Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter

No ball fields near the Chisago Lakes Joint Waste Water Treatment site! That is the position the city of Wyoming is taking on an issue being raised with the Chisago Lakes Joint Sewer Commission.

The CLJSC has representatives from each of the communities served by the wastewater treatment plant; Center City, Chisago City, Lindstrom, Stacy, Wyoming and Chisago County. Council members Gary Menne and Joe Zerwas are the city representatives on the commission.

Their concern is about a repeated proposal for Chisago County to lease land adjacent to the waste water plant to put in at least two ball fields. The proposed lease price is $1 a year. However, council members fear there may be a conflict of interest about the proposition.

County Commissioner Bob Gustafson serves as the county representative to the commission. He is also the liaison with the Chisago County Parks Commission (www.co.chisago.mn.us) and is strongly lobbying for the ball fields at the site. The 2007 Chisago Lakes-Taylors Falls Community Guide lists Chisago County Recreation, operated by Gustafson. The title suggests association with or endorsement by Chisago County, it was pointed out at the May 1 meeting.

Chisago County Recreation schedules ball games, but few if any are for youth, according to Menne. Yet the pitch for these additional fields is that they will provide more space for youth games, he said.

According to Menne and Zerwas, the Lake Area Recreation Association does not want fields installed unless they can control the scheduling. Wyoming residents would not have access to or benefit from the ball fields.

A decision about the entire issue was tabled at the last sewer commission meeting until commissioners could discuss it with their councils. Menne and Zerwas do not believe the plan is a good idea and requested a position statement from the city.

According to Menne, the two-acre site is two miles north of Chisago City on CR-77 which is not a safe road for bicycles. Most people prefer parks in town, he said.

The holding pond is right next to the proposed park. There is no potable water at the location and no sanitation. There are sewer trucks making regular runs to the location and the area is not patrolled very often. The land under consideration may be needed for expansion in 10-15 years, officials said.

Chisago County wants costs of any research completed about this issue to be shared by all participants. Mayor Sheldon Anderson raised objections to this request.

He said if Gustafson is to benefit from the decision, “there appears to be a conflict of interest.” Zerwas and Menne said they believe Gustafson “should not be voting” on the issue.

Council member Blake Tiedeman said officials should focus on administering the treatment facility. Any changes should address proper insurance, meet with zoning regulations for the area, and be in agreement with any comprehensive plans in effect.

Tiedeman said too much time and resources have been spent on the discussion. The attorney for the commission “has not made it (ball fields) a priority,” he said. The commission should be dealing solely with issues related to the plant and “not to be side-tracked by other stuff.”

Council member Tom LaBarre said the property around the treatment plant is “no place for ball fields.”

The council vote was 5-0 against Chisago County leasing the land and locating ball fields near the plant.

Other matters

During the May 1 open forum, Arnold Ladd, who lives west of I-35 on 261st Street, asked that if/when the city plans repair and improvements on the streets there and that residents be given at least two years notice of the plans. Everton Circle is in the best condition, according to Ladd. However, the assessment might range from $18,000 to $30,000 for some residents.

Because of what costs might be for improvements, he requested the notification before any improvements are planned. City Administrator Craig Mattson said the up-coming pavement study would provide those answers.

Resident Jean Wilke asked if some of the construction companies which have used the city streets were responsible for some of the damage and if they would contribute to repairs. Wilke also wanted to know who had wanted changes in the rules for the open forum and Anderson told her he proposed them.

Mattson agreed to provide copies of the meeting minutes she requested.

There was a final compliment for the police department’s handling of a recent accident at the intersection of Viking Blvd. and CR-30.

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