Cliff Buchan
News EditorIn some ways, the ongoing hostile annexation moves by Chisago City for land in Wyoming Township resemble a poker game.
And the next move lies with the residents of the township. Will township residents raise the ante and push for a legal fight or accept a compromise that may appease leaders in Chisago City?
That move will likely come on Monday, June 28 when the Wyoming Town Board will conduct an informational meeting for citizens to explain options tied to the annexation bid. The 7 p.m. meeting will be at Maranatha Church, 24799 Forest Blvd. (US-61).
The meeting will give residents a second chance to provide the town board with direction regarding the annexation moves. In March at the annual meeting, residents told the town board to fight Chisago City.
In the three months since the annual meeting, township officials have moved through a negotiations period that involved state mediator David Meyers. That process concluded last week with a second compromise agreement presented by Chisago City, said Wyoming Town Board Supervisor Roger Elmore who teamed with Supervisor Mike Parker as town representatives.
The most recent proposal from Chisago City involves the annexation of two distinct islands of the township that encompass US-8 and CR-23 and US-8 and CR-36.
The CR-23 move would send 481 acres to the city while the CR-36 annexation would take 724 acres for a total annexation of 1205 acres.
Under the proposal, Elmore said the 1205 acres would be allowed to move to Chisago City under owner-petitioned annexation requests and no housing would be part of the proposal for now. The orderly annexation would take place over 10 years.
The move is the latest by Chisago City and another step back from its initial proposal last November.
Late last year the Chisago City Council filed with the Minnesota Department of Administration for the annexation of 11,000 acres of the township. That move included most of the eastern half of the township and a strip of land along US-8 southwest to the border of Washington County.
On March 9 as part of the negotiations process, Elmore said, Chisago City dropped its annexation request to 5000 acres with an amended resolution to the state agency.
The latter request continued to include the strip of land along US-8 to Forest Lake.
Merger rejected
During its negotiations with the state mediator, Elmore said the township proposed a three-way merger involving the township, Chisago City and city of Wyoming as a compromise.
The proposal, Elmore said, was based on the Rockville-Pleasant Lake merger model in Minnesota.
Under the plan supported by the town board, a comprehensive merger study would be followed by public hearings in all three communities. Once approved by the governing bodies, the merger would go to a vote of the people in each jurisdiction for final approval.
In late May, however, Chisago City rejected the proposal saying it did not provide adequate protections for the city since it would not result in a sufficient long-term orderly annexation agreement in the event merger is unsuccessful.
A formal city opinion on the proposal also said the likelihood of success of the proposed merger plan is ìremote.î
Elmore said the process had yet to involve a formal presentation to the city of Wyoming. A successful merger of the three communities would create the largest geographic city in the state, Elmore said.
The options
When town citizens gather June 28, theyíll hear town officials explain the two options.
If town residents decide to move forward with a legal contest to oppose the annexation of the 5000 acres, Elmore says there will be additional legal bills and the prospect of an administrative law judge ruling for Chisago City in full or in part by approving some of the annexation request.
The potential loss of land contiguous to Chisago City is a reality of the annexation process, Elmore said
Citizen approval of the orderly annexation of the 1205 acres in the two island parcels would bring the current fight to a close and buy time, Elmore said. Once the ìland grabbingî action is halted, Elmore said constructive merger talks could be presented.
Frustration
Elmore, for one, says there is frustration over the prospects facing the township.
ìThis township might not be here in 10 years,î Elmore said.
Elmore says he is frustrated over Chisago Cityís land grab attempt because city leaders are mum as to their motives.
ìGive us a clue what you need the property for,î Elmore said. ìThey refuse to do so.î
If the citizens on June 28 move to continue the legal protest, the next step will be the naming of an administrative law judge. That could come sometime this summer followed by formal hearings before the judge.
Township residents have agreed in principle to support litigation costs that amount to $80 per household this year.
Elmore says the town board remains committed to seeking a solution that will not weaken the township.
ìWeíre trying to do whatís best for everybody in the long haul 10 to 20 years out,î Elmore said.
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