HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-10-10 St. Paul Pioneer Press News Article r ST. PAUL PIONEER .SS
•
OCT. 10, 1997
2r
owns a s
} gen soliidating townships with c
` " � i �� } 4 (Becoming a cify)
,, � g ' f 1 '� . - m '': more
� a utonomy
u
61; u rt county end
e
Forest Lake ' r . k t � ' , b � " '' • 1 plann �''
+ ti`'`e � , and Forest Lake `e� $ " ' ve ry diff i cult to be •
� Townshi
y gar }.� r �
yf_ p \ , i l l nr�Rb Sb wa}+ b
�� 7 • Urged by the state to 3 ,, ; • h , neighborin
F E , € cK mmunities' mo
merge Into one � , ,' �i r i �v 4 t
4 municipality. ;� ','",,,,ii:-'",,.',Ii.' . state aidl avail sle
1;
■ Residents in th 4 4 ''' s' r , :',:ii,,
r
, . township are s [ , s,,,, , i f ■i Disadvantages
L. petitions suppo : ; ' ® , ', Res lose
merger with the�city, fi' ,i 'A(;l) 14 - � C •sdvantages of
though township offic ® ? towns grass
tlppose it
•. root '. rot over
thin budgets + a ►fi
JOHN DOIVIAN/ PIONEER PRESS Gran Township r i m where the amount ,'
1i11js Lake Township resident Bill ■ Became a city last year, i n 4,,� spenfi is determine `
watches as Jean Peikert,, a b at annual meeting < . ;
part to keep from bei ng , ,;,, �; gip may counter � �,-
ear resident of the township, annexed by its growing 6� overall g rowth plan
his petition aimed at forcing a neighbor to t east, the city r m s et by run Metrop to �
^ `
'r o f the township and the of Stillwater.` Counc � ti'
a>�Iboring city of Forest Lake.
,,‘,1„,„ z,,,„ tir Baytown Township r I M
■ Metropolitan Council staff „ 11 �.
proposed to nship giving a p iece Park of � ®. , �i t ' MIA : , t w to Heights moil' _ s m , a � ...„4411 st ate ai d avallltab =
' Growth and development to be developed Into dense �� � l ess d uplication
city- like neighborhoods. ' � 3t , � � t � i c
in Wash County • Township proposal countered let with ® facili and work
: � � � , r
attr s
pushing townships to
merge its own with the ° city oflake Baytown i �ti � � businesses together arlct
' Elmo, wh also values F� manage gro wth; l
*come CZ Ur to merge rural - like ich housin o
densities 6 r m "ID resid confusi t � l e y n by bout
with ne `
Stir -+fie, e 4 „
commun to ta ke ; ‘6.0114,4=',10,,, v, ryy `
Denmark Tow ,,,.% v , +, 7 x s x ■ D
control o f thei futures. a nd West Lakeland r ° mn m, z L of identity for
At Stake: rural a nd —a ip " " ��Q� i Io ,I,es. " 6 - 3 . i n involve • a two parties
• Are consider 'i b'N `�;® w , Inv residents
character, local becoming cities to rg + 9 �, k rrH& lose' advantages of
maintain their rural ti , {r V` t -e t :" township's r grass
autonoln and character and control their -: r000to ovr
futures. • x • ; thing s c like n budgets.
saving money by Z .
Source: Pioneer Press research
consolidating services. PIONEER PRESS
JIM BROEDE STAFF WRITER Several: townsh in Washington County have or will
seek more autonomy as full- fledged cities. And one may
merge with a neighboring, like- minded city.
I Minnesota's fastest - growing county,, the cornfields and Pressures from growth and development are pushing
woodlands and dairy farms are giving way to new horiies, ,the townshi to take control of the future, rather than
stored factories.. :.have it decided for them.
And Hart to go ma be `raas•regts gov
ment, wher o rd i na ry clti u decide thou local i ssues — coHrxaJfD
inCt> setting the bud at annual t own meetings.
• •
i rovv mugs s if we were a city, the county nun snow pings hone
wimIchet have any say. We prefer the Metro Council's regional
tonanage our own affairs and we growth plan, which allows Ineali of
can do that as a city." Baytown to be annexed by Oak
V CONTINUED FROM ID But though there are advantag- Park Heights and Bayport for fu-
, es, incorporations that turn town - ture urban expansion.
ships into cities are few and far
Consider: � Those cities are constrained
1. Grant COMING.UP be#iween• from expanding eastward by the
The Minnesota Municipal Board St. Croix River.
Township , ' ■The Forest
fearing that is a state agency created by. the "If further urbanization into oc-
Lake City. Council
sotieday i t will be asked to PP state Legislature in 1959 to over - cur in support of the council's re-
Might be support a see annexations, incorporations gional growth strategy," Uttley
gobbled up; petition for and mergers. Since 1993, it has said "that growth will have to
piecemeal merging the city approved the incorporations of . extend into Baytown."
b the ever- g g y Oak Grove, in Anoka County, and
y with Forest Lake
growing city Grant, in Washington County. Be- Efficient government
Township at a fore that however,
of Stillwater, ,there hadn t
incorporated council meeting been a new city created in the The municipal board, with con-
and became at 7:30 p.m. Twin Cities area for 19 years. cerns for more efficient govern-
Tuesday at Now there's a petition from res- ment, has sent Forest Lake Town -
a city last ship a clear message: rather than
Forest Lake City
S in
Scott of Spring p Lake Townshi
year. Hall, 220 N. Lake become a separate city, it should
, POur pri- . S Scott County to become a city.
Mary reason There are also discussions ,of in- consider merging with the city of
• The Minnesota Forest Lake.
fdr becom- Municipal Board rations in other townships, Beyond sharing the same name,
i a city," will hold a public iCc uding Denmark and West the union wouln create a single
Mayor Gary Itakeland in Washington County.
hearing on entity of 36 square miles and
E r i c k s o n *But a new wave of consolida
Forest Lake especially if it's for defen- 14,103 residents and result in cost -
Township's l saving `efficiencies such as one
' Igio.re l reasons might not be wel-
request to city administrator, one city hall
e s ' y• Incorporate as a '. by other state and regional one city council instead of two
+ we city, starting at ies that have something to of everything.
t o 9:30 a.m. Oct. ab it. But it takes two to consolidate,
f
to 30 at the Forest and the town board balks at join -
Lake Town Hail, erly development
its sometime rival. But the
mg 21350 Forest a Metropolitan Councils posi- ending position has raised the
Vie` re- Blvd. N.
for instance is that some in-
- , of orations discourage order tickles — and ,the pens — of
■ Committees g orderly some in the township who would
e l w me will be organised lopment because they restrict rather join together.
e 10 to study the • ability of existing cities to and Merger advocates are circulat-
concept of adjacent land and grow. The petitions that need only 100
l aSo ss i p i p merging Bayfewin tro Council is only an adviser matures of township property
Township and the municipal board, but its owners — out of thousands in the
decided Lake Elmo at a ion is to manage the region's area - and a supporting resolu-
coasider public meeting at wth and to look beyond city tion from the Forest Lake City
with with neigh- Oak -Land Junior is best for *IL sion into the lap of the merger-
Wring Lake High School, 820 friendly municipal board.
Elmo, a city For that ream M C
M anning Ave :1N., In the past, voters in both commu-
th Lake Elmo. at values planners believe that Baytown
nities would have had to approve
it's rural might be best left as a township. such a me er. But the referen-
character. The alternative is to James Uttley, one of those plan- rg
risk being annexed out of exis- ners, recently recommended that dum provision was removed by
235 acres of mostly cornfields in the Legislature from state law in
tens by the more urban- minded y
Baytown 1992 in an effort to make merging
Township Oak Park Heights to the north. y p be annexed to
"Oak Park Heights has no Oak Park Heights. The controver- easier.
qualms about destroying our beau- sial proposal could open the door Incentives for partners
tiful rural environs," town clerk for extending sewer and water
Pat St. Claire said. "We've lost lines and a development of 300. The state Legislature also Great-
mere than 1,000 acres to annex- homes on lots as small as one - ed the Board of Government Irmo
ations in the past 10 years alone." third of an acre. vation and Cooperation in 1993 to
;a Forest Lake Township was That would be in keeping with dangle carrots before prospective
twice denied city status. However, the Metro Council's regional partners, such as .offering up to
buoyed by the Minnesota Munici- growth plan, but it's contrary to $400,000 in state money to pay the
pail Board allowing Grant to be- Baytown's plan for only 21 new costs of merging. But if the part
homes on 5 -acre lots. ners take the money and run, vot-
come a city, the town board re- ern are still required to approve
cent' ly decided to try again. Baytown countered with a pro- the merger. So far, two merger
"U h the
""Unfortunately, townships lack posal of its own: either allow Lake efforts through i novat r
tell home rule," town board #o NNW the 235 urea, or beard hahate the
inoriber
Dick Tschida said. "For Sayl with Lake El- N r d v p A m eri ca
ee, Washington County has mo to lend F 4)4 Oak Park ,Befehts*
figgl say over our zoning matters. Redwood Falls - Redwood.
f •
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Back in Forest Lake, some of =g to thee iee North Branco,
the 25 members of a study com. Dot, ondoratantgog that a mail ad-
mittee appointed by the Town dress and the place where you live
Board and City Council last year aren't necessarily one and the
are recommending a merger. same."
The committee met for 10 Forest Lake city officials tell
months and recently submitted a similar stories of township resi-
200 -page report that concluded a dents, especially newcomers,
merger would decrease tax bills in traipsing into City Hall to pay bills
both communities, primarily by and get permits assuming they re-
eliminating duplication of services sided in the city.
and by increasing state aids, Honadle also said that some of
which reduces the property tax the staunchest , merger opponents
burden. are elected officials or families
Beth Honadle, a professor in the that have been power brokers in
department of applied economics the community for generations
at the University of Minnesota, and don't want to give up calling
has participated in six merger tbo shots.
studies and kept close track of
others over the past five years.
"Sometimes it comes down to Leaving old ways behind
the pocketbook issue," Honadle But times do change.
" By mer :t j lc "As one generation passes to the
next and new people move in, old
Vat! of pecvies rivalries get forgotten," Honadle
, Mere cosi.effeedeci to / laid. "Then there's less opposition
Benadle said most mergers merger."
sgNrr ed by a combination of hi- Forest Lake is closest to making
= including governmental a it happen. In Baytown, resolution
, the "environment, planning is a ways off.
ate. conomic development. But the pressure is still there to
'We jurisdiction may have saw. discard the old ways and to find
Mr red water that can be easily new and more efficient methods of
istil sded to solve environmglR I running local government.
ms in the neighboring *is. Recently, there was a break in
dn," she said. "Planning alto the solid ranks of opposition on the
be more easily coordinated. Forest Lake Town Board. Member
t+`separate jurisdictions next to Richard Ashbach decided to en-
-other might have conflicting dorse merger.
land uses, such as residential land We either have to merge with
abutting' land zoned for industry." the city or put up with the city
Then there's economic develop - annexing us piece by piece," he
ment. • said. "I've - come to realize that
"Merger means working togeth- working together as a single For -
er rather than separately," Hon- eat Lake community makes the
adle said. "You no longer compete most MM. ,,
against each other. Businesses
looking for place to locate get
turned off by any perceived bick-
ering. They would rather work
with one government instead of
two."
Honadle chaired a study com-
mission that collected facts used
to promote the 1994 merger of the
cities of Branch and North Branch
in Chisago County. The merger
was approved overwhelmingly by
voters in both cities.
"We discovered that some citi-
zens weren't even aware of which
community they lived in," Honadle
said. "Some residents of Branch
would attend truth -in- taxation
hearings in North Wench. When
they were told; loss don't live in
North Branch," they couldn't be-
lieve it. They had ton statements