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Wyoming Township has its say |
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Wednesday, 02 April 2008 |
Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter
Wyoming Township officials Roger Elmore and Mark Utecht got to tell their side of the cooperative merger talks on Friday during the annexation hearings in Wyoming before Administrative Law Judge Steve Mihalchick.
Elmore, chair of Wyoming Town Board, said the 2005 annexation was an “emotional time for residents; they felt they weren’t heard.” Residents also agreed for the need to move forward, he said.
Two former supervisors now live in Chisago City. A new supervisor was appointed to complete one term, and Utecht was elected to fill the other position.
Elmore said there were casual meetings with mayors of Chisago City, Forest Lake and Wyoming, but he did not contact the Stacy mayor. Wyoming Mayor Sheldon Anderson was the last mayor with whom he met and discussed a possible annexation.
The city council and the township board at their respective meetings agreed to move ahead with plans to merge. Residents at the annual township meeting voted overwhelming voted to move forward.
Two supervisors from the township and two representatives from the city council began regular meetings with Rinke-Noonan attorneys to craft their joint merger position. Anderson and Tom LaBarre represented the city and Elmore and Utecht were township representatives.
In forming the petition for the joint merger, Elmore and Utecht said the group considered security for township employees, tax impact on residents of the township, infrastructure, and a voice in government.
The group considered a sliding scale for taxes, easing the township into the city, a five-point plan for infrastructure, including schedule and terms for expansion, and governance. One goal is to extend water and sewer to the new city in phases.
For the new governing body, two council members would resign, and two supervisors from the former township would be appointed to step into their places on the city council.
Elmore said the city and township began work on a joint comprehensive plan before annexation plans began. Neither considered backing out of the agreement. In over two years no one had tried to back out of the agreement. They actively sought input from residents living in the contested area.
Both Planning committees began working together. There are two township members now serving on the city’s EDA committee. Parks are shared. The city and township have continued to work together; cooperation is consistent, and forward for plans for new city.
None of the township residents wanted to negotiate with Chisago City. Despite Chisago City’s requests to participate, the town board decided not to include them in the meetings.
When asked about property owner petitions to join with Chisago City, Elmore said, “I support valid petitions.” He said he believed some of the petitions were coerced. Also asked about the petitions, Utecht said they should all be heard, but felt the overall wishes of the community were more important.
A joint resolution was adopted by both the city council and the board of supervisors, in early December 2005. A joint public hearing was held December 28, 2005 and about 150 people attended.
Utecht said the city and township expected the annexation agreement would be granted so they moved ahead with the development of a joint comprehensive plan. They signed the joint powers agreement in February 2007. Everyone figured they would reconcile differences in ordinances and reach compromises while re-writing them in a single plan, he said.
Requests for proposals were sought. Bill Weber was the planner selected.
Utecht said Weber was given the comprehensive plans for both Wyomings. Meetings were open to residents. The previous plans and input from residents was melded into the current plan. Development of a land use plan was also started.
One of the exhibits includes appendices which are drafts of the text which will become parts of the overall comprehensive plan when the process is finalized.
Utecht was adamant that “from the start the comp plan was more important than the annexation hearings.”
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