Fred Heinonen
Scandia Area Reporter

Scandia celebrated its transition from being New Scandia Township since 1893 to being the city of Scandia in 2007 and held its first city council meeting on Tuesday, Jan 2.

Mayor Dennis Seefeldt recognized the outgoing township board members and the new city council was sworn in.

Ending much appreciated service as township board supervisors were: Blair Joselyn 3-1?2 years (current term), Nancy Madden 6 years, and Mike Hintz with 8 years of service. Dennis Seefeldt with 10 years (9 as board chairman) and Mike Harnetty with 2-1?2 years have transferred to the new city council as mayor and council member.

They joined new council members; Dolores Peterson, Pete Crum and Donnette Yehle.

Ordinances OK'd

Ordinance 91 ñ Establishes organization and procedure rules for the city council, including order of agendas.

Ordinance 92 ñ Regulates the sale and use of tobacco products within the city of Scandia.

Ordinance 93 ñ Regulates the sale and use of liquor in Scandia.

Ordinance 94 ñ Sets the mayor and city council salaries below the average for comparable cities.

Resolutions OK'd

ïAppointed Mike Harnetty acting mayor (like vice chairman or deputy mayor).

ïDesignated official depositories for banking.

ïRatified surety and blanket bonds for insurance purposes.

ïSet license fees for sale of tobacco products.

Other actions

ïRescheduled the Jan. 9 city council and planning commission meeting to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan 23 because the public notice was not published in the required time frame. The next council meeting is 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 16.

ïSet April 9 and 17 dates for meetings of Board of Appeals and Equalization.

ïSelected the Forest Lake Times, with a circulation of 965 within Scandia, as official newspaper for Scandia. The Country Messenger was discontinued because of only 359 circulation in Scandia and no longer having an office in the county or adjacent county.

The Forest Lake Press with unknown circulation and the Pioneer Press with circulation of 318 did not qualify for the required 500 circulation required for a city the size of Scandia.

ïSet compensation and reimbursement policies for commission committee members similar to what they had been as a township.

ïSet up council member orientation and training, including open meeting law guidelines.

ïDiscussed the council advisory committees and appointments on a broad scope. The Architectural Review (commercial) and Rural Landscape/character Preservation Committee functions were discussed with keen interest in the rural character issue. Vacancies must be filled on the planning commission, parks and recreation committee, the new comprehensive planning committee, and the new commercial & retail development committees.

Council member, Mike Harnetty suggested the city be more proactive with communicating with the public by making occasional press releases to get the direct version of city council activities published, or use more frequent news letters.

Volunteers needed

The Scandia City Council is seeking volunteers to serve on various committees that give advice and citizen input to the council on a wide variety of issues.

Vacancies must be filled on the planning commission and the parks and recreation committee. Citizens are also needed for a comprehensive plan committee, to work on the upcoming update of the city's long-range plans.

A new commercial and retail development committee, to advise the council on the need for, type and location of commercial development in the city is also being formed. Additional advisory committees may be announced in the near future.

An application form, and more information on the committees, is available at the city office and on the city's website at www.ci.scandia.mn.us.

Applications for the planning commission should be submitted no later than February 15, 2007, for interviews tentatively scheduled for February 20, 2007.

Contacts: City Administrator Anne Hurlburt, 651-433-2274, or by e-mail to a.hurlburt@ci.scandia.mn.us.

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