Glen Strandberg
Staff Reporter

As discussion surrounding the harness racing track and card room finally came to a lull, Columbus Township still managed to remain in the news on Thursday, July 6, when an Administrative Law Judge approved the townshipís request to become a city, while at the same time rejecting Forest Lakeís attempt to annex a strip of land to the south of TH-97 and east of I-35.

ìWe thought we were right from the beginning,î Columbus Town Board Chairman Mel Mettler said. ìWe thought we had a good case; we thought we presented it well. You expect to win when thatís the situation.î

In her 40-page ruling, Judge Beverly Jones Heydinger noted that ìColumbus has done the planning and has the resources to complete development of utilities in the I-35 Corridor. Annexation of all or a portion of the 1-35 Corridor would undercut the systematic planning process that Columbus has undertaken.î

Heydinger simply stated that ìIncorporation is in the best interests of Columbus.î

Mettler agreed, pointing out that if the township did not incorporate they would have been vulnerable to other communities taking the townshipís land.

The disagreement between Forest Lake and Columbus Township began last summer. Forest Lake Mayor Terry Smith and other leaders in the community believed Forest Lake should have that portion of land that is east of I-35. They felt that section of commercial property would take Forest Lake all the way to the interstate and provide a natural boundary line to the west.

Things changed during legal hearings when Forest Lake ìargued for annexation of the entire I-35 Corridor,î in its post-hearing submissions.

Heydinger noted that Columbus has been planning for development of the I-35 Corridor for many years, while Forest Lake was merely reacting to a petition from a group of landowners.

ìAnnexation of the east side of the I-35 Corridor, or the entire I-35 Corridor, by Forest Lake is not in the best interest of the subject area and would create undue hardship on the remainder of Columbus,î Judge Heydinger wrote.

The decisions are subject to an appeal by the city of Forest Lake, but after Columbus has already spent more than $100,000 during this initial process, Mettler is hoping that Forest Lake accepts the ruling.

According to Smith, the next step for Forest Lake will be a discussion among the city council members and city attorneys to decide if the current ìstatus quoî is right for them.

The final page of Judge Heydingerís ruling encouraged Forest Lake and Columbus to work together in order to plan and implement required changes in the infrastructure.

ìBoth communities are urged to approach the future in a spirit of cooperation and with the best interests of the region in mind,î she said.

Barring an appeal, the next step for Columbus is to become a city. It will elect an interim mayor and four city council members in 45 to 60 days from the date of the July 6 ruling. They would serve out the year and another election would take place on November 7 for permanent replacements.

After serving as Town Board Chairman for nine years, Mettler said that he is considering a run for mayor.

ìI expect to make a decision soon on that when I learn a little bit more about the rules,î he said.

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Forest Lake Times
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Forest Lake, MN 55025
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