Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area ReporterCongressman Jim Oberstar met with Wyoming city officials Monday and made the official announcement. The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration has awarded the $1.5 million grant to help the city connect the industrial park to the regional wastewater treatment plant.
The grant means the city can do an early start on the project and meet the timeline requirements for Polaris. Polaris is to be located in the east-side industrial park.
In a press release anticipating his visit, Oberstar said ìWyoming and Chisago County officials have been just tenacious in pursuit of this project.î He discussed details of the grant and the Polaris project with City Administrator Jill Teetzel, Mayor Vern Haag, council members Sandy Standridge, Lynn Koalska, and John Moosey, Chisago County administrator.
The infrastructure grant is to extend the sewer line from the Polaris research and development facility to the new waste treatment center. Oberstar said the company is focused on ìleading edge research and next generation improvementsî in snowmobiles and ATVs.
Polaris officials had been seeking a site outside the Twin Cities that is accessible to material specialists and engineers by air travel. Oberstar said the location is a ìperfect fit for long-range plans.î The company plans to ìstick with what they know best,î snowmobiles and ATVs, he said.
He said ìPolaris is really excited about this developing into a world class research and development center.î
The way the grants fit into this is the ìwater and sewer are important to getting the factory in.î Connections to the wastewater treatment system are essential for Polaris .
The ìevaluation process in EDA is defendable and there is always a paper trail,î Oberstar said, adding that the connections of the east-side industrial park to the regional wastewater treatment plant is vital. The project stands on its own merits, he said.
Asked if he could see any downside or give-away for the city, Oberstar was overwhelmingly positive about what it means for Polaris to have selected the Wyoming site. He named a number of cities in the 8th District that ìwould give their right arm for Polaris.î
He likened economic development to a bidding process, but said Polaris is here to stay. It is a long-term initiative and the company will be working on improvements of the products it manufactures, he said.
The company has been approached by the Army to design an ATV that is more maneuverable and smaller than those the Army is using now, possibly for reconnaissance or couriers. Polaris has reduced the noise level of snowmobiles to two decibels below the U.S. Park service requirements and continues to make safer and quieter machines.
Secondly, the company will be hiring and bringing in high quality staff. An estimate of the salary range was $80,000 to $100,000 a year.
This will bring a ìwhole new dimension to Wyoming,î Oberstar said. This will help anchor the city and give it an identity, he said.
Council member Koalska said the fact that Polaris is coming in as a virtually debt-free corporation is making this possible.
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