Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter

Wyoming will continue to monitor its own wetlands, under the Wetland Conservation Act.

Wyoming City Council on Tuesday, April 3 adopted a fee schedule for the city, as the local government unit to administer the wetlands contained within its boundaries.

For most townships and cities in Chisago County, the county serves as the LGU.

City Engineer Mark Erichson told the council that the fees as set in the plan will cover the costs to administer the Wetland Conservation Act for the city. Based on the schedule the city will recoup all costs.

This allows the city more flexibility, but it must still participate in the wetland technical panels, the engineer said. The fees are comparable to other agencies charges, according to City Administrator Craig Mattson.

Mayor Sheldon Anderson said Wyoming is one of the few cities in Chisago County which has elected to monitor its own wetlands.

When the Wyoming Township merger question has been settled, any land that becomes a part of the city of Wyoming will also fall under the same jurisdiction for this aspect of government, officials said.

The vote was 4-0 to approve the plan. Council member Joe Zerwas did not attend the April 3 meeting.

Business plan

A public hearing was scheduled for the May 1 council meeting to hear a proposal by Central Minnesota Diagnostics to purchase an MRI machine.

Mattson explained that non-profit Central Minnesota Diagnostics has plans to purchase the machine and locate it at Fairview Lakes Medical Center. This is a tax exempt organization and must hold a hearing both in Milaca, where the company is based, and Wyoming.

The city is not financially at risk, but must authorize the company to place the MRI machine at the hospital, Mattson said.

The vote was 4-0 to schedule the hearing.

Council updates

Mayor Anderson told the council last week that the district court appeal to be argued by Rinke-Noonan will be heard before the Minnesota Court of Appeals at 9 a.m., May 24th.

This is not the state Office of Administrative Hearings, but an appeal of the decision made by Ramsey County District Court Judge Michael DeCourcy.

DeCourcy denied a request to order the OAH to make a decision on the Wyoming and Wyoming Township petition for joint merger.

In his written report, Erichson said WSB had advertised for bids to decommission the city’s wastewater treatment ponds. Bids are to be opened on April 24.

WSB & Associates will prepare construction plans for CR-22 from US-61 to Goodview Ave. This is at the request of Chisago County. Information is available on Wyoming web page (www.wyomingmn.org.)

An informational meeting is to be scheduled in May.

Other business

In other business on April 3, the council:

•Heard a second reading of the ordinance regulating the number of animals allowed at one residence and the requirements for immunizations.

•Requested Mattson to check on the development agreement with Fairview Health Services to determine if all requirements for paving and construction of road shoulders have been met.

•Learned that a construction trailer being used as a conference room at C.U. Recovery in Wyoming is in violation of city ordinance and a tarp tunnel violates the uniform building code. The company has been notified of the violations.

•Learned that incomplete plans for building and drainage were submitted by Gene Hallberg for his rebuilding project. His plans will be considered again on April 17. Mattson recommended that engineers meet before the council meeting.

•Approved payment of the bills.

•Approved the minutes of the last regularly scheduled meeting.

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