Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter

A city council decision Thursday, May 26 authorized the city of Wyoming to spend an additional $25,000 as its share of legal fees related to development of plans for consolidation with Wyoming Township. The vote was 3-0.

CM Allen Juneau has not been attending meetings and CM Ted Phillips was unable to attend because of family responsibilities.

Action last week follows the special community public meeting on Thursday, May 19 where citizens of the city and township voted by straw ballot to proceed with funding for the consolidation study.

The Thursday special emergency meeting of council was scheduled specifically to deal with this issue.

Council members also passed a resolution to enter into an agreement with Rinke-Noonan, law firm completing the legal research.

According to Mayor Sheldon Anderson, Wyoming Township supervisors came to an agreement on Tuesday at their meeting, with Roger Elmore, town board chair, signing a similar document.

Before the vote at the special council meeting, CM Joe Zerwas asked if the city would be required to ìkick inî more money for the legal work. Anderson assured council that $60,000 should cover all the costs.

On April 19 the council authorized the city to spend up to $5000 toward the legal fees. Action last Thursday makes the total authorized expenditures for the cityís share of the legal work, $30,000.

The city and township are sharing equally the costs of the legal work to lay out the best way for the governing bodies to join.

CM Tom LaBarre emphasized that Rinke-Noonan, the legal firm doing the research, is seeking as much input as possible from both the city and the township.

The attorneys are to get the information into legal language so everyone is protected and there are no holes in the agreement, he said.

Anderson also commented last week that attorneys want ìas much input as possible,î as soon as possible, from both the city and township.

Council also passed a resolution approving Rinke-Noonan as the legal firm representing the cityís and townshipís interests jointly as the client.

The legal work is to determine the best way of proceeding with a merger, including responsibility for existing debt, tax districts, utilities services, and a multitude of other considerations.

Officials said the only way to determine if the two municipalities can negotiate the maze of challenges is for Rinke-Noonan to map a path that anticipates the direction the consolidated city wants to go.

Other business

In other business from the Tuesday, May 17 regular business session, the city council took the following routine actions:

ïPassed a resolution (05-17-05a) ratifying a bonding grant agreement between the state of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the city of Wyoming.

This is for a construction grant to build some of the infrastructure improvements for the Polaris project.

ïLearned from City Engineer Elfering the construction of the wastewater treatment plant is proceeding on schedule.

ïLearned from Police Chief Tony Pangal the department received a $1000 grant from the Minnesota Safe and Sober to assist with the saturation traffic enforcement for seat belts, May 23-June 5.

ïAs part the consent agenda, passed a resolution (05-17-05b) authorizing a wetland delineation study for land jointly owned by Wyoming and Chisago County at 27336 Forest Blvd. Costs are to be shared equally.

ïLearned fire districts in the Wyoming Township area are to be redrawn.

ïAs part the consent agenda, passed a resolution (05-17-05c) authorizing the appraisal of the Lakes Gas/Howard Sergeant property.

ïAs part the consent agenda, passed a resolution (05-17-05d) confirming Mike Jensen as a volunteer firefighter.

ïApproved payment of volunteer firemen twice a year, instead of the end of the year.

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Forest Lake Times
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880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
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