Ross Lorinser's Announcement

Deputy sheriff and school resource officer Ross Lorinser has announced his candidacy for Isanti City Council.Lorinser is a dedicated member of the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office where he currently serves as a school resource officer in two elementary schools. He has worked extensively with school administration in two different school districts and three separate counties.

Ross LorinserIn addition to working with children Lorinser has a key role as a training officer where he trains new and current employees in the use of law enforcement tools, tactics and policy. He is also the Anoka County coordinator for the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run where he fundraises and recruits runners for the event on June 19.

Lorinser is vice-chair of the Isanti Planning Commission where he played an active role in the creation of the new Comprehensive Plan. He is member of the Housing Task Force where the residential zoning ordinances are being rewritten to fit to the Comprehensive Plan and make the ordinances uniform. Lorinser is also a charter member of his Volunteer Home Owners’ Association where he has created and maintained the annual budget as the treasurer. His association inherited a budget deficit of over $20,000 from prior management and has worked hard to increase the reserves and maintain quality contractors while keeping the dues low.

Lorinser’s main goal is to keep reducing residents’ tax burdens by increasing the commercial tax base and ensuring hard earned tax dollars are not wasted by making decisions that maximize taxpayers’ hard earned money. Other important issues are budgeting the city through the housing recession, finding a solution for the transportation needs of local residents, increasing services for seniors and working closely with the police department to maintain a high level of service.

Ross and his wife, Amanda, have two children: Laci, 3, and Lindsi, 14 months. As a father, law enforcement officer, planning commissioner and volunteer, Ross has proven he is dedicated to service and will continue that dedication into the future as your city council member.

To contact Ross, email ross@lower-isanti-taxes.com or visit www.lower-isanti-taxes.com.

Commissioner/Mayor's Race

I was hoping to stay completely clear of the 3rd District Commissioner race but since one candidate has made it his mission to campaign with my opponent against me; it is necessary that I defend myself.

Council Member Ralph Johnson, who is running for Commissioner, is campaigning against me with Council Member Sue Larson.

I would like to know what they are running against.

• My Tax Cut
• My fist time in modern history cut in city spending
• My ending their years of exploding budgets
• My making residential development finally pay for itself
• My Long Term Financial Plan
• My stronger ethics and conflict of interest policy
• My vote to replace our former City Engineer
• My repeated votes to protect Distinct Isanti Neighborhoods
• My fight against their use of Eminent Domain to hurt a 74 year old couple by taking their property rights and using them to help their friend Brian Iverson.
• My challenging Mr. Johnson for a conflict of interest when he was voting on Brian Iverson issues even though he had been working for Iverson.
• My catching Ms. Larson filing a bogus expense report to be paid for a trip she never drove.
• My votes to block wasteful spending
• My votes blocking the needless spending of $2,000,000 to replace the existing liquor store, adding debt and having the harmful affect of raising taxes to fund this construction because the liquor store fund would have been completely drained except for operational funds.
• My vote to add police protection
• My vote protect our Citizens from cancer causing water
• My push to lower our water rates
• My work to bring in high paying jobs
• The over 300 new Jobs in Isanti since my swearing in. Isanti had 1132 at the end of 2006 and as of June 2008 we had over 1460, a 29% increase in 18 months. This number will only grow with Isanti Retail Meats and the High paying jobs of Ever Cat Fuels
• My work along with Landmark Bank and City staff to bring Ever Cat Fuels to Isanti and our being awarded the Economic Development Association of Minnesota's Business Recruitment Award. Raising Isanti's profile throughout the state as a City where businesses want to go.
• My work to market our city
• My work on the Tax Abatement and Revolving Loan Fund to promote business growth
• My work on the Isanti Retail Meats as a future lynch pin for Downtown
• My creation of the Mayor's Great Yard Award to honor our Citizens great work
• My creation of the Mayor's Employer Recognition Award and Lunch
• My development of the new Isantian
• and on and on and on

Facts are stubborn things. We can not go backward to the days of a few running the city for themselves. Council Member Johnson will face his first test in September's Primary and Ms Larson will have to wait even longer till Novembers General Election.
The darkness can only last as long as the light of truth does not shine its way. Both of these individuals tried to shut down this very blog in 2005 at the order of Brian Iverson, who has left a wake of devastation in our great City, because I started to shine the light on their activities.
I need your help to make sure the past does not darken our future.

5,485

Our City population is now reported to be 5,485 as of April 2007. The State Demographers have just released the latest figures they have. Thought you might like to know.

Lawn Signs Lawn Signs Lawn Signs

If you have not already sent me your address and you are willing to host a lawn sign please let me know. I need your help. We are faced with a clear night and day difference in the this race.

We need to make sure we win and win strongly to send the message that we can not go back to the days of increasing taxes, run away spending, developers running the city for their benefit, lose ethics and mismanagement of City resources.

We need to move forward and continue our success into the future.

Local Races

Candidates for City of Isanti local races

Isanti Mayor

George Wimmer
Sue Larson

Isanti City Council

Ross Lorinser
Jeff Kolb
Jim Kennedy
Steve Rask
John Booth

3rd District County Commissioner

Alan Duff
Ralph Johnson
Timothy Swanson
Gail Genin
Thomas Anderson

Blog & Website Milestones

The blog has gone over 63,000 hits and the website has over 10,000 hits. The message is getting out more and more everyday. Pass along the links to others that may be interested.

www.georgewimmer.blogspot.com

www.georgewimmer.com

July 15th Council Update

We had a good Council meeting tonight. Senator Olseen and Representative Eastlund did a great job discussing legislative issues with the Council. I asked several pointed questions about our LGA disparity. The statement they made was that Isanti is so well run now that we are not given as much aid from the state. I told them it is not fair that we do the right thing and get punished for it. Lowering taxes and cutting spending is a good thing.

We all agreed that a city that is a bedroom community is really at a disadvantage. One of the many reasons why I champion increased commercial growth. The state gives extra money for job growth in a community and the current LGA formula reflects this. Business growth is the key and we must make sure the old policies of subsidizing residential growth do not come back.

We approved a revision of the nuisance ordinance to allow 1 boat/trailer to be parked in driveways April 1st to November 30th. The boats and trailers must be operable and licenced. The previous ordinance did not allow any boats in driveways. This change will help create a better ordinance. Frankly we were unable to truly enforce this aspect as we have numerous other nuisances that we have been working on along with all the foreclosed properties.

The great news of the night as I prefaced was that the water treatment plant came in $1.6 million less than estimated. I asked staff to start working on the new numbers so we can lower our water rates. The previous water rate increase was due to the construction of the water treatment plant so it only makes sense that we should lower our water rates to reflect the lower cost of construction. I hope to have the new rate proposal soon. I will move this forward through Council and with enough support we should be able to lower our rates.

CM Larson is Running for Mayor

Council Member Larson is running for Mayor. I will comment further in the days to come but I thought it would be good to refresh the public on her past activities through the following links. It is disappointing that we will have to all relive the shame of her past actions. When the Council asked her to resign, just last year and she refused, I said that would be the end of my discussion on the topic. I did not think that she would ever run for Mayor and the added fiscal responsibility it entails.

The Mayor is the last line in fiscal responsibility for the City. The Mayor signs all the checks that flow from City Hall. I am the one that caught her last year filing a bogus expense report for a trip she never drove. When the Council censured her and barred her from any involvement with fiscal responsibility I asked her if she would sign an expense report for a trip that a person did not drive and she said yes. Some might say I am being to negative but I am simply relating her past actions. I did not make her take any of these actions but I did shine the light of day on them. I will continue to openly discuss what is happening in our great City so long as I serve. We can not go back to the days of the good old boys and girl running the town.


The following link is a recap of her use of a city credit card for personal use, her attempt to get paid for a trip she never drove and her pulling the winning rodeo button a few years ago in private and the winner happen to be a close family member.

http://isanticountynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=561&Itemid=1

The next two links are my postings about asking her to step down from her Council seat.

http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2007/03/tonights-council-action-regarding-cm.html
http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2007/03/my-statement-on-cm-larsons-actions.html


This story shows her close relationship with Brian Iverson's attempt to silence my criticism of his ill affects on the city of Isanti.

http://www.isanticountynews.com/2005/september/21iccblog.html

This is another story on her allegiance to Brian Iverson and trying to keep hm on our Economic Development Authority which was a terrible conflict of interest.

http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2005/08/august-3rd-council-update.html

CM Larson ran in 2006 for Council saying Isanti taxpayers were not taxed enough and she proved it by this vote.

http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2007/09/preliminary-budget-and-levy-update.html


I will be writing extensively about our differing votes and future plans for Isanti. My record is clear:

http://www.georgewimmer.com/record.html


I need your help more now than ever.......

http://www.georgewimmer.com/volunteer.html

A few notes on July 15th Agenda

As the Agenda states we will have our State Senator and State Representative in attendance. I will be asking them some hard questions.

The other major item that will impact our Citizens is the water treatment plant. The original estimate was $5,695,000 and the lowest responsible bid was $4,020,000. The quotes ranged from $4,020,000 to $4,769,000. This is excellent news for the City. I will be asking how we will be able to lower our water rates since the construction cost is much lower and the main reason for the increased rates was the construction cost. This should be good news all around.

July 15th Council Agenda

AGENDA
CITY OF ISANTI
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2008 - 7:00 p.m.
CITY HALL

Call to Order
B. Pledge of Allegiance
C. Roll Call
D. Adopt Agenda

E. Proclamations/Commendations/Certificate Awards
1. Mayor’s Float Award
2. Commendation to the Public Works and Police Dept from Parade Committee

F. Approve City Council Minutes
July 1, 2008 – Regular and Closed Meetings

G. Citizens Input
1. State Senator Rick Olseen
2. State Representative Rob Eastlund

H. Announcements
1. Park & Recreation Board Meeting Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.
2. EDA Meeting Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
3. Special Budget Meeting Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
4. National Night Out Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.
(held at Isanti Community Center)
5. City Council Meeting Wednesday, August 6, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
6. Planning Commission Meeting Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.


I. Council Committee Reports


J. Public Hearings


K. Business Items
1. Resolution Approving Pension Increase for the Isanti Fire Relief Association
(Fire Relief Treasurer Lou Ella Polzin)

2. Request to Permanently Mount Flower Planter to Sidewalk
(Jaysen Guthmueller)

City Planner Lisa Krause

3. Resolution Approving Final CIC Plat – RWL Properties, LLC
4. Ordinance Relating to Accessory Garages
5. Nuisance Ordinance
6. Resolution Authorizing Temp Sign Permit

Community Development Director Carla Vita

7. Resolution Approving Updated Property Tax Abatement Agreement between the City of Isanti and Joseph Demo and to Transfer Real Property
8. MIF Loan

Code Enforcement Officer Steve Wacha

9. Resolution Ordering Public Hearing to Consider Nuisance Abatement for Properties in Violation of Nuisance Ordinance No. 123

City Engineer Brad DeWolf

10. Resolution Accepting Bid for the Water Treatment Plant Project

Great Article on Ever Cat Fuels and Algae

Great Article on Ever Cat Fuels, the use of algae for the Mcgyan process, Sartec and the incredible McNeff family.


http://www.startribune.com/local/north/25137194.html?location_refer=North%20Metro:highlightModules:1

Ever Cat Fuels website with further information:

http://www.evercatfuels.com/

I have said it a million times and will a million more...... this is a great project for the City of Isanti.

Dunk Tank Pictures

Waiting for the next great arm

Watching the ball heading for its target

Not quite as cold as my Arctic Plunges

Yes this is our dirty water and yes this is one of the many reasons why I am championing a Water Treatment Plant.

Fun Day

The Outhouse Racing Team took another 2nd Place. They did a great job creating, designing and racing this year. Potty Like a Rock Star is a great concept taking our Guitar Hero competition from the Isanti Area Chamber of Commerce's Spring Fling to a whole other level. Thanks to the Jones and Clement team for making me a very proud sponsor.

The Run/Walk this morning was great. A lot of participants including one amazing 77 year old runner.

The Dunk Tank was a blast. I was scheduled for 1/2 hour but ended up in there for an hour to cover some extra time. It was incredibly busy which was great. I was happy to see so many kids with great arms trying to dunk the Mayor....well doing more than trying....I was in the water a lot....

I was not able to spend as much time as I would have liked calling bingo but the time I spent was fun.

The Isanti Area Chamber of Commerce, sponsors and volunteers deserve a lot of thanks for putting on a great Parade and a great day today. It is their hard work and dedication that makes it all possible. Thank you......

Campaign Update

We have hit the ground running this week with our mailing, Parade and Jubilee weekend. For our appearance schedule go to:

http://www.georgewimmer.com/post.html

Our campaign will be working every day for every vote for the next two months until the primary and up to November 4th's general election.

We face the challenge of moving our City forward in the face of those that would like to take us back to the good old days of the city being run in favor of a privileged few. The days when the city subsidized residential development and only the big developers made money at the expense of the taxpayers. The days when taxes and city spending went through the roof and debt doubled and triplied harming our Citizens future. Elections matter.

To learn about my record go to:

http://www.georgewimmer.com/record.html

I will inform you of the candidates for all our local offices when filing closes July 15th.

Downtown Update

Downtown revitalization continues to steam ahead. We have talked about all the new businesses and Isanti Retail Meats being the next important cornerstone of downtown. I wanted to touch on the many aesthetic improvements.

The wonderful mural inspired from a photo taken in the early 1900s, benches, flowers, Historic Downtown signs and great trash receptacles. I normally do not talk about trash receptacles but the six designed and built by Isanti's own Metal Coatings are fantastic. Thanks to the Isanti Lions for helping the City pay for them.

I hope all our Citizens and visitors noticed the improvements.

Water Treatment Plant Update

Great news about the Water Treatment Plant we are planning to build.

The original estimate was $5,695,000 and the lowest responsible bid was $4,020,000. The quotes ranged from $4,020,000 to $4,769,000. This is excellent news for the City.

Rodeo Jubilee Days Information

Isanti Rodeo Information

http://www.isantifiredistrict.org/isanti_rodeo_assc_

Jubilee Days Information

http://www.isantichamber.com/

Parade Update

Abigail and Alexander were terrific

Not everyone was there yet but we captured a little over half of all that walked with us. We also had about 20 others in the crowd proudly wearing our shirts.

The parade was fun and really cruised. Our pace was quite a bit faster this year than in years passed so we had a bit more chaos. We were up front so there was really no delay which we will plan for next time around.

I did not get a chance to go out and talk with the crowd as much as I would have liked but everyone was great. Thanks to the organizers, people in the crowd and my supporters for making such a great effort. Thank you....

Dunk Tank July 12th

I will be in the Dunk Tank at 10 am Saturday morning on Main Street. Senator Olseen will be in at 10:30 and Representative Eastlund at 11am.

Camapign Update

I need your help to move our campaign forward. To learn more about how you may help go to:

http://www.georgewimmer.com/volunteer.html

The parade is Wednesday July 9th. Line-up is at 5:30. Our position is in the first section near Mattson Park. We will be meeting at my home at 5pm to walk to the line-up area. If you live closer to the Park then meet us there.

If you would still like to join us for the parade email me and we will drop of a shirt for you.

George@GeorgeWimmer.com

Campaigns in Full Force

We have passed the unofficial starting line of campaigns in our community. There will be more and more candidates knocking on doors and asking for a moment of your time. I hope you will take the time to listen and ask questions. We are facing incredibly difficult times and we need elected leaders that can help move us in the right direction. Our Isanti ballot will have the following local races; three School Board seats, two open seats for City Council, one for County Commissioner, the 17A State Representative seat and Mayor's position.

These will all be incredibly important to our future. The State Representative and Mayor position are up every two years and the others are four year terms.

Take the time to know your candidates and know the issues. We often take less time to know our local government even though it often has the most direct impact on our lives.

Bolton-Menk

I have received some rave reviews of our new City Engineer Bolton-Menk on how they are handling and communicating our street improvement project. The door to door informing of our residents of the street project, handing out multiple contact numbers, information schedules and talking face to face with our residents is a refreshing approach.

No one likes their street torn up but if this has to happen residents deserve to be treated with respect. Reviewing the performance of our City service providers is another one of our important reforms that has born tremendous fruit.

Rodeo Jubilee Days

Here is the link to the schedule of events for Rodeo Jubilee Day.

http://www.cityofisanti.us/Trudi/Jubilee%20Schedule.pdf

This is a copy of the brochure of events in pdf form.

Remember the parade is on Wednesday July 9th.

July 1st City Council Update

Winners and Sponsors of the Mayor's Great Yard Award

Landmark Bank has continued its community leadership by funding the first place award of $100. Isanti Hardware Hank is funding the second place prize of $50 and Northland Landscaping is funding the third prize of $25. The process is nominations are made then the Park and Recreation Board recommends winners to the Mayor. This is a wonderful recognition of the hard work of our community members. I would like to thank the sponsors for which this could not happen.

Formal presentation of the State EDAM Award for Business Recruitment to the City Council. Pictured are members of Ever Cat Fuels, the McNeff Family, Landmark Bank and CDD Vita. All made this possible.

The Council helped fund the Historic Downtown Mural. This is the capstone to a Renaissance of our Main Street. I would suggest to anyone that has not be downtown in the last few months to take a walk or drive to take a look. We have added new businesses and continue to do so and the aesthetics have improved dramatically. I would like to thank Family Pathways for working with the Downtown Committee to make the mural a reality. They are funding a third along with the City and Ever Cat Fuels. There are many involved with the turn around of our Historic Downtown but Jaysen Guthmueller has taken a strong leadership role and a hands on approach. If it were not for his hard work and determination I am not sure all this would have happened.

The City approved the use of $50,000 to the Bike/Walk Trail between Isanti and Cambridge. This is contingent upon a joint powers agreement between Isanti, Cambridge, Isanti Township and Isanti County. I want to make sure that we have a seat at the decision making table before we spend City resources. The project is an excellent example of how our communities need to work together and grow together to achieve success.

EDAM Award

Pictures showing Community Development Director Carla Vita and me accepting the Economic Development Association of Minnesota's Business Recruitment Award. Cathy Bennett, EDAM President, pictured presented us with the award.

This is state recognition that the strong new economic development direction we set the City on in 2007 is working. We have put a great deal of work into this process and it was fun to take a night to be recognized in this fashion.

Foreclosure Update

We started the tracking at 101 properties in foreclosure over a month ago then we hit a 155 a week or ago and now we stand at:

83 occupied homes
53 vacant homes
37 unknown status of occupancy

173 total homes plus 56 empty lots in foreclosure. We are monitoring these properties and are taking extra measure for the vacant so they do not become blighted or targets of illegal activities. We are taking a aggressive actions to ensure the property values of the entire city are protected.

Council Member Kolb's Announcement

I was happy to see Council Member Kolb is running for City Council once again. He has been a tremendous asset to the City Council and his hard work on the Finance Committee, Personnel Committee, Development Advisory Committee, Fire Board, Arena Board, Planning Commission, Economic Development Authority and many other areas over the pass 18 months has made many of our reforms possible. His vote was critical in approving my budget, tax cut and implementing the Long Term Financial Plan I had been fighting for.

Simply put, Jeff has been good for this City.

July 1st City Council Agenda

AGENDA
CITY OF ISANTI
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY, JULY 1, 2008 – 7:00 p.m.
CITY HALL

Call to Order
B. Pledge of Allegiance
C. Roll Call
D. Adopt Agenda

E. Proclamations/Commendations/Certificate Awards
1. EDAM Award
2. Recognition to Contributors for the Mayor’s Employer Recognition Lunch
3. Recognition to City Staff Relating to the June 12th Security Matter
4. Mayor’s Presentation of Great Yard Award for the Month of June

F. Approve City Council Minutes
June 17, 2008 – Work Session and Regular Meeting

G. Citizens Input

H. Announcements

1. Planning Commission Meeting Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
2. City Council Work Session July Work Session Cancelled
3. City Council Meeting Tuesday, July 15 17, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
4. Park & Recreation Board Meeting Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.
5. EDA Meeting Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. 6. Special Council Budget Meeting Tuesday, July 29, 2008 from 5 – 6 p.m.
7. Planning Commission Training Tuesday, July 29, 2008 from 6 – 9


I. Council Committee Reports

J. Public Hearings

K. Business Items

1. Request to Use 30 West Main – Isanti Area Chamber of Commerce

Community Development Director Carla Vita

2. Ordinance Amending Rental Ordinance and Residential Maintenance Code
3. Resolution Approving First Amendment to Northland 66 Premium Stores, LLC Development Agreement
4. Resolution Authorizing Temporary Sign Permit
5. Consider Allocation of Funds for Cambridge-Isanti Bike/Walk Trail
6. Ever Cat Fuels Request to Reconfigure Site Plan Layout
7. Resolution Authorizing Funding for Downtown Mural
8. Resolution Authorizing Removal of Community Bulletin Board

Police Chief Ron Sager

9. Resolution Awarding Quote Relating to the Sale of Forfeiture Vehicles

City Engineer Brad DeWolf

10. Resolution Approving Plans and Specifications for the Fairway Greens Development and Authorize to Advertise for Bids

City Administrator Don Lorsung

11. Resolution Authorizing Governmental Unit to be a Party to Minnesota Water Agency Response Network (MnWARN)



L. Approve Consent Agenda
1. Accounts Payable in the Amounts of $ and Payroll in the Amount of $
2. Approve Minutes:
a. May 27, 2008 Park & Recreation Board
b. May 27, 2008 EDA
3. Resolution Offering Part-Time Liquor Store Clerk Position to Ms. Angela Perkins
4. Resolution Offering Part-Time Liquor Store Clerk Position to Mr. Clifford Larson
5. Resolution Authorizing Additional Compensation to Liquor Store Clerk Ms. Katie Mathews
6. Resolution Approving Permanent Employee Status for Administrative Assistant Trudi Breuninger
7. Resolution Authorizing the Use of Replacement Funds for the Public Works Department
8. Resolution Accepting Street and Infrastructure for Banksite 1st Addition – Extension of Golden Way

M. Other Communications
1. Draft Copy of the June 24, 2008 EDA Minutes
2. Draft Copy of the June 24, 2008 Park & Recreation Board Minutes


Closed Session
1. Personnel Matter

Adjournment

School Board Appointee

Just to clarify the new appointee to the Cambridge/Isanti School Board is not a resident of the City of Isanti, unless the individual moved quite recently from Bradford Township. There seems to be some confusion on this as it is being reported that the new appointee is from Isanti. Many township residents may have an Isanti zip code but do not reside in the City.

To date there are no City of Isanti residents on the 7 member Cambridge/Isanti School Board. It is a shame that we can not get at least one person from a City that host three schools and makes up a considerable amount of the school population represented on the School Board.

Isantian Article

I write to talk about two important topics which affect us, the foreclosure crisis and upcoming Isanti summer events.

The City is taking steps to manage the foreclosure problem. City staff has compiled a list of all residential properties within Isanti that are in the foreclosure process. The city is monitoring the properties to prevent any blight, vandalism and other negative impacts to your neighborhood. You may assist us by monitoring your neighborhood. If any unusual activity occurs, please contact our Police Department at 444.4761, if an emergency 911.

We are taking a proactive approach to ensure that all of our property values are protected.Many of us live close to homes that are in foreclosure. I announced at the May 20th Council meeting that we had 101 residential properties in some state of foreclosure.

By taking actions to prevent foreclosed properties from sliding into disrepair, we maintain a healthy vibrant city that will be among the first to rebound out of the current crisis. I have attended mortgage foreclosure roundtable discussions with local leaders, community groups and state wide agencies.

The goal is to partner with numerous resources to help prevent homeowners from falling into foreclosure and helping those that are already there with counseling and options. The success rate for those that reach out for help is good.I encourage you to seek help if you are in need. If you do not know where to start, you are not alone. Minnesota Home Ownership Center at 651-659-9336 or http://www.hocmn.org/ is a good place to start. Together we will work our way through the current crisis to a better future.

Our excellent commercial growth will give us the tax base diversity to weather residential housing issues.

I also wanted to keep Isanti updated on summer events. The crown jewel of our summer of activities is Rodeo/Jubilee Days. This year, Jubilee Days starts a day earlier with the July 9th parade and ends July 13th with the Isanti Ambassador Coronation. The Isanti Rodeo Association in the past 31 years has raised over $900,000 for local fire and rescue activities.

The Isanti Redbirds are our hometown baseball team. Their schedule started May 4th and I will have the honor of throwing out the first pitch at the Redbirds' home opener on May 30th. Redbirds baseball is free to the public so I encourage everyone to catch a game and enjoy some hometown baseball.

On June 11th we have invited all our employers and their employees to a picnic lunch at 30 West Main Street to celebrate Isanti's heritage. I have declared the week of June 8th Isanti Employer Week. It is important that we draw attention to the nearly 1,500 jobs we have in our community. These include Faith Lutheran, which has been here for 130 years, Landmark Bank for 107 years and Isanti Hardware Hank for 93 years. I will be presenting our great businesses with Anniversary Awards. We will have local notables serving our hard-working employers and employees. Our generous business community will have donated most everything needed for the picnic.

I need to mention the exciting addition to our fast-growing downtown, the planned future home of Isanti Retail Meats. This project couples a local bank, Community Pride Bank with a local existing business, Isanti Custom Meats, to create a future cornerstone of Main St. I hope everyone has a chance to get out into the community and have fun this summer.


George Wimmer
www.georgewimmer.com
www.georgewimmer.blogspot.com
763-444-7158
763-442-8749 mobile

Isanti Dance

The Isanti Ice Arena is hosting a family oriented dance on Saturday, June 21st, in an attempt to provide fun and safe entertainment while the State BMX race is taking place here in Isanti right in the arena's back yard. All ages are welcome to attend this dance and we are encouraging entire families to come and take advantage of a fun, family event.

Northern Lights DJ will be providing the sound and light show. The concession stand will be open and indoor bike parking will be available.We are also in need of volunteers to help out with chaperoning the dance.

The time is from 5-10 p.m. and your child gets in to the dance for free if you are willing to help us out. Regular pricing is $5 per person and $20 for a family up to six people. Please let me know if you are willing and able to chaperone.

Thank you!Carla Duncan

You may contact Carla at IsantiDances@yahoo.com

June 17th Council Agenda

I thought I would start posting the City agenda's for those that might be interested.

AGENDA
CITY OF ISANTI
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2008 - 7:00 p.m.
CITY HALL

6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Community Social hosted by the Isanti Ambassador Committee in the City Hall Lobby area. This event will provide an opportunity to meet the 2008 Isanti Ambassador Candidates and the 2007 Isanti Ambassadors.


Call to Order
B. Pledge of Allegiance
C. Roll Call
D. Adopt Agenda

E. Proclamations/Commendations/Certificate Awards

F. Approve City Council Minutes June 3, 2008 – Regular Meeting

G. Citizens Input
1. Civic Project Update - 2007 Isanti Ambassadors
2. Introduction of 2008 Isanti Ambassador Candidates

H. Announcements
1. Park & Recreation Board Meeting Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.
2. EDA Meeting Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. 3. City Council Meeting Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.


I. Council Committee Reports


J. Public Hearings

1. Consider the Granting of Property Tax Abatement and the Transfer of Property to Joseph Demo
a. Resolution Approving the Property Tax Abatement Agreement and Transfer of Real Property
b. Resolution to Amend the Tax Increment Finance District No. 9 “CBD Revitalization” to Drop a Parcel
(Community Development Director Carla Vita)


K. Business Items
1. Resolutions Relating to Isanti Custom Meats, LLC Project
a. Conditional Use Permit Approval
b. Variation Approval
c. Site Plan Approval
(City Planner Lisa Krause)

2. Update on the Cable Commission’s Cable Audit – Joe Morin, Cable Commission Chair


City Planner Lisa Krause

3. Resolution Authorizing Legal Non-Conforming Use
4. Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 176: Zoning Ordinance, Section 4, 5, 6, and any other Associated Sections, to Include Provisions for Detached Accessory Garages.
5. Resolution Approving Preliminary Plat approval for RWL Properties, LLC

Community Development Director Carla Vita

6. Resolution Relating to Request from Kathy Hansmann to Allow Modification of Development Agreement
7. Report on Downtown Benches
8. Request from Peters & Associates for a Bench to be Placed in the Downtown Area
9. Consider Rescinding Resolution 2004-033, a Resolution Allocating a Twenty-Five Foot Easement for the Construction of a Trail and Re-designating the Trail Location


Police Chief Ron Sager

10. Bike Patrols
11. Resolution Authorizing Application for CEDAP Grant for Equipment
12. Resolution Establishing Policy for the Sale of Forfeiture Vehicles

City Engineer Brad DeWolf

13. Proposal for Professional Services for Fairway Green Improvements
14. Consider Authorizing Action on Letter’s of Credit on Uncompleted Developments

City Administrator Don Lorsung

15. Resolution Establishing Policy for Background Checks for City Permits and Licenses

Finance

16. Third Avenue Project Costs
17. Amending Fee Table and Adopting Fees
a. Ordinance Amending Ordinance Setting Forth a Fee Table for the City of Isanti and Adoption of Fees by Resolution
b. Resolution Adopting Fees Within the City of Isanti
18. Schedule Budget Work Sessions


L. Approve Consent Agenda
Accounts Payable in the Amounts of $244,099.49 and Payroll in the Amount of $67,980.03
Approval of May 13, 2008 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes
3. Resolution Approving Exempt Gambling Permit for Isanti County Pheasants Forever No. 334
4. Resolution Appointing Part-Time Liquor Store Clerk Katie Mathews as Interim Clerk II
5. Resolution Offering the Position of Part Time Liquor Store Clerk to Mr. Steven Prenovost
6. Resolution Offering the Seasonal Parks Maintenance Worker Position to Mr. Joshua Moulzolf
7. Resolution Offering the Second Seasonal Parks Maintenance worker Position to Mr. Victor Fanth
8. Resolution Accepting the Resignation of Public Works Maintenance Technician Keith Kohler and Authorization to Fill the Position
9. Resolution Accepting the Resignation of Liquor Store Clerk II Troy Johnson and Authorization to Fill the Position
10. Approve Donation of the use of Gator from R & S Motor Sports for the Isanti Police Reserves during Jubilee Days
11. Resolution Accepting Lions Donation of $500 for Downtown Trash Receptacles
12. Resolution Accepting Riverside Market Donation for Mayor’s Employer’s Recognition Lunch



M. Other Communications
1. Draft Copy of June 10, 2008 Planning Commission Minutes
2. May Police Department Monthly Report
3. Bolton & Menk Project Status Report


Adjournment

Death Threat

All the information has been made public by the County Sheriff's Department so I wanted to share a few thoughts about the pass few days.

Around 9 am Thursday June 12th I received a phone call from City Hall stating that a death threat was made to Isanti Public Officials. The decision was made to put City Hall into lock down. I stated I wanted all Council Members contacted and informed of the threat so they could take whatever measures they felt were warranted. After speaking with administration I talked with our Police Department to get further details and discuss what was happening in the investigation. As I finished my conversation my dog walks to the front door….his hair rises up and he gives a low aggressive growl. I sent my 5 and 3 year old to another room and walk up to the door and peeked out the side window. It was a neighbor but I am not ashamed to say that after the previous two conversations my heart did beat a bit faster as I approached the window.

As it turned out this was a very real and serious threat and ended with the suspect committing suicide. The threat as relayed to me was the person wanted to kill Isanti public officials and then commit suicide. We did not know if he meant City or County Officials at the time of the threats. He accomplished half of the threat and perhaps the actions taken prevented the other half from happening. We will never know for certain. Thankfully the County Sheriff's Department and Isanti City Police Department acted promptly to keep everyone safe.

This is a situation we hope would never happen as we serve the public but it does. I have had several situations were a person has parked in front of my home and just watched the house until I come out then they drive away. I reported these instances and hope nothing ever comes of it. After the February 7th 2008 shooting in Kirkwood, Missouri that killed 5 and left the Mayor seriously wounded, many cities have changed the way they look at security for their officials and for public meetings. Local governing bodies often have to make difficult decisions that may lead to someone becoming angry. This is in the best of times; unfortunately the added economic stress that we are facing only aggravates the situation.

2008 Mayor’s Great Yard Awards

I am happy to announce that the Park and Recreation Board will be kicking off its second year of the "Mayor’s Great Yard Award". This award recognizes the hard work, dedication, and creativity of our residents in maintaining a beautiful City. Landmark Bank will continue to show its commitment, with over 100 years of community involvement, by financing the first place monetary awards. This year, Isanti Hardware Hank will be financing second place awards with Northland Landscaping sponsoring the third place awards.

The awards are open to all Isanti City residents. Nominations will be accepted through Park and Recreation staff, Lisa Krause, who can be contacted at lkrause@cityofisanti.us or by mail or drop off at City Hall, 110 First Avenue N, PO Box 428, Isanti, MN 55040.

You may nominate yourself or any property within the Isanti city limits. The Park and Recreation Board will judge all entries and make recommendations to the Mayor for award winners. Awards will be presented for June, July, and August. You may not win consecutive awards. All Park and Recreation Board members as well as city staff and their immediate family members are not eligible.

All nominations must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. The awards will be presented by the Mayor at the following Council meeting.

Isanti Dance

The Isanti Ice Arena is hosting a family oriented dance on Saturday, June 21st, in an attempt to provide fun and safe entertainment while the State BMX race is taking place here in Isanti right in the arena's back yard. All ages are welcome to attend this dance and we are encouraging entire families to come and take advantage of a fun, family event. Northern Lights DJ will be providing the sound and light show. The concession stand will be open and indoor bike parking will be available.

We are also in need of volunteers to help out with chaperoning the dance. The time is from 5-10 p.m. and your child gets in to the dance for free if you are willing to help us out. Regular pricing is $5 per person and $20 for a family up to six people. Please let me know if you are willing and able to chaperone.

Thank you!
Carla Duncan

You may contact Carla at IsantiDances@yahoo.com

Mayor's Employer Appreciation Lunch

The weather did not cooperate but we still had a strong showing with over hundred employers and employees. I want to thank all those that made this event possible. Special thanks to John Bettendorf of Isanti Hardware Hank and Community Development Director Carla Vita, without whose hard work this would not have happened. City Engineer Brad DeWolf, Senator Olseen and Representative Eastlund served up our lunch. Joe Demo of Isanti Custom Meats and our future Main Street business Isanti Retail Meats did a wonderful job grilling for us.

I had the privilege to present awards for years of operation in our great City. Thank you to all our employers and the nearly 1500 jobs you have created and all the hard work you do each and every day.

City Letter of Concerns Re: County Comp Plan

A refresher of the City of Isanti's letter of concerns regarding the County Comp Plan. The posting directly following is the Isanti County Eviromental Coalition's Position Paper on the County Comp Plan.


The City of Isanti has received notification that the Isanti County Planning Commission will begin review of the Draft Isanti County Comprehensive Plan in a public hearing to be held on May 8th, 2008. The City of Isanti Planning Commission and City Council have met to review and discuss the proposed plan. By consensus, the Planning Commission and the City Council have the following comments on the proposed Isanti County Comprehensive Plan:

1. In review of the proposed plan, the charts and graphs; which are the basis for the plan utilize data and/or statistics that were collected in 2000-2002. Isanti County has seen considerable growth and development since this information had been collected. The data provided within the plan no longer provides an accurate representation of the County. The County should consider and obtain more up-to-date data from other sources, which will accurately reflect the changes that have taken place within the County.

2. The plan is lacking a Vision Statement. The Vision Statement defines who are we as a County and concisely conveys the direction in which we want to go in the future. Such a statement defines the purpose and values that the County holds dear or aims to achieve. This statement will also further clarify what we as a County represent; the beliefs that are held by the County about how growth and development will be accomplished in the years to come. The Vision Statement is a powerful communication tool, which inspires a common “vision” of the future for residents and business owners located in or looking to come to Isanti County.

3. The preservation of the County’s natural amenities was deemed as one of the most important goals to the residents of the County. However, the plan lacks any detail on how this will be accomplished. The plan should include a component that focuses on the natural resources and amenities that are located throughout the County and provide measures for the conservation of these resources.

4. The plan focuses on Isanti County’s transition from agricultural to rural. One should keep in mind that Isanti County is considered an exurban area of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. As the metropolitan area continues to grow, the dynamics and context of Isanti County will continue to grow and change as well. The plan should reflect upon these types of changes and provide measures for how the County will adapt to those changes in the years to come.

5. The process in which the plan was developed is rather disjointed. The Land Use portion of the plan has been drafted after the adoption of the Transportation Plan. The Land Use plan has proposed increased residential densities as well as the expansion of commercial and industrial properties within rural service centers and throughout the County as a whole. Planning for differing types of land uses cannot occur in a box. Transportation and land use are intertwined, one has to question whether the transportation plan that was previously adopted, will be able to support the land uses and the density ranges that have been proposed within the land use portion.

6. The County has taken a very different stance on commercial and industrial development within the proposed plan, than it has in the past. In the previous plan, the County felt the need to capitalize on the existing urban infrastructure systems that were provided near the cities. However, in the proposed draft, the County is looking to permit a wider range of commercial and industrial development within rural service areas within the townships as well as within pockets surrounding “major” intersections. This type of development raises a few questions, to include: (a) Will infrastructure issues arise and is the County financial prepared to remedy those situations? And, (b) Will the County enact ordinances ensuring that economic development within these areas can be adequately supported by County services?

7. Upon adoption of the Comprehensive Plan, will the County enact a moratorium on development, to ensure that the necessary ordinances have been adopted that reflect the goals and objects outlined within the Plan. The County has spent a great deal of time preparing this plan, one would think that the County would want to have the necessary rules and regulations in place that will guide development in the direction that has been defined within the plan.

8. As previously mentioned, the plan calls for increased residential densities and additional locations for commercial/industrial development. With increased residential, commercial, and industrial development; there will be a higher demand for County services; to include, infrastructure, police and fire protection, etc. When growth and development occur within the County, everyone pays.

City residents and businesses pay taxes to both the City and the County. Those living within the County, pay taxes only to the County. The residents of the City of Isanti will want to know what the County is willing to give to support the type of growth being proposed. The County needs to ensure that those individuals living within City limits are not unduly burdened and required to pay for the additional growth and development of the overall County. The County must be able to ensure that it is able to pay, its own way, for the additional growth and development that has been proposed.

9. Overall, many of the concerns expressed by both the City of Isanti Planning Commission and City Council, center around the concept of Smart Growth. This has been a major topic of conversation at many of the Citizen Advisory Committee Meetings. Smart Growth is based upon a number of clearly defined principles and objectives; many of which focus on the preservation and enhancement of natural resources and the continued conservation of land; the equal distribution of the costs and benefits associated with growth and development; the provision of housing, employment, and transportation options that are provided in a fiscally responsible manner; the greater share of regional growth focused around urbanized areas or those areas were infrastructure has already been constructed to support additional growth and development; and the value of long-term, regional sustainability that results from the collaboration of adjacent governmental units in the planning process. The City of Isanti is concerned that some of the land use proposals presented by the Citizen Advisory Committee, not only go against these principles, but may have a negative effect upon the cities and the region as development is encouraged throughout more rural areas.

The City of Isanti Planning Commission and City Council would like to thank the Isanti County Planning Commission for considering their comments and concerns regarding the proposed Isanti County Comprehensive Plan. If the Commission has questions or concerns surrounding any of the comments provided within this memo, please contact Isanti City Hall at (763) 444-5512.

ICEC Position Paper

The Isanti County Eviromental Coalition has been distributing a copy of there position paper regarding the County Comp Plan. It contains many important points that should be considered as the County Comp Plan process comes to completetion.


The Isanti County Environmental Coalition has identified the following concerns and issues regarding county officials’ intention to increase dramatically the rate of residential development in the agricultural district of Isanti County. Most county residents and perhaps even other officials from the townships and cities may not be aware of this change in the county’s Comprehensive Plan.

It represents a radical change in land use planning and will eventually affect every county resident and governmental entity, in one way or another.A county’s comp lan and, in particular, the agricultural land density formula are the predominate factors in preserving open space, maintaining a rural environment/landscape and in allowing current residents and government bodies to support growth in a sustainable manner. The proposed doubling of densities in the agricultural district and the allowance of more development in parcels less than 40 acres is a very major change in land use planning for this county and will potentially impact property and school taxes in major ways. (Cambridge-Isanti School District is currently reducing its budget by $2.1 million.) The compulsion to change development densities is driven by a few individuals in the county.

The 2005 township survey and the results of the regional meetings last year express clearly that such a radical change is not desired by most county residents or deemed necessary.Contrary to the occasionally raised promotion of “property rights” in regard to one’s selling of land, the county and its broad community can define the appropriate level of development and the pace that it occurs. Any landowner can realize a very nice profit from land sales or development under the current regulations. It is not the responsibility of the county and a few landowners to ensure that maximum profits from land speculation and subdivision are realized.

Most of the county’s townships do not have their own comprehensive plan and they, even more than the three cities in the county, rely on the county to conduct planning and growth with which they can deal. The maintenance pressure on township roads will increase under the new plan. The county’s planning direction for housing density may pressure individual townships to adopt their own comprehensive plan to retain the current agricultural land density of two building rights per 40 acres.

The serious collapse of the housing industry and the overall economic challenges in the state and country should make it very clear that this is a very poor time to be creating an environment which increases development and land speculation.The proposed plan is complicated and includes three scenarios for agricultural land development. Platting of parcels involving 13 to 18 houses requires a level of county staffing and oversight that currently does not exist.

The county continues to struggle in functional land use planning due to the lack of commitment to the employment of an on-staff professional planner.Though the proposed plan speaks of smart growth and the use of incentives for such, these tools remain “optional.” It will require a very large and upfront financial commitment by a landowner/developer to plat and construct the infrastructure for this option. What appears to work in Marine on St.Croix will be more difficult to achieve in Isanti County. If a developer is going the smart growth/incentive route, that person needs to be fairly certain that the designed plat of 18 houses will fill up quite quickly. This is not likely and therefore this option will be seldom used.

The creation of 13 to 18 housing units on a 40-acre parcel and the increase of those on parcels less than 40 acres increase the opportunity for farming activities to be in conflict with this type of residential development. Many residents in the county, whether farmers or not, will not be pleased with the creation of a residential neighborhood adjacent to their homes.

If the county pursues the questionable goal of increasing residential housing in the agricultural district at a faster rate, the county then should also support individual landowners, if they wish to do so, in obtaining conservation easements (a open space conservation tool) on large or unique areas on their properties. Both county staff expertise and a financial incentive to cover legal fees should be made available to interested landowners who make this important decision to protect open and wild space forever. Such a program would be an effective tool in preserving the rural nature of the county.

Isanti County needs to explore quickly the opportunity for its remaining farmland spaces to be preserved for generations to come, rather than converted to an extension of the urban environment. With food and transportation costs climbing steadily and with our adjacency to a major urban center, there is no better time than now for our fields to remain available for local food production and for the production of biofuel resources to assist in resolving energy production challenges. There are very major concerns nationwide about the sustainability of much of our daily food coming from far coast locations and beyond our borders.

The use of the transfer of development tool should protect our county’s waters especially the natural environment lakes, encouraging clustering of new residences on nearby higher land and away from these natural resources.

The Anoka Sand Plain covers a major portion of Isanti County and is vulnerable to the results of denser residential development. Its subsurface resources provide water for communities in the metro area and need to be protected forever.

It is very regrettable that the county’s local newspapers have not published the activities and decisions of the Citizens Advisory Committee over numerous months. This lack of coverage of a major community process is puzzling and does not serve Isanti County residents well.

Formal studies in this state and nationwide have made it very clear that the cost of provision of services and infrastructure to accommodate new development and growth exceeds the revenue from such growth. If there are county officials who still do not accept this finding, the county should seek a qualified agency or research institution to study this county’s growth pattern and cost of government services over the past 10 to 30 years.

Coalition encourages citizen participation

The Isanti County Environmental Coalition is a volunteer citizen’s group, founded in 1989, whose purpose is to promote individual and community stewardship of our local natural resources. It has 41 active members and has been tracking and participating in public meetings regarding zoning since 1990.

The coalition encourages all citizens to attend the next county planning commission meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12 at the Isanti County Government Center. It further encourages citizens to call their county commissioners to express their own opinions about the proposed changes in the comprehensive plan.

T-shirts

I am placing the t-shirt order in two days. If you are walking in the parade with us we need your size. We also need your size if you want to show your support for the campaign by wearing your shirt around town or at community events.

Email me at George@GeorgeWimmer.com

Council Update June 3rd

Accepting Check from Mr. Owens

There are a few items from last night's meeting I want to mention.

I accepted a $350.00 check from Community Pride Bank President Greg Owens. This money will be used for the Mayor's Employer Lunch June 11th. I will be posting a full list of all the incredible businesses and individuals that are supporting this event.

I asked the Council to support a Booktown location at City Hall. This is in essence a book rack full of donated books. People may come and borrow the books to read at anytime or take and keep. The book rack and books are free and there is no City staff time used to maintain the books. Volunteers manage the location and check in at least once a week. There are several location already in place at several local businesses.

I appointed the members to the Isanti City Revolving Loan Fund Committee. This will allow us to start the process of infusing more funds to spark great economic growth.

We accepted the bid from our City Engineer to start the construction engineering portion of the Water Treatment Plant. I had mention previously we were extending the process for two weeks to get better bids. The original bid was at $440,000 and last night we accepted the bid at $325,000. The extra time allowed for more research into the true time and scope of the project and allowed us to get a more accurate idea of the services needed. Time well spent.

We authorized the application for using Municipal State Aid for Isanti's portion of the rail road crossing arms on Isanti Parkway. This would save the City $15,422.10 from this years budget.
A note to add on... The Council voted to not fund increased Chamber membership dues for the City. The Council reiterated its support of the Isanti Area Chamber of Commerce. We applaud its tremendous growth over the last few years and its growing reach into surrounding townships and the City of Cambridge. The Council has helped foster this growth by giving office space to the Chamber to operate from for $1. The Chamber moved out of this space early in 2007 to a rental space. The City also spends thousands of dollars of in kind donations for the many events the Chamber host.
The relationship between the City and the Chamber is closer than it ever has been as we formed the Isanti City Partnership last year. This is a joint group with three members appointed by the Chamber and three by the City.
I believe in the Chamber and the local business community so much that I am a personal member of the Chamber even though I own no business. I also buy all my campaign materials from Isanti businesses.

First Pitch at Redibird's Conference Home Opener

First Pitch

It was great fun to throw out the first pitch at the Redbirds' conference home opener. I want to thank Chuck and Andy Reller for their pitching help. With their coaching I was able to throw a pretty decent strike, of course it was only about 5 mph but it hit the catcher's glove.

The Redbirds won 16-1 in a hitting display. They are our hometown team and are free to the public; I hope everyone gets a chance to watch a game or two. Here is a link to their website:

http://hometeamsonline.com/teams/?u=ISANTIREDBIRDS&t=c&s=baseball&p=home

Mayor's Great Yard Award

I am happy to announce the 2nd annual "Mayor's Great Yard Award". This award recognizes the hard work, dedication, and creativity of our residents in maintaining a beautiful City. Landmark Bank will continue to show its commitment, with over 100 years of community involvement, by financing the 1st place award. Isanti Hardware Hank will be funding 2nd place and Northland Landscaping funding 3rd place.

The awards are open to all Isanti City residents. Nominations will be accepted through Park and Recreation staff, Lisa Krause, who can be contacted at lkrause@ci.isanti.mn.us or by mail or drop off at Isanti City Hall, 110 First Ave N, PO Box 428, Isanti, MN 55040. You may nominate yourself or any property within Isanti city limits. The Park and Recreation board will judge all entries and make recommendations to the Mayor for award winners. Awards will be presented for June, July and August. You may not win consecutive awards. All Park and Recreation board members as well as city staff and their immediate family members are not eligible.

1st place winner receives $100 and Mayoral Proclamation
2nd place winner receives $50 and Mayoral Proclamation
3rd place winner receives $25 and Mayoral Proclamation

All nominations must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. The awards will be presented by the Mayor at the following Council meeting.

Mattson Park Build

The Mattson Park build will start at 8am on Thursday May 29th. Anyone interested in helping let me know.

George@GeorgeWimmer.com

City of Isanti Mayor's Employer Celebration

I have declared the Week of June 8th as Isanti Employers Week. We will be celebrating on June 11th with a BBQ picnic. All City Employers and their Employees have been invited so we may thank them. We also plan to highlight a few facts such as there are 1466 jobs in the City of Isanti and give awards for Employer anniversaries. Following is a copy of the invitation.

You and Your Employees
Are Cordially
Invited to the

First Annual City of Isanti Mayor’s Employer Celebration

This event is to celebrate the Isanti Employer! A gratis picnic lunch will be provided following a ceremony commemorating Isanti businesses with milestone Isanti anniversaries.

Location of Event: 30 West Main Street (across the street from the Creamery)
Date of Event: June 11, 2008 starting at 11:30am

Please RSVP by May 30, 2008 to Carla Vita at cvita@cityofisanti.us or 763.444.5512. RSVP is mandatory in order for us to have an accurate count for food.

We look forward to your attendance!

Council Update May 20th

A couple items from the past Council meeting I would like to discuss. The first item is the Water Treatment Plant. We have asked the Public Works Committee to revisit the construction engineering cost. It looks as though we will be able to have this work done for roughly $50,000 to $100,000 less than anticipated. The delay is only two weeks in the multiple year process. Seems to be a pretty good bargain. CM Johnson and Duff will be working on this and will report back to the Council at our next meeting June 3rd.

I serve on the Personnel and Finance Committee and we have been busy looking for ways to save cost and cut the budget in the face of unpaid property taxes. We have lowered our health care cost by $4,885.16 per month or $58,621 per year by changing providers. The level of service remains the same and I would like to thank both our Police and Public Works Unions for their consent.

The next item was a bit tougher. We cut a total of $291,984 from the 2008 budget in anticipation of lower property tax collection. This is a one time fix to fill a revenue hole. If our tax collection is higher than anticipated than we will back fill in some of these items. We have a very tight budget to begin with so the items cut will need to be addressed in the 2009 budget process. This means if we stay in the current economic situation then hard decisions will have to be made. There are three main areas in the budget: staffing, projects and fund reserves. all three will have to be addressed in the 2009 budget process that we are currently working on.

I will put together a budget that lives within our means without raising taxes.

Pat's Small Engines

I took a tour of Pat's Small Engines today.

http://www.psep2.biz/

http://www.psep.biz/

They have a couple of websites that highlight the services of this exceptional company. This is one of the many businesses that came to or relocated in Isanti in 2007. I was quite impressed by their operation and personnel. The businesses of Isanti, the entrepreneurs of our community are what really make us a strong Community for Generations. Check them out or any of our amazing businesses.

Isanti Rodeo/Jubilee Days Parade

The Isanti Rodeo/Jubilee Days parade will be Wednesday July 9th at 6:30. Line-up is at 5pm.


Anyone interested in walking with us please email me with your t-shirt size. George@GeorgeWimmer.com You will be given a George Wimmer Mayor t-shirt to wear. The more the merrier. It is a lot of fun and this year we will be up front. Go to http://www.georgewimmer.com/volunteer.html for other ways to help us win this fall. Any questions please let me know.

Blue Bird Park Tree Planting

Alexander and Abigail helping Dad Plant trees.

A large group of volunteers showed up to help us plant another group of trees in our award winning Blue Bird Park. I want to thank everyone that came out to help.

City Letter of Concerns Re: County Comp Plan

Following is a memo from the City of Isanti to the County Planning Commission regarding our concerns with the County Comprehensive Plan. I thought it was important for the public to understand our concerns as the County Comprehensive Plan is nearing completion.

MEMO

To: Tim Anderson, Zoning Administrator
County of Isanti Planning Commission

From: City of Isanti Planning Commission
City of Isanti City Council

CC: Mayor Wimmer, Members of the City Council, Members of the Planning Commission, City Administrator Lorsung, Assistant City Administrator Bauer, Community Development Director Vita

Thru: Lisa M. Krause, City Planner, AICP

Date: April 16, 2008

Subject: Isanti County Comprehensive Plan


The City of Isanti has received notification that the Isanti County Planning Commission will begin review of the Draft Isanti County Comprehensive Plan in a public hearing to be held on May 8th, 2008. The City of Isanti Planning Commission and City Council have met to review and discuss the proposed plan. By consensus, the Planning Commission and the City Council have the following comments on the proposed Isanti County Comprehensive Plan:

1. In review of the proposed plan, the charts and graphs; which are the basis for the plan utilize data and/or statistics that were collected in 2000-2002. Isanti County has seen considerable growth and development since this information had been collected. The data provided within the plan no longer provides an accurate representation of the County. The County should consider and obtain more up-to-date data from other sources, which will accurately reflect the changes that have taken place within the County.

2. The plan is lacking a Vision Statement. The Vision Statement defines who are we as a County and concisely conveys the direction in which we want to go in the future. Such a statement defines the purpose and values that the County holds dear or aims to achieve. This statement will also further clarify what we as a County represent; the beliefs that are held by the County about how growth and development will be accomplished in the years to come. The Vision Statement is a powerful communication tool, which inspires a common “vision” of the future for residents and business owners located in or looking to come to Isanti County.

3. The preservation of the County’s natural amenities was deemed as one of the most important goals to the residents of the County. However, the plan lacks any detail on how this will be accomplished. The plan should include a component that focuses on the natural resources and amenities that are located throughout the County and provide measures for the conservation of these resources.

4. The plan focuses on Isanti County’s transition from agricultural to rural. One should keep in mind that Isanti County is considered an exurban area of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. As the metropolitan area continues to grow, the dynamics and context of Isanti County will continue to grow and change as well. The plan should reflect upon these types of changes and provide measures for how the County will adapt to those changes in the years to come.

5. The process in which the plan was developed is rather disjointed. The Land Use portion of the plan has been drafted after the adoption of the Transportation Plan. The Land Use plan has proposed increased residential densities as well as the expansion of commercial and industrial properties within rural service centers and throughout the County as a whole. Planning for differing types of land uses cannot occur in a box. Transportation and land use are intertwined, one has to question whether the transportation plan that was previously adopted, will be able to support the land uses and the density ranges that have been proposed within the land use portion.

6. The County has taken a very different stance on commercial and industrial development within the proposed plan, than it has in the past. In the previous plan, the County felt the need to capitalize on the existing urban infrastructure systems that were provided near the cities. However, in the proposed draft, the County is looking to permit a wider range of commercial and industrial development within rural service areas within the townships as well as within pockets surrounding “major” intersections. This type of development raises a few questions, to include: (a) Will infrastructure issues arise and is the County financial prepared to remedy those situations? And, (b) Will the County enact ordinances ensuring that economic development within these areas can be adequately supported by County services?

7. Upon adoption of the Comprehensive Plan, will the County enact a moratorium on development, to ensure that the necessary ordinances have been adopted that reflect the goals and objects outlined within the Plan. The County has spent a great deal of time preparing this plan, one would think that the County would want to have the necessary rules and regulations in place that will guide development in the direction that has been defined within the plan.

8. As previously mentioned, the plan calls for increased residential densities and additional locations for commercial/industrial development. With increased residential, commercial, and industrial development; there will be a higher demand for County services; to include, infrastructure, police and fire protection, etc. When growth and development occur within the County, everyone pays.

City residents and businesses pay taxes to both the City and the County. Those living within the County, pay taxes only to the County. The residents of the City of Isanti will want to know what the County is willing to give to support the type of growth being proposed. The County needs to ensure that those individuals living within City limits are not unduly burdened and required to pay for the additional growth and development of the overall County. The County must be able to ensure that it is able to pay, its own way, for the additional growth and development that has been proposed.

9. Overall, many of the concerns expressed by both the City of Isanti Planning Commission and City Council, center around the concept of Smart Growth. This has been a major topic of conversation at many of the Citizen Advisory Committee Meetings. Smart Growth is based upon a number of clearly defined principles and objectives; many of which focus on the preservation and enhancement of natural resources and the continued conservation of land; the equal distribution of the costs and benefits associated with growth and development; the provision of housing, employment, and transportation options that are provided in a fiscally responsible manner; the greater share of regional growth focused around urbanized areas or those areas were infrastructure has already been constructed to support additional growth and development; and the value of long-term, regional sustainability that results from the collaboration of adjacent governmental units in the planning process. The City of Isanti is concerned that some of the land use proposals presented by the Citizen Advisory Committee, not only go against these principles, but may have a negative effect upon the cities and the region as development is encouraged throughout more rural areas.

The City of Isanti Planning Commission and City Council would like to thank the Isanti County Planning Commission for considering their comments and concerns regarding the proposed Isanti County Comprehensive Plan. If the Commission has questions or concerns surrounding any of the comments provided within this memo, please contact Isanti City Hall at (763) 444-5512.

Website and Email Hosting Change

My website and email hosting are being moved to another service provider. My email address george@georgewimmer.com and website www.georgewimmer.com will remain the same. I ask for your patience if there are any issues during this process. We hope everything will be transferred successfully by the end of the weekend. If you have sent me an email that has gone unanswered in the last 24 hours please resend this Monday. Again I apologize for any issues.

May 6th Council Meeting

Tonight was a momentous evening for the City of Isanti.

I informed the Council that I am declaring the week of June 8th Isanti Employer Week. I will be rolling this out more as we get closer. I believe it is important to pay tribute to our employers as well as educate our community that we have over 1400 people employed in the City of Isanti. Some may look around and see a quite town; I look around and see a bustling energetic City bursting with exciting opportunities.

I was happy to announce that the Economic Development Association of Minnesota has awarded its coveted Business Recruitment prize to the City of Isanti. This year’s competition was fierce as 2-3 times the normal amount of submissions were received. We used the Ever Cat Fuels project as our example of Isanti’s new business recruitment process. We have worked very hard in the last 16 months to make Isanti stand out among other communities. This award is an independent acknowledgement that we are on the right track.

I was honored tonight to show Isanti Police Officer Rod Barrows our appreciation for his bravery and skill in the line of duty. On November 17th 2007 Officer Barrows confronted a felony suspect who was holding a handgun and had just threatened a citizen’s life. Officer Barrows was able to arrest the individual without further incident. We often hear about the negative outcomes of such incidents but rarely hear anything when our police officers excel. The Minnesota Chief’s Association awarded Officer Barrows the Medal of Honor for his outstanding work.

The Council finalized the plans to handle nuisance and foreclosed properties in the City. We had an in depth discussion. I wanted the City to outsource the mowing of yards because it cost us less. The example of cost given by staff was the outsourcing would cost the City $30 per lawn and if done by part time City workers it would be $55 or as much as $78 if done by full time employees. This seemed to be a clear financial decision. Some made the argument that if we outsourced it then we would have to pay immediately. I once again pointed out that we pay our City staff to do the work therefore there is no difference in time paying the bill if we handle in house or outsource the work. The City will get reimbursed either way when the property taxes are paid as the unpaid cost will be assessed to the tax rolls. There was a “guarantee” that public works will be much quicker this year than they were last year in taking care of these properties. I hope that will be the case. I was out voted 4-1 on this matter so there will be no outsourcing of this service. It is unfortunate since the cost will be much higher. We must maintain the property values of the entire City and not allow the cancer of nuisance properties to devastate neighborhoods. Once an area or city starts the downward slide it is extremely difficult and costly to rehabilitate.

The Council passed the rental ordinance on a 5-0 vote. We have worked on this ordinance for the last year. We have taken a great deal of time to fully consider this ordinance. I believe it will help ensure a strong community for generations to come. I want to thank all those that have worked on this project.

We passed the Revolving Loan Fund. This is yet another financial tool that will help us attract more new businesses and help existing businesses to expand. Our future success lies in diversifying the tax base with more commercial properties.

I wanted to end this posting with an item I actually updated the Council on at the beginning of the meeting. We are projecting a revenue deficit of $280,000. This represents about 8% of our total budget. I serve on the Finance Committee and it will be our job in the next week to start putting together a list of actions to balance our budget. These actions will be presented to the Council at our May 20th meeting. The majority of this deficit is due to unpaid property taxes. 4 of our top ten tax payers have not paid their taxes. 3 of these are land developers. The total owed by these top 4 is about $260,000. If they all had paid their 2007 taxes we would not have this issue.

The chickens have come home to roost after the housing bubble burst. Many communities are going through the exact same issues we are. Rapid Residential Development is never a good thing. We must work our way through this and make sure we never face these issues again. We will be looking at several different areas to help balance our budget. These include current City staffing levels, major City projects and fund balances. It is important we act now because the fiscal issue will only be tougher as we face 2009.

No matter how dark this may appear our future is bright. The businesses we have been attracting and continue to attract will be hitting the tax rolls in the years to come. As we rely less on residential taxes to fund City operations the better it is for everyone. We need to work our Long Term Financial Plan that we started in 2007 and keep building our commercial tax base.

No Name Calling Contest

Grand Prize Winner

All 4 Winners


I was happy to fund and present the grand prize for the No Name Calling contest at the Isanti Middle School, Minnesota Center. This is a project that Ms. Sparrow and school staff have been working on for some time. Jill Reller of Reller Signs and Debbie Bray of Embroidery & Ink donated the sign and clothing items with the grand prize winner's design. Community Pride Bank and the Rotary Club donated the money for the 1st through 3rd prizes.

I challenged the students to live the message. It is up to each of them to take the message to heart and make it a reality.