Glen Strandberg
Staff Reporter

The beat goes on for Columbus Township and Forest Lake. One week after Administrative Law Judge Beverly Jones Heydinger said Forest Lake had a lack of thorough and thoughtful planning on how to develop the I-35 corridor in Columbus Township, Forest Lake fired back with a motion for rehearing.

On Thursday, July 13, Forest Lake submitted an affidavit to the state in support of the cityís motion for rehearing regarding the petition for incorporation of Columbus Township and petition for Forest Lake to annex portions of Columbus Township.

Members of Forest Lakeís city administration believe that a presentation by Larry Bohrer, the engineer for Columbus, has provided support to Forest Lakeís claim that the township ìis unable to meet the water demands and needs for fire suppression and commercial development in the I-35 corridor.î

This particular dispute can be traced to the regular meeting of the Columbus Township Board on June 14, 2006, as well as another board meeting on Wednesday, July 12. The digging and testing of two water wells were discussed by the town board with representatives of their engineering firm, TKDA.

At the time of the hearing, the first well was under construction and negotiations were underway to install a second well. But certain comments and findings from the board meetings have pushed Forest Lake into action.

Amend number 103 of the Affidavit reads in part:

ìThe first water well has a capacity of 400 gallons per minute, which is less than Columbus had hoped. The second water wellís location is not a good location for a commercial well and the test well on that location did not produce enough water to a be viable source of municipal water.î

Columbus, on the other hand, doesnít feel the findings about the water wellís are a major concern. While the deposition from Forest Lakeís City Administrator Chip Robinson states that Bohrer was disappointed with the tests, Bohrer also said during his presentation, ìBasically itís done and weíre satisfied with the results.î

The difference of opinion comes down to what each community thinks Columbus can ultimately offer.

Elizabeth Mursko, the Town Manager for Columbus said they werenít surprised by Bohrerís presentation, or the output of the water wells.

ìWe anticipated more, but we didnít get more,î she said. ìBut we were planning to drill two more wells - a bedrock well and another drift well - so we figured we could get the capacity out of these other two.î

Mursko pointed out that Bohrer had a back-up plan in place.

He has already asked for authorization to drill the two additional wells, presented the cost of the task, and the board told him to get a quote.

In Forest Lakeís motion they also state that ìThe Township has no funds in its water fund.î

Mursko explains that this disagreement might simply be a matter of timing.

ìWhen we went through trial we didnít have a water fund set up yet because the board didnít order the project yet.î

But now she says the project has been ordered and there is a balance of at least $200,000 in the Townshipís water fund.

The next step in this process is waiting for a decision, and that could come as early as Friday, July 21.

Top of Page

Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605