Joe Drennan
Staff Writer

While the Columbus Township and Forest Lake governments battle over their border with incorporation and annexation hearings, Administrative Law Judge Beverly Jones Heydinger granted the townshipís request to allow the citizens of both communities to speak their minds.

On Tuesday evening, April 25, the Columbus Town Hall was full as citizens from Forest Lake and Columbus came out to speak their mind on the issues.

Many would have anticipated a fairly divided crowd, but of all the people to speak up, only two were opposed to Columbusís petition for incorporation, but one of them was also against Forest Lakeís petition for annexation.

Rod Pletan, a 29-year resident of Columbus, feels both the incorporation and annexation petitions should be denied.

A retired state maintenance engineer, Pletan explained that he feels a government of economy is whatís needed to get things done more efficiently. He even suggested combining Forest Lake, Columbus, Lino Lakes and East Bethel to make one community that operates smoother.

The only other person attending the meeting that was against incorporation was Columbus resident Deb Bleymeyer.

ìWe (Bleymeyer and her husband) feel the township is not leading us in the right direction,î Bleymeyer said.

ìIt seems the way things have been going lately have the town split apart. Since itís being split apart, maybe itís time to split the township up.î

Incorporation
supporters

Former Forest Lake Mayor Ray Daninger was just one of the many citizens to speak in favor of Columbusís incorporation.

Daninger commented that Columbus had approached the city several times for water, but each time was turned away and thatís why theyíre moving forward with their own water system, something Forest Lake has attacked in their annexation petition.

Rep. Ray Vandeveer, who represents Forest Lake and Columbus, took time out of listening to House Taxes Committee debates to attend the meeting and give his support to Columbus.

Vandeveer applauded Columbusís cooperation with other surrounding communities in Anoka County for transportation planning, and encouraged Forest Lake to do the same thing.

Two long-time residents of the area have seen all sorts of changes and had their own thoughts.

Forest Lake resident Henry Houle, a former city council member, showed up to talk. Before the meeting his nieces handed him a letter from his sister, Leona Preiner, and said sheíd like him to read it at the meeting.

In the letter Preiner, talked of living in the freeway district since 1940, before I-35 was there, when she had to go outside to use the bathroom and there was limited electricity in the area. Over time all that has changed and Preiner was the first private resident to hook up to the township sewer system.

ìIn my mind this is progress, moving from trips to the outhouse to indoor plumbing with the sewer system,î Preiner said in her letter.

After reading his sisterís letter, Houle had some comments of his own.

ìMy mayor sees the property (on the east side of I-35 in Columbus) as a cash cow, I find this very interesting,î Houle said.

ìComing from the mayor, this brings to mind an old saying, thou shall not covet thy neighbors goods. Do you remember where that comes from?

ìIf your neighbor is fortunate enough to have a cash cow, go over there and congratulate them, donít take it away.î

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