Jackie Lallier
Wyoming Township Reporter

Kathy Bystrom from the Forest Lake Teen Center attended the Wyoming Town Board meeting on Tuesday, June 26 to explain the scope of the program she managed to get off the ground in 2002 through the ISD 831 Community Education Department.

This is an after school drop-in center for 7th through 9th grade kids with no participation fee and an average attendance of 25 to 30.

Last year an intramural dodgeball tournament brought many additional kids to the center which serves southern Chisago County and has registration forms on file for about 125 to 130 kids, 25 percent of whom have a Wyoming postal address.

A volunteer program has recently been started for senior high students to enable them to continue to be active at the teen center by helping with the younger kids, handling the concession stand, etc.

The Forest Lake Teen Center is in danger of being eliminated, however, because of lack of funding.

Recently the Wyoming City Council awarded $8500 from its gambling fund to support the teen center.

Wyoming Township has no gambling fund but has $1300 on hand in its contracts for service allocation fund. The town board last week voted to contribute this amount to the teen center.

Bystrom’s public campaign to raise funds hopes to collect some $13,000 to stave off closure of the teen center.

Other topics

The County Line Liquor Store has requested a conditional use permit to expand its building for the addition of Hietala’s Old World Meats.

The Forest Lake meat market is planning to relocate from its current location on TH-97.

There had been no adverse comments at the recent Wyoming Planning Commission meeting and the board granted the CUP.

The board reviewed the Public Insurance Employees Program that is up for renewal July 1. The premium increase is 18 percent for single health coverage and 11 percent for family health coverage.

Clerk/Treasurer Betsy Houle said Wyoming is presently looking to negotiate a co-op health program with other local cities and Chisago County to all get better rates.

The town board decided to renew the present contract with the township paying the increased cost and to join the co-op program when it becomes available. There will be no termination fee to change from PIEP.

However, if the co-op plan does not materialize by September or October, this matter will need to be revisited.

The office is in need of new computer monitors and research shows the township can purchase five new 19-inch screens for $179 each with free delivery and a three-year warranty on parts and labor. The purchase was approved with Board member Mark Utecht offering to take the old monitors to the recycling center in Harris.

No word has been received on the court hearing regarding a consolidation with the city of Wyoming held May 24.

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