Jessica Foster
Staff WriterFor 3¸ hours Thursday night, candidates vying for the city council and Forest Lake mayor's seat came to the Forest Lake City Council Chambers for a bit of organized campaigning.
The candidate's forum was sponsored by the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Alan Bakke was moderator of the event. Laurie Drolson was the timer.
The forum was split between the candidates running for city council 6-8 p.m. and those running for mayor 8:15-9:30 p.m.
Candidates
There are nine candidates on the ballot for city council. Candidates Tom Anderson, Judy Bull, Jerome Balsimo, Bo Bogotty, Eric Langness, Gregory Ochs, Ron Schaeffer and Dick Tschida debated the issues for city council.
Michelle Hagert, who filed and whose name will appear on the ballot Tuesday, Nov. 2 is no longer campaigning. The candidate recently gave birth to a daughter and said she regrets she is no longer able to campaign.
For mayor Bruce Anderson, Ron Hammer, Lloyd Nelson, John (Tom) Lynch and Terry Smith debated the issues.
Candidates answered questions prepared by the Chamber and those submitted by the standing-room-only audience as time permitted. Candidates also gave opening statements and closing statements.
Community center
The possibility of a community center being built near the Forest Lake Airport was a strong issue of debate. While all candidates proclaimed their support for the center, many questioned the fiscal feasibility of the plan.
Lynch said he wholeheartedly supported the center.
"We need to have a community center for our youth and adults in the community," he said. "If we continue to look at just the money and skip the benefits we will never get there," he said. "We need to continue with the plans we already have in place."
Ochs said there is a lack of understanding on the issue in the community.
Langness said the community center should move forward at a slower pace and in a fiscally responsible manner.
"It is far too big to spend $22 million on. It needs to be scaled down," he said.
Bogotty said the city should begin "creative financing" to fund the center. He also suggested starting out slowly with items that would generate income. "If there is a bond, the taxpayers need to vote on it," he added.
Tschida said he doesn't support the financing as explained, saying it was important the residents know all of the facts. Since the land was gifted to the city, he said residents should consider the value of the land when calculating cost. With the land and other costs, Tschida said it wasn't a $44 million endeavor, rather $22 million.
"To me, this is not the right approach," he said. Tschida also said he supported partnering with neighboring communities to make the community center affordable.
Schaeffer, who said he recently traveled to a similar facility in the metro area, gave his support to the center and stressed its need.
With the planned construction of a Washington County library, government center, license bureau and transit center on the site, Bull said a community center was a perfect fit.
Balsimo, while he said he is a proponent of recreation, said fields should go in now—but a building should wait. He also commented on the price and the plan as proposed.
"I have a tough time with 10 football/soccer fields when 15 minutes down the road is Blaine's National Sports Center," he said. "You can't ask residents for $240 on a $250,000 house."
Bruce Anderson said he supported the community center, stressing the importance of kids having a place to go.
Hammer said he was not in favor of a big facility.
"It would just end up being a big tax burden," he said.
Nelson said the community center has been needed for years and years, but wondered about the bottom line.
"Can we afford something of that magnitude," he asked. "At this time, spending $240 or $400 per year just for that facility?"
Nelson added the best way to build the center would be to work in stages.
Smith said a full scale facility at this point was "premature."
Traffic
Candidates agreed there are traffic problems in the city.
"To get through town is a nightmare," Tom Anderson said. "We have too many people and too little roads."
Bogotty suggested a solution might be to get involved with the state and lobby for improvements.
Langness agreed the city should talk to the state. He said the city has not done enough in that effort.
"They haven't gone to enough MnDOT meetings," he said. "We need people on the council willing to go to those meetings."
Saying Forest Lake is the largest community around that is growing the fastest, Nelson said the city deserves more attention than it has had before.
"The squeaky wheel gets more oil," Nelson said.
Speaking of a plan to construct a concrete divider on Broadway, Tschida said it would alienate business and slow traffic.
"It is time we take a proactive position with MnDOT and the county on dealing with traffic," he said.
Solving traffic problems, Bull said, is not a simple issue.
"We've been working on TH-97 for four or five years. It's not a city road. We agree, it needs to be widened," she said.
Speaking of Broadway, Bull added the county has control—not the city.
"We do need more management of turn lanes. There are 30,000 cars a day on West Broadway. There is a need for a new bridge. It is unfortunately going to take time," Bull said.
Balsimo suggested a way to handle the problem is to work with state representatives so they are aware of what is needed.
Ochs said the city should seek out experts in solving the problem.
"We need to bring in a consultant that can start expediting the process. There are ways. It isn't going to happen overnight," he said.
Bruce Anderson, who works 10 days a month as a paramedic said he is willing to dedicate his off days to pestering folks at the capital for improvements.
"I will have time Monday through Friday to get things done," he said.
Smith, who said he is a longtime advocate for safer streets, said things need to move faster.
"We need to have a vision," he said. "I don't like how slow things move and I don't like people getting hurt."
Lynch said federal dollars are on the way for Broadway, but that is just the beginning. A study on TH-97/US-61 has been in the works for two years.
"What it takes to get them to move I do not know," Lynch said, adding another exit off I-35 on 11th Ave. SW would be a benefit.
Other issues
Other issues discussed at the forum include customer service, critical issues, what committees candidates are interested in, vision of the city in five years, development of the industrial park, bringing businesses to Forest Lake, helping downtown grow, protecting the lake and getting input from residents.
Forums
Lakes Area Business Association also is hosting candidate forums for Forest Lake city offices.
A forum for the mayoral seat is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14 (tonight) at VFW Post 4210. A forum for city council candidates is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, also at the VFW.
The LABA forums and the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce forum, will be aired on LATV Channel 10.
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