Joe Drennan
Staff Writer

March 14 Columbus Township voters will go to the polls and vote for who they think should lead them through the pending annexation/incorporation proceedings, as well as all the other issues facing the township.

This yearís election has two seats open, seats D and E. Running for seat D is Renae Fry and Margaret Hughes, and running for seat E is incumbent Mark Walsh and Jim Marshall.

Seat D

Seat D is currently occupied by Supervisor John Wallner. Wallner has chosen not to run for re-election. Fry and Hughes are both running for seat D.

Renae Fry

Fry has lived in Columbus Township for over 15 years and has been an active community member the entire time. In a span of nine years she served on the planning commission, then the Town Board.

ìIím passionate about working for the community,î Fry said.

With an annexation fight pending, along with incorporation proceedings, Fry says the financial stability of the township is at stake in this election.

Fry believes her experience is an important asset in the election with the looming legal battle over annexation, joking that, ìIt was a standing joke when I was a Town Board member that how better to get an attorney for nothing than to elect one.î

When a petition circulated through the township to incorporate, Fry was one of the many to sign it. That petition put into motion the townshipís incorporation proceedings.

A big reason Fry wants to incorporate is to secure the townshipís borders and maintain a commercial district to offset property taxes.

Fry believes the citizens of Forest Lake need to be made aware of what their city council is undertaking and the impact it will have on them. She also wants to push for legislation to help protect urban townships like Columbus from annexation.

While Columbus works to save its commercial district, Fry wants to continue its development.

Part of the development of the commercial district is continuing the townshipís plan of providing sewer and water service to the area.

ìI am proud of the current zoning plan as it has a mix of uses from commercial retail, office use to industrial uses,î Fry said. ìWhile many people claim itís the Board who decides what comes in, itís actually up to the current property owners to deice who they sell their property to.î

Helping spur development in the freeway corridor is the townshipís implementation of sewer and water through the district.

ìWeíve thought out a strategy that is most fair, but youíll never find one that makes everyone happy.î

One of the controversial businesses to come to the freeway district while Fry was on the Board was the North Metro Harness Initiativeís harness track/24-7 card club.

ìThe part I find frustrating is the singlemindedness over the whole thing,î Fry said.

ìTake North Metroís name off of the paperwork, if anybody else said they wanted to spend millions in your community, install traffic signals, having a secure park and ride on their property, offering land for a future water tower and there is not a soul out there that would say no.î

With all that is going on in Columbus, Fry thinks her experience is too valuable to pass up.

ìI have the background and experience to do a good job for the community,î Fry said.

She already knows the ordinances, and Fry says she also has a familiarity with the township staff, as well as a familiarity with other projects such as a storm water and surface water management plan that has stalled since she left the board a year ago.

Margaret Hughes

Hughes is a 40 year resident of Columbus Township and now feels itís the right time to get involved in the township.

ìThere is so much controversy here in Columbus and I am really tired of it,î Hughes said. ìI want to get into it and see whatís going on.î

Hughes said she could sit on the side and complain like others, or get involved and do something about it.

In the past Hughes stayed away from getting involved because she was a registered nurse working full time and didnít feel sheíd be able to give such a position the sufficient attention it needs.

ìI kept up on everything that was going on though,î Hughes said.

Of all the issues facing Columbus, Hughes says the most troubling is the way people feel after theyíve been to a meeting.

ìResidents say they werenít treated decently when they went to the Town Hall and it shouldnít be that way,î Hughes. ìI feel you need to listen to people and give them a civil answer, not just cut them off.î

Hughes feels the Board also needs to talk to each other a little more instead of ìconstantly argue.î

The major issue in front of the Board right now is the annexation and incorporation hearings. Hughes is for incorporating and securing the borders, but feels the move should have happened sooner.

ìWhy this is allowed to go on in Minnesota I donít know,î Hughes said of incorporation. ìItís getting kind of hard on townships to give up their land to cities just because they want to take the tax money away.î

Many people have said Hughes is a member of the Columbus Concerned Citizens, but she adamantly denied that at the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce candidate forum, and said she is in no way affiliated with them.

Talk of the CCC and the Harness track/24-7 card club seem to go hand in hand and did so at the candidate forum where Hughes said, ìI have no objection to horses, but if we have to put up with it I want to keep the slot machines out and keep it a nice area.î

Hughes went on to add later in a phone interview that with the track already approved, sheís just worried about the surrounding infrastructure as itís already insufficient.

ìItís going to be just as bad as that Broadway bridge,î Hughes said of the TH-97/CR-23 bridge over I-35.

The development of the freeway district is something Hughes sees as necessary. She is supportive of the Economic Development Committees efforts in ìsellingî the area.

ìWe need to have good respectful business that have proven they will stay in that area that offer good jobs and pay more than minimum wage,î Hughes said.

Some people discredit Hughes as a legitimate candidate because she has not spent time on any township committees, but she feels her time as a nurse has prepared her plenty for the position of supervisors.

ìI was on a lot of committees with my job and I think people need to give me a chance to find out what kind of experience I do have,î Hughes said.

Seat E

Seat E is currently occupied by the incumbent, Supervisor Walsh. Walsh is running against Marshall.

Mark Walsh

Walsh is an 18 year resident in Columbus Township. Back in 1999 Walsh saw development was coming to the township and wanted to be part of the process and was appointed to the planning commission. Walsh spent three years on the planning commission, then was elected to his Board position where he is at now.

ìThose three years on the planning commission gave me the knowledge and taught me the infrastructure of how the township works right at the base level, and has helped me the past three years as a supervisor,î Walsh said.

While serving on the Board Walsh has served on sub committees such as the personnel committee, public works committee and park board.

Walsh feels the most pressing issue facing the township today is the annexation fight and push to incorporate, as well as the development of the freeway corridor.

ìWith everything thatís going on now with the annexation, incorporation and development that I have so much background in, I feel itís necessary that I stay on the Town Board,î Walsh said.

The development of the freeway district is something that has come under fire. Some question the plan the Board has for implementing sewer and water in that corridor and how businesses are coming to the township.

Walsh points out that the sewer and water project is something the township has been working on for several years, and now the construction phases of it are finally starting. He added that the biggest dispute is the way itís being paid for ó by assessment.

ìI find it difficult to go anywhere else in the township and ask them to pay for the sewer and water when theyíre not benefiting from it,î Walsh said.

The topic many in Columbus like to bring up is the proposed harness racing track/card room that has cleared all the hurdles at the township level and is now waiting for a decision from a judge on a lawsuit claiming the Minnesota Racing Commission acted inappropriately in issuing the track a license to race and offer a card room.

ìThere is misinformation out there that the track can still be stopped if new individuals are elected, but they canít,î Walsh said. ìDespite that some people still run on that premise.î

Although the track is a done deal at the township level, Walsh says he is very much against any future expansion to make it a casino.

ìA lot of people see the track and casino as one of a kind, but theyíre not,î Walsh said. ìAt the same time I am for the track, but not the casino.î

Walsh points out that the track will bring in at least $227,000 in taxes to the township every year, as well as provide funding for the senior center, a new aerial ladder for the fire department, and more police protection.

ìAs far as I am concerned itís a good deal for the entire township,î Walsh said.

Jim Marshall

A 34 year resident of Columbus, Marshall is getting into township politics because in the past he hasnít had the desire or motivation to get involved, but with the issues facing the township today he feels he canít sit on the side any longer.

Targeted as unqualified to serve on the Board, Marshall points out he has a masters degree in management and administration and has served on several committees through the years through work and other avenues, but none pertaining to the township.

ìI believe I am qualified to be on the Board even though I donít have the time like some others,î Marshall said.

Acknowledging it will take him some time to get up to speed on some issues Marshall said heíd have the town planner, engineer and attorney as valuable resources to answer questions as well as other Board members.

Marshall wants to restore the confidence in the Board because he is tired of hearing people tell him the Board doesnít listen to them.

ìIíve seen in the last few years that there have been some troubling issues and there are comments in the community that residents donít feel the Board is listening to them,î Marshall said.

ìIt isnít the easiest thing to run for election, but for me itís the right thing to do if I am concerned. As least I can step up and try to make the Board more welcoming.î

Marshall has been tagged a CCC candidate. He says that he is probably affiliated with them because he was one of 719 people that signed a petition against the harness track.

ìI agree with their statements on that (the track),î Marshall said. ìThatís it.î

ìAs far as I know, I am not on any membership roll, but I did support the opposition of the track.î

In regards to the issue of incorporation, Marshall stated that itís hard to dispute that the residents of the township want to incorporate and secure the townshipís borders.

ìAfter incorporation we can secure our borders, itís something the residents wanted to do as soon as 1999 but the Board chose not to,î Marshall said. ìBecause we waited we may now lose the utilities that we have installed.î

One thing that Marshall is concerned about is signage of his opposition for the election. He says that he feels the signs are giving residents the feeling that the March 14 election will give the residents the opportunity to vote for or against the annexation.

ìThe annexation issue is a resolution from the Forest Lake City Council,î Marshall said.

The development of the freeway corridor is something many residents are following because it could have a dramatic affect on how much they pay in property taxes every year.

A good plan to encourage business to move to Columbus is something Marshall thinks the Board needs to adopt.

ìWe need to showcase the district and invite business to work with us,î Marshall said.

Marshall says a good commercial district needs the utilities (sewer and water). Heís just not sure the township is going about funding the project the right way.

ìI believe the project should be assessed when a property owner benefits from the project, not an up front connection charge,î Marshall said.

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