, Gregory Ochs and Ron Schaffer.
Bull is not new to the ballot. In the community since the early 1970s, she has served on city boards and commissions for the last 20 years and previously served on the Forest Lake City Council. As in incumbent, she was defeated in her bid for city council in 2002.
With Ray Daninger out of the running for mayor and Tom Lynch and Bruce Carlson not filing for city council, Bull said she was running in an attempt to keep the same positive activities going.
ìI would like to see the community recreation center become real, a North County Government Center, a transit station,î Bull, a member of the Human Rights Association and Economic Development Authority, said.
ìI believe I have a commitment to my community, this is the way I feel comfortable contributing,î Bull said. ìI think Forest Lake is a great place to live.î
Schaffer, a familiar face at city council meetings, has lived in the community for the better part of three decades.
Schaffer said he is running because the ìcommon person sometimes doesnít get much attention.î
A resident of the former township who fought against the annexation said it is time for all citizens to participate and be heard.
ìNobody cares what you say. You have no exchange of ideas,î he said. ìI think people should have more say in what goes on, be more involved.î
Ochs, a resident of the community for more than 30 years, served on the Forest Lake Township planning commission for a number of years and has been heavily involved in coaching youth sports. Professionally, he owns three businesses: Snow Larson Co. Inc., Oakcrest Building Products and Safety Rack, Inc.
He said growthóand responsible management of growth, is one of his key issues.
ìThere are a lot of things that are being done right, but there are a lot of things that need to be evaluated,î he said.
Ochs spoke of making the most of the aesthetics of Forest Lake, the importance of recreational opportunities for youth, lack of low income housing and making the most of growth potentials, such as the the US-61/US-8 corridor which he said is under utilized.
Bogotty, owner of Upperdeck and Players Beach Club, has long been a fixture in the community, and is a recent resident.
Touting ìbusiness sense and common sense,î Bogotty said he would be an asset to the city if elected.
Anderson, Balsimo and Langness are new to the Forest Lake political scene. If elected, they would be much younger than the faces that comprise the existing council.
Anderson said it was important younger citizens, of whom there are many in Forest Lake, have their views get heard. Owner of Vast Innovations, he is a member of the American Legion, Forest Lake VFW, a Cubmaster and a volunteer at Forest Lake Youth Service Bureau.
Langness, who has lived in the community for five years, works in radiology education at the High-Tech Institute in St. Louis Park. Langness said he was motivated to run for city council due to a ìcommitment to develop a partnership with neighbors, organizations and businesses within and around Forest Lake.î
Langness said he sees the next four years as a period of change. He said he wanted to be a part of developing the process and implementing the action.
Balsimo, who has lived in Forest Lake for about a year and a half, was introduced to the political process locally when addressing the manner residents are billed for water and sewer usage.
Balsimo wasnít satisfied with the result from the city council.
ìI didnít think the residents should be treated that way,î he said. ìIt wasnít a good voice for the residents and the council.î
Balsimo, who earned his college degree in political science and now manages training programs for St. Paul Building Trades, said there is a lot of potential for growth in the city.
That growth, he said, could result in well paying jobs enabling residents to not only live in Forest Lake, but work here, too.
ìWe should be able to live, work and play in the community,î he said.
Since Mayor Ray Daninger is campaigning for Washington County Commissioner, District 1, he is unable to file for the Forest Lake post. That seat is now filled by Dennis Hegberg. Daninger has been mayor of Forest Lake since 1995. Also running for Washington County Commissioner is Marc Hugunin.
Individuals elected in the Nov. 2 election will be sworn in at the first meeting of 2005.
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