August 23rd Budget Session Update

Tonight’s budget work session made some movement on the 2007 budget. My proposal to use liquor store funds and excess revenue collected in 2005 to lower taxes was partially accepted tonight. This was flatly refused at the last Council meeting.

Council Member Johnson proposed to use $65,000 from the liquor fund and $65,000 from the excess revenue totaling $130,000. This will mean a 1% tax increase to Isanti’s property tax levy. The budget will be a 6% increase on top of last years 30% plus increase if this stands. The Mayor made an odd comment that he thought this would play well in the papers. I hope we are not setting budgets with this goal in mind.

I also take into consideration the hidden tax increase we all have experienced, higher assessments. Each year that the assessed value of our homes increase, we pay more in taxes. It is possible that even if the tax levy stays the same, we could pay more in taxes if the assessment goes up. My own home has had its assessed value increase by over 20% in the last few years.

I believe we need to have a combined $300,000 from these two sources. Please read http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/08/august-15th-council-update.html for more information on my budget position. We have added a few more cost needing to increase the transfer to $300,000. The liquor store fund currently has a cash balance of $820,000. Please refer to the above link for more details. The revenue transfer is only part of the solution.

$70,000 roughly of budget reductions have been agreed to as you can read at the link above. We still need to reduce the public works budget by a further $15,000. Last years budget had a tremendous increase in public works equipment budget. This needs to be paired down this year as our financial resources tighten.

There are structural issues with the budget that will cause problems for years to come. The City’s debt payments will increase by 18% in this budget, consuming 14% of the total. This is the second largest expense in Isanti’s budget. In 2001 when I moved to Isanti the City’s per capita debt was $400. Today it is $2500 per person. The city’s population increased by 100% yet our debt has increased by over 500% in the same time period. This will limit Isanti’s ability to do important public projects.

One such project is the straightening of Credit Union Drive. This is project number 1. When McDonalds is built at the intersection of 5 and 65 it will be using the current gas station entrance and exit. This will become incredibly dangerous with the extra traffic generation. By straightening Credit Union Drive we can add a safer in and out on highway 5. Another benefit would be to line up Credit Union Drive and create a north/south signalized intersection by the grocery store. It is important to have a safe crossing by the grocery store. This will never happen if long range planning is not used.

Isanti has to make tough decisions and plan for the future. If we do not do long term financial planning and prepare a capital improvement plan we will sink in debt and high taxes.

If the housing market stays flat or slows further, Isanti’s budget issues will only get worse in years to come. Plan Plan Plan……I know I say it all the time but it is desperately needed so we may be prepared for whatever comes our way.

The preliminary levy will be set at the September 5th Council Meeting. This is important since the final budget is not set until after the November 7th election.

As always I will keep you posted.

Endorsements

As you know I am running for Mayor of Isanti to reform our City. In order to do the hard work that has to be done we need a Council that believes in reform. There are two candidates for City Council that I know will work hard for reform.

I endorse Council Member Kennedy’s re-election and Sean Steven’s candidacy for Council. Council Member Kennedy and I have been fighting to lower City taxes and fees. We are working to reform the Council and ensuring that each person is treated fairly and equally.

Mr. Steven’s Chairs the Planning Commission and has shown he can be fair and objective. He wants to reform Isanti and has laid out an agenda to do just that. Go to www.stevens4isanti.com to learn more.

November 7th will give every Citizen of Isanti the choice of progressive reform or business as usual.

Word of Warning about Local Taxes

A good article about local government and their mantra for raising taxes:

http://www.isanticountynews.com/2006/August/16localgov.html

Special Budget Work Session August 23rd 6pm

The Isanti City Council will hold a Special Budget Session Wednesday August 23rd at 6pm. Hopefully this session will get results. I will keep you posted.

August 15th Council Update

The four Council agenda items I discussed previously, Americnn, Iverson request for extension of 60 day rule, Storm Water Ordinance and the Budget ran the course from unanimous voting to “energetic” discussion.

The AmericInn plat passed unanimously. I have stated several times this is a needed business to help in Isanti’s future growth.

Iverson’s request for an extension to the 60 day rule passed 4-1, Kennedy against.

The Storm Water Ponding change passed 4-1, I was opposed. The detail that people need to pay attention to is that it allows private ponds only if the developer should choose to have a private pond. This change in no way mandates private ponds. Only time will tell if any private ponds will be used. If there are new private ponds developed then strict covenants and education of residents will be mandated.

For these three items please see-- http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/08/august-15th-council-meeting.html for more details.

Now we come to the budget. The Council went through the list of new equipment and personnel request. There was some agreement to accept the cuts I suggested:

$30,000 for Planning and zoning Consultant
$2,000 for extra Council Chairs
$15,000 for a wood chipper
$16,000 for asphalt compacter
$15,000 for replacement park equipment, leaving $10,000
$10,000 for ot/pt out of police budget because of new Police Office Hire

This is where the wheels fell off the wagon and at times lead to heated discussion. I proposed a revised amount of funds to transfer from the Liquor fund,$75,000 and saving $175,000 out of the $350,000 in excess of taxes collected for 2006 to be used in the 2007 budget. This would in essence be giving back half of the over collected taxes. Mayor Apitz, Council Members Johnson and Larson were quite opposed to this idea.

They have earmarked this money to help buy more industrial land. I do not agree with this plan. I have asked the EDA and Council to revise our current Industrial Park policies which give free land and other tax incentives to businesses that provide as little as 2-3 jobs at $8 an hour. This has yet to happen. In the spring of 2005 Council Member Kennedy and I had asked to have the salary range for those companies asking the City to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars to be adjusted. This was flatly refused.

I can not agree to bring in one more acre of land into an industrial park until these requirements are improved. Ironically Council Member Johnson said they should now be looked at. Industrial land is one of many budget items that need long term financial planning to make a success, to date this has not happened. The proposed land is currently zoned industrial so if it is developed it can only be done as industrial.

The City has a liquor store monopoly in order to help keep property taxes low. I do not think it unreasonable to ask that at least half of the excess tax revenue be given back to Isanti tax payers. It is a fundamental philosophical question. Do we want to have affordable property taxes or follow the Mayor and Council Members Johnson and Larson and raise taxes and continue to increase spending?

I brought up the fact that we have this budget crisis because last year these three voted for over 30% in budget increases. Council Member Larson said it was to catch up from previous years. I stated this is caused from a lack of long term budgeting and planning. This was accepted and seemingly they will agree to long term budgeting and planning, a key reform to solving some of Isanti budget issues.

I however can not end without pointing to the irony that the Mayor has been on the Council since 1989, Council Member Larson since 1998 and Johnson since his appointment in the summer of 2002. http://www.georgewimmer.com/Isanti%20Election%20History.html

Isanti has suffered from their poor planning. These 3 have been a majority for 5 years on the Council, what have they been waiting for?

I am happy that my constant call for planning is finally being heard but enough is enough. This budget process has highlighted once again the need for change.

With several reductions of double dipping cost and agreed reductions, the levy will still need to increase by nearly 10%. This was added to by $9,750 in new spending for several charitable groups and the Isanti Redbirds. since no agreement was reached tonight the Council has set next week Wednesday as another special budget session.

I will keep you posted.

August 15th Council Meeting

There are four items from the upcoming August 15th City Council Meeting that I want to discuss.

The first is the great news that AmericInn will be building a hotel on Main Street just north of Hurricane Carwash. This is the first critical step in having the commercial infrastructure to start capturing dollars spent by those visiting Isanti. The investments made in various City festivals and sporting/recreational activities bring thousands of people to town. In the past they have had to stay in Cambridge or North Branch. Starting next spring they will have a local option. The hotel also fits well with Spectacular Events, tremendous facility offering a large dining hall, Bar and restaurant. The hotel will spur other economic development as well.

The second item I wish to discuss is the requested 60 day rule extension by Iverson Real Estate. This is for Fairway Greens III addition. This plat consists of extremely small lots, some hovering around 5,000 feet. This plat has been denied twice by the Planning Commission and tabled once by the City Council. Mr. Iverson’s conduct at the last Planning Commission was intolerable. His mocking and heckling behavior towards me as I pointed out the technical and planning problems with his application was unprofessional and shows a lack of respect for the process. I hope he will take City Staff and Planning Commission comments to heart and correct the many errors in this plat.

The third item is the proposed change to in the City’s Storm Water Ponding Policy. Mr. Duff from the Planning Commission and a candidate for City Council is attempting to make City storm water ponds privately held pieces of property. I am adamantly opposed to this change in city policy. I have listed my objections many times and will provide the link to those statements here-- http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/04/response-to-commissioner-duffs-letter.html. He has made a statement that the City could save $500,000 to $1,000,000 in a 10 year period of time. I asked him at the Planning Commission what this was based on. The only answer is this is what he was told by other Cities. To put this number in perspective it would be 1 ½ to 3 fulltime public works employees working on nothing but ponds. This is of course not the case. I hope the Council follows the Planning Commission recommendation, which voted 6-1 to deny the change, and vote this measure down.

The last item is Budget discussion. I have laid out my plan to reduce Isanti’s Levy by 8%. Please read for the specifics of the plan -- http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/08/august-10th-budget-session-update.html . We must keep property taxes low for our residents as well as for businesses. I will also be asking that Isanti start working towards long term budgets and capital improvement plans. Purchases such as heavy equipment or land for industrial park expansions cannot be made on a whim. We must have long range planning to prepare for such expenses. Simple common sense must prevail.

Residential Units in Metro

More interesting residential unit news.....

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=132089

Weekend in Isanti

Isanti had three great events on Saturday, the Rum River Classic, Veteran’s Picnic at Blue Bird Park and BMX races.

I volunteered at the Classic and met a great group of Veteran’s out at the park. I was unable to attend the BMX event but heard it was another great success. These events started another incredible weekend in Isanti.

City Planner

The New City Planner is Lisa Krause. This will be made official at next weeks City Council Meeting. She is a Certified City Planner with 5 years of experience. She attended the beginning of the work session last night and was introduced to the Council and public.

I am excited to have such a well qualified and experienced person in the planning department.

Comprehensive Plan Update

The proposed Comprehensive Plan I saw on Wednesday still has some structural problems. The area covered is almost entirely within the existing City limits or what will be annexed this year. This will lead to the exact same problem as the current plan. We will grow out of it in a year or two and have to start all over again.

The other major issue is they seem to pay no attention to current zoning or desired future zoning. Recurring comment is that DSU does not listen to those helping in the process.

DSU which has been hired again to consult on this project is making the same mistakes they made in the 2002 Comprehensive Plan. I voted against hiring them since they failed in their first attempt. They seem to be failing once again.

If the current plan stands we will have another failed Comprehensive Plan and have wasted another $100,000.

The plan is to be approved by the City Council in October. This does not seem possible with all the errors in the presentation this week. I voiced my points to DSU at the meeting and hopefully they will be listened to.

August 10th Budget Session Update

Council Member Larson opened the Budget Session as Mayor Pro Tem since the Mayor was 30 minutes late. There were three department presentations. The good news is there was plenty to cut from the budget.

Several items were either entered twice or were for programs the City is not doing. This alone has a budget saving of over $65,000 dollars. I asked to have all department heads review their budgets to make sure there is not more double dipping in expenses.

The list of items I would like to see removed include:

Planning and Zoning Consultant ----------$30,000

Extra Council chairs ----------------------$2,000

Wood Chipper ----------------------------$15,000

Public Works Equipment -----------------$25,000

Replacement Park Equip -----------------$15,000 still leaving $10,000 for replacement equip

Police OT/PT reduction due to new hire --$10,000 The PD will hire a New Officer for 2007

The above stated reductions added to the duplicated expenses equal $162,000. The budget should also reflect $50,000 more in transfer from the liquor fund and $200,000 out of the $350,000 from the 2005 budget surplus. The liquor fund and budget surplus should be used to keep taxes low, not increase cash accounts for “extra” spending. This will allow for an 8% Property Tax Levy decrease.

The Council received funding request from the Friends of the Library and the Isanti Historical Society. Each group wants $5,100 each. This would be added to several other previous requests including one from an abused women’s shelter. The Council will also receive a funding request from the Isanti Redbirds at the next Council meeting.

These request added together with all others is reaching $30,000. These are all worthy causes and groups but Tax Payers have to pay the cost. $30,000 is equal to 1.39% reduction or increase in our Tax Levy. We must prioritize and be willing to say no when needed.

We will be having further Budget discussions at the next two Council Meetings. The Preliminary Levy will be set at the September 5th meeting.

I will keep you posted.

Budget Update Coming

I will have a budget update by midnight. A number of redundant spending was found that can be cut. I will have a full update by Midnight.

New City Planner

We have a new City Planner. She accepted the city's offer and is planning to attend tonight's Budget Meeting. I will release her name as soon as she attends a public meeting or when the final background checks has been completed.

She is well qualified as a Certified City Planner and has over 4 years of city planning experience.

August 10th Work Budget Work Session

The latest Budget proposal has lowered the proposed tax increase to 11.18% from the over 14% increase. This is because Local Governemnt Aid is higher and two debt funds had a small surplus.

Tonight's budget schedule will have presentations from the Liquor Store, Police Department and Public Works departments.

I have sent a number of questions to staff to be prepared to answer tonight. These center on the Liquor store budget and transfer amounts. Municipal liquor stores exist to help keep property taxes lower. The amount of profit transferred to the General Fund has remained the same for the previous 4 years even though the operating income has increased 76%.

The extra revenue is kept in a cash account. It is important to keep a percentage for future repairs and other expenses. This number should never exceed 25% of total profits. In 2005 it was 60%. This has led to a cash account over $750,000.

The other accounting issue with the Liquor Store is that City Administrative staff cost are run through the store at a high percentage. 38% of several high cost administrative positions are charged to the liquor store. This shows inflated cost to the liquor store and makes Isanti's Administrative cost look low. This is however not true. We need to reform this budgeting process so we can compare apples to apples and truely judge Isanti's administrative cost.

This concerns me because a large portion of these funds are being looked at to fund another City project which has nothing to do with the liquor store or lowering City Taxes. I have to reiterate my position that if the City collects the funds they will find a way to spend it.

This is the same point on the General Fund. The city collected $350,000 in unbudgeted funds for 2006. This money is continually being spent or asked to be spent on many differing projects. I want the major portion of this amount put forward to the 2007 budget which will help lower property taxes.

The Liquor store is quite profitable and well run. The City needs to receive the full benefit from this operation.

If time allows, there will be general budget discussion. I will at that time present my budget changes to lower Isanti's Property Taxes by 7%.

The meeting is at 6pm tonight. There will be a 10 minute presentation and funding request from the Isanti County Historical Society. Then we will move into the budget presentations.

Isanti Fall Music Festival

The Isanti Fall Music Festival is scheduled for September 23rd. The IFMF is a celebration of our Main Street Business District. Main Street is the Jewel of Isanti and cannot be forgotten as we expand other commercial districts.

This event starts with a Classic Car show and ends with a 50's/60's band for the street dance. As more information becomes available I will post it here.

Rum River Classic

The Rum River Classic is set for August 12th. I will be running the Isanti rest stop with great help from several volunteers and the Isanti Ambassadors. The Classic is a bike ride that raises funds for the Isanti/Cambridge Bike/Walk trail.

For more information please go to http://www.co.isanti.mn.us/miscfiles/websitei.pdf

Stolen sign spotted

One of my stolen signs was spotted at 1101 Flintwood, west of highway 23. It was damaged and had a circle and line drawn through it. I hope the people responsible are aware this is a crime. I will hand this over to the proper authorities. If the person or persons responsible will apologize we can leave it at that.

If you see any defaced signs please let me know..... george.wimmer@genesiswireless.us

Meeting Schedule

This is a busy week for the City of Isanti.

Tuesday August 8th 7pm Planning Commission

Wednesday August 9th 7pm Comprehensive Plan Meeting

Thursday August 10th 6pm Budget Meeting

Any questions let me know.

Planning Commission August 8th

The Isanti Planning Commission will be meeting Tuesday at 7pm. We will be discussing the following topics:

The proposed AmericInn on Main Street north of Hurricane Car Wash

A discussion regarding Iverson Real-estate’s request for a development with extremely small lots less than 6,000 square feet

Isanti adopting the recently accepted County Tattoo Ordinance

Residential Landscaping standards

Vehicles in residential neighborhoods

Changing public storm water ponds to private ownership

The first item is the final arrival of AmericInn to Isanti. Having a place for visitors to stay is a critical part of any community’s growth. This is especially needed with Spectacular Events on highway 5. We have many summer wide events that will also benefit from lodging accommodations. This coupled with the commercial growth on the corner of 65 and 5 will bring Isanti a great future if it is managed well. I am excited about this first critical step in our city’s future.

Iverson Real-estate’s request for extremely small lot housing does not benefit Isanti. This may make the property cheaper and easier to sell but it also creates row housing of a style that was considered detrimental to a City by the late 1960s. This item was tabled two weeks ago and sent back to the Planning Commission by the City Council because Mr. Iverson presented many new claims and documentation refuting City Staff’s and Planning Commission’s findings of fact to deny this request. There is nothing new in the materials presented to show a reason to allow such a detrimental development in our great city.

I have asked the Planning Commission to review and recommend the adoption of the County Tattoo Ordinance. This will bring us into sync with the county.

Residential landscaping requirements have caused some confusion. Current City ordinances state you may sod or seed. City staff has been using a document agreed to by several builders, former city Administrator and the Mayor. This document mandates items not in ordinance. This is absurd. Side agreements can not take the place of city Ordinances. We need to codify City requirements so everyone knows the rules they need to follow.

Vehicle parking in residential areas have become a hot topic. The main discussion revolves around commercial vehicles in driveways, RV parking and vehicles/trailers on grass areas. I look for ward to a vigorous debate on this topic. There are many standards that can be applied. We need to create an environment with flexibility yet have a City that is aesthetically appealing.

The last item is Storm Water Ponds. Isanti had a disastrous history with private storm water ponds. Landowners will fill and use the area and degrade the storm water retention capacity. Water damage will result as has occurred over and over again in current private storm ponds in Isanti. The main issues revolve around area and City wide ponds having to be maintained by private owners and tax hikes on these same owners. Please see:

http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/04/response-to-commissioner-duffs-letter.html

Stolen Yard Signs

A few of my signs have been damaged and stolen. This is done by one of two types of groups—misguided kids or insidious little cowards that do there worst in the shadows of the night.

If it is kids, then they simply need to be taught that trespassing and destroying personal property can not be allowed. They should be also taught that they are committing a greater crime against the Freedom of Speech. Campaign signs are a form of political speech. Political Speech is the most protect form of speech. We must all be able to debate ideas openly and honestly.

If it is the insidious little cowards that are unable or unwilling to dwell in the realm of ideas and debate, then only legal action can curb their destruction. I know not what so darkens a person’s soul that they must strikeout by trespassing on personal property and destroying a few words on a sign. What insignificant mind must think this is a good idea.

If you disagree with me or simply do not like me then express that in a hundred other ways that do not involve breaking the law or harming your neighbors. You would not like to have someone walk on your property and violate your rights.

If your sign has been stolen please contact me at george.wimmer@genesiswireless.us and it will be replaced.

Yard Sign Update

We have over 50 signs out and request are still coming. There are plenty of signs left and more the better. If you or anyone you know are interested please e-mail me at:

george.wimmer@genesiswireless.us

We need to keep getting the message out. There are only 96 days left until the election.

Sewer Rate Reduced by 20%

My 20% Sewer Fee reduction passed at tonight's Council meeting. Having development pay for itself went one step farther by having its sewer rate increased to better reflect its sewer impact. This lessens the subsidy paid by exiting home owners for new development.

To learn more about the months long struggle to bring fairness to this fee please read.

http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/06/June-20th-2006-council-meeting.html

http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/07/July-5th-council-update.html

This is a good but only first step in Tax and Fee reductions.

Website update

I had been ask by numerous people to have a bit more biographical information on the About George section of www.GeorgeWimmer.com. I have put some information up at:

http://www.georgewimmer.com/About%20George.html

August 2nd Council Meeting

Isanti's City Council Meeting is Wednesday August 2nd. It is on Wednesday this week because of National night Out.

The main topic will be the sewer rate reduction. I have proposed a 20% reduction. Please read http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/07/july-5th-council-update.html for more information.

National Night Out

Isanti's official National Night Celebration is Tonight at the Community Center. I will be attending several neighborhood events I have been asked to attend. I will also attend at the Community Center a bit later.

National Night Out was started to get residents to know people in their own neighborhood. This was to help reduce crime and create a more close knit community.

Budget Work Session Update

The Council heard presentations last night from Planning and Zoning, Finance/Administration, EDA and Parks. The City's Finance Director also gave a brief overview of the entire budget.

I asked to have some follow through on the budget structure to make it clearer where and how City funds are spent.

Mayor Apitz asked to have a discussion on pay raises for himself and the council. I am amazed by this discussion. The Mayor is paid $3,925 and Council Member $2,838. This is above the area average. Mayor Apitz and Council Members Johnson and Larson thought we should be getting paid more for the extra meetings.

One of the many reforms I have been pushing is having work sessions so the Council can be educated on specific topics. These meetings are new since I was elected but this is work that should have been done years ago. Being the Mayor or City Council Member is not easy and is not to be done for the money. It is an honor to serve the Citizens of Isanti. I will fight any pay or per diem increase that is proposed. Pay increases will be discussed at the August 15th council Meeting. Isanti is looking at double digit tax increases and yet these three want to raise their pay.

There were two surprises last night. The first is that the proposed Property Tax Levy increase went from 11.86% to 14.73%. The second is a request for $30,000 to have a consultant review the p/z ordinances. This is not needed at this point. The Planning and Zoning Commission still has much work to do to reform these ordinances. The City has another $15,000 in the budget for codification.

There is a request for a $10,000 intern to work on planning and zoning. This should not be paid for by property tax dollars but should be paid for by building and development fees.

The City's Debt payments is currently eating up 15% of our total budget. This must be reduced. Isanti can not continue to grow debt and burden the generations to come. We must make the tough choices to keep our City debt manageable.

If we remove the $30,000 from the budget and pay for the $10,000 intern from fees we will save the taxpayer $40,000. or 1.5% of the tax levy.

This is but the start. As we continue to discuss staff request I will be laying out further reductions to balance our budget. I will not vote for a single dollar more in taxes. We need to reduce the tax burden on our residents. I will be presenting changes that will lower our tax levy by at least 7%.

The next budget work session is August 10th 6pm.

Yard Signs

I am putting together the list of properties for signs. If you will be willing to host a "George Wimmer for Mayor" sign please click the link-- george.wimmer@genesiswireless.us and e-mail me your address.

Yard signs can not go in before August 1st by state statue and City Ordinance.

Thank you for your support.

Preliminary Budget

The 2007 Preliminary Budget was handed out to City Council Members on Friday. This document is put together by City staff and is the basis for the Council work sessions.

I am quite disappointed by this preliminary budget. Many of the structural request I had made to show the true cost of City operations are not reflected.

My greater disappointment however is in the proposed 11.86% increase in the City Property Tax Levy. This is wholly unacceptable. Several key points need to be made as to why we are at this point.

A 19% reduction in licenses and fees has been estimated due to the slow down in the housing market. A 30% increase in City General Obligation Bonds..I.E. City debt and the increase cost of operating City Hall are just a few of the many strains being made on Isanti's Tax Payers.

The amount of debt Isanti has accumulated to date makes any future bonding extremely difficult. We simply can not burden Isanti's Taxpayers with more debt until current obligations are paid off or the subsidized businesses generate more tax revenue. We can not continue with past failed policies.

I have been making the argument since 2004 when I first ran for City Council that the amounts being spent were NOT sustainable. I voted against last years budget which increased City spending by over 30%. This years budget increases by a further 10% on top of the last budget.

Isanti must curb its spending euphoria and reduce our property tax burden. This is but the first stage in the budgeting process. We must enforce a strict budgeting discipline at each stage of the process--- for if we do not we will never be able to pass an efficient budget. The final budget vote is conveniently after this falls election.

Elections matter. Perhaps this year Mayor Apitz, Council Member's Larson and Johnson will show greater spending restraint since it is an election year, we can only hope.


I will keep you posted each step of the way.

West Nile Death in Minnesota

Minnesota has the first West Nile Death in the county for 2006. We are entering the period of the year that is highest risk for mosquitoes bearing West Nile.

Here is the link to the story.

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=129980

Here is the link to my Mosquito Control Program.

http://georgewimmer.com/Mosquito.html

Council Update

There are two items I wish to discuss regarding Council work.

The first is the meeting schedule for the next two weeks.

There will be two special meetings next week. The first will be Monday the 24th at 6pm. This work session is to discuss GMHF concern that Isanti has not been working on a "model" community of affordable housing. I have stated many times and still believe that Isanti has a full stock of "affordable housing". This is the current older small housing stock as well as the numerous condos for sale. There are also many newer homes under $175,000 on the market.

Isanti needs needs to diversify into all types of housing including medium and higher priced to maintain an appropriate tax base to pay for our City services. According to the background information report provided during the Comprehensive Planning process that shows roughly 50% of Isanti's housing is affordable.

The cost that has increased the most in this market is land. Lots have gone from $20,000 in the recent past to the $100,000 range, in a few short years. The norm of an average lot being in the $40,000 to $60,000. The City can not be in the game of subsidizing high land prices that will interfere with normal market forces. This will only help sustain a real estate bubble in our area.

The second Council Work session will begin the budgeting process on Wednesday July 26th at 6pm. The City Budget is the plan for our future. We set priorities and give direction to staff for the next year of city operation.

The 2006 budget passed, in 2005 was a document of excess and poor choices. This can easily be summarized in two facts. The choice of the majority of the Council, Mayor Apitz, Council Members Larson and Johnson to create the $54,000 Administrative Assistant position and to explode the budget by over 30%. These three also deniened expanding the City Police force by one officer stating in July of 2006.

2005 saw dramatic crime increases. It had been 3 years since a new police position had been added. Three years that included a doubling in the City's Population. In 2005 alone there was a 42% increase in theft, 70% increase in assault and 24% increase in vandalism and narcotics. This did not move these three Council members to improve Isanti's Police force. I hope they will rethink their poor decisions of 2005 and work to create a budget that will lead us safely into 2007.

I am proposing a 7% to 10% decrease in City Property Taxes. This can be easily accomplished. The Council exploded spending by over 30% in 2006. The City also collected $350,000 in "extra" non-budgeted money. This is currently being spent. $350,000 in excess taxes is 10% of the budget. We must reduce the flow of taxes into City Hall and spend the money collected more efficiently. If this Council collects the money they will spend it. This is why I am asking for a 20% reduction in the city Sewer rates at our August 2nd council meeting. The City is currently collecting over 24% more in fees than is needed to pay for sewer operations.

To learn more about my Tax and Fee plan go to http://georgewimmer.com/Tax.html

The budgeting work sessions are all open to the public and I hope you will attend.

School Board

All four incumbent 911 School Board members are running unopposed this fall.

I find this surprising considering all the issues with bonding and school cost. I believe competition is good for elective bodies.

If our officials are never challenged they may not have fully explored all avenues to solving problems. I am smart enough to know I do not know everything. Listening and answering opposing arguments strengthens the end result.

Parade Response

I have been receiving dozens of calls and e-mails from the parade effort. I want to again thank everyone for their support and encouragement. Together we will reform Isanti.

Isanti Rodeo Information

Isanti Rodeo Information

Link to Isanti Rodeo information:

http://www.iprarodeo.com/Rodeos/Isanti.php

Parade Group

Click picture to enlarge

We ended up with 53 people in the parade. This was an incredible turnout. I want to thank everyone that walked and supported us in the crowd. This was a great night.

State Demographer Population Estimate

The State Demographer released his population estimate for Isanti. This number is as of April 2005 . These estimate generally lag a little over a year. So with no further ado:

April 1, 2005 population estimate is 5,181

April 1, 2005 household estimate is 1,827

This important because this moves Isanti into another classification as a City. This impacts certain regulation and road money. I will be informing you more about this in the near future.

Watering Ban Ordered by City Administrator

This is the Water Ban Notice. Thought people would like to read it.


NOTICE

RESTRICTIVE WATERING BAN IN FORCE

To Residents of the City of Isanti:

The City is currently pumping water 24 hours a day to maintain the water supply in the city system. To ensure there are sufficient amounts of water to allow for normal usage and emergencies (i.e. fire) the following restrictions have been put in place:

Effective immediately, City Ordinance No. 144 shall be enforced as follows:

All property with address that ends with an odd number (i.e. 113) may sprinkle on odd numbered (i.e. 13) days, and all property with address that ends with an even number (i.e. 110) may sprinkle on even numbered (i.e.10) days.


THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTION SHALL APPLY TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS:

TOTAL BAN OF SPRINKING FROM 12:00 NOON TO 6:00 P.M.
ONLY ODD / EVEN SPRINKLING ALLOWED

THIS WATERING RESTRICTION WILL BE ENFORCED.
VIOLATORS SHALL BE FINED.


If efforts taken to reduce the amount of water being used are not successful, further restrictions in lawn sprinkling may be imposed. If you have any questions, please contact City Hall at 763-444-5512.

Properties with new lawns of less than six weeks old may be exempt from the odd/even sprinkling restriction. Please call City Hall to request the exemption.


By Order of the City Administrator

Dated: July 13, 2006

Rodeo Association Donation

I would like to thank the Rodeo Association and volunteer Fire fighters for all their great work. The Rodeo Association raises hundreds of thousands of dollars through thousands of hours of volunteer work for equipment, structures and training of fire fighter personnel. Tom Pagel of the Rodeo Association presented the Fire Board with a check for $60,000 to help pay for Fire Station 3 on July 10th.

This personifies the Isanti spirit of hard work and giving that makes our community strong. We should not forget the net result of all the giving by the Rodeo Association and the hard work of the Volunteer Fire Fighters. The training, that just this weekend, saved a man from the river with several severe injuries. By using proper technique and equipment they prevented paralysis and even possible death.

The dollars raised by the Rodeo Association helps keep every one of us safe. While having fun at the Rodeo this weekend we should thank the hard working Fire Fighters that make it all possible.

July 5th Council Update

I wanted to update you on the sewer fee discussion. The Public Hearing will be held the first Council meeting in August. I was able to get a second option for discussion. The original 12% will be presented along with the 20% reduction I advocated.

Isanti has been collecting 24% more than budgeted for sewer services. This is $12,000 per month over the $50,000 budgeted. At the end of August the City will have over collected $96,000. This is almost two months extra revenue for the sewer fund.

My experience in City Government to date tells me if the money is collected they will find a way to spend it. The City has a "surplus" from 2005 of over $300,000 in the general fund. This is already being spent on "extra" projects. I do not want a large surplus to accumulate in the sewer fund or it to will be spent.

This will be critically important as we enter the budget cycle. We must make Isanti's government lean and efficient. It is important as housing and development begin to slow. We do not want to be like some cities in our region that have had to raise property taxes by double digits.

Isanti Rodeo Information

Link to Isanti Rodeo information:

http://www.iprarodeo.com/Rodeos/Isanti.php

Website Back

www.GeorgeWimmer.com is back up and running.

Website Down

Website is down. It should be back up in a few hours. Sorry for the inconvenience.

July 5th Council Meeting

The July 5th Council meeting will have several important items for discussion.

The first item is the Cambridge Medical Center's request for Council input on placing a clinic in the City of Isanti. I have long advocated for more medical and professional services in Isanti to provide needed services and higher paying jobs.

I will however not speak on this particular request since my wife works for Alina. She is far from any decision making position on clinic placement but I believe we must maintain the highest level of integrity. I for one take Isanti's Conflict of Interest Policy seriously.

The second issue is nuisance ordinance enforcement. We will once again be discussing the priorities to enforce current ordinances on the books. Many of these trash, weed and parking ordinances are not being enforced.

The third topic that will need further investigation is joining with Cambridge on a joint industrial park. This might very well be a good idea. I am concerned about the oversight and criteria set for industrial placement. I have been advocated higher wage and job criteria for Isanti's current industrial park. One of my criteria for approving this project would be a livable wage and higher job creation goals for those businesses asking for a public subsidy.

The last item is the proposed change in sewer rates. The current proposal is a 12% reduction in the fee. I still believe that we can and need to lower the rate by 20%. We can not continue to collect more in fees than is needed. If we do this it will get spent sooner or later.

George Washington Quote

"The basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government."

-George Washington's Farewell Address, September 17, 1796

Declaration Of Independence

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

From Heartland Fields

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons servingin the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants, nine werefarmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken fromhim, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr, noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more.

Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War.We didn't just fight the British. We were British subjects and we fought our own government! Some of us take our liberties for granted, forgetting they were won by the "militia" against an overbearing central government bent on robbing individuals of basic rights to speech, self-defense, and personal property.

Be sure to take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday to silently thank these patriots and resolve never to give away the freedoms they died to secure. It's not too much to ask for the price they paid.Remember: freedom is never free.

July 13th Parade

I have been asked to repost this information.


I have an entry for the July 13th Isanti Parade.
Anyone interested in walking with us please email me with your t-shirt size. george.wimmer@genesiswireless.us

You will be given a George Wimmer for Mayor t-shirt to wear.

The more the merrier. We will be handing out candy and having fun.

Any questions let me know.

Isanti City Growth

This is from the State Demographers Website. We will be gettingthe new estimate of Isanti's population in about 2 weeks. I will update you then on that number when I recieve it. Here is the 2000 to 2004 growth:

Year----- Population

2000- -----2324
2001 ------2613
2002 ------3815
2003 ------4163
2004 ------4498

Isanti's Road Projects Web Updates

Here is the link with updates for Isanti's road projects.

http://www.ci.isanti.mn.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={4ADE8A01-D217-467B-93EA-467F2AB02215

Meth Arrest in Cambridge

Meth arrest in Cambridge.

http://www.isanticountynews.com/2006/June/2878grams.html

Scuttle Butt

I do not know whether to laugh or cry at the ridiculous scuttle butt that is flowing through town on the election history information I posted.

I asked for this information which is public and is maintained by the City Clerk's Office. This is information that anyone off the street could ask for. It is the exact same as the City's Police Report.

This is all information that is public and should be shared with all, not kept for just a few to know. I believe this so firmly that I have people on my e-mailing list I know that do not support me but have asked for updates. City information is not to be kept locked away for only a privileged few to read.

The most important goal I am trying to reach for all Isanti Citizens is fair and transparent government. This can only happen if all Citizens have an equal voice and equal ability to access City information.

I have my best conversations and debates with people I know will never vote for me. If you question my motives, ask me. As I tell everyone I had 6 older brothers....There is nothing that anyone can do to me that is worse than what they did to me. I do not take criticism personally. If we all agreed there would be no need for government.

Open communication is why I do the blog and publish public information. The same election history I received was sent to each Council member and Mayor along with other City staff at the exact same time per city policy.

I hope to receive all comments from supporters and detractors alike.

Election History

I have posted the last 20 years of Isanti election history compiled by City Staff at:

http://www.georgewimmer.com/Isanti%20Election%20History.html

West Nile's First showing in Metro

The first two dead birds with West Nile Virus were found in the Metro area. Here is a link to the story.

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=127575

Here is my link for my mosquito control program.

http://georgewimmer.com/Mosquito.html

Great Quote

As a dog owner I thought this was a good quote for eveyone to keep in mind as we head into our political season.


“I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons.”

Will Rogers quotes (American entertainer, famous for his pithy and homespun humour, 1879-1935)

June 20th Council Update

The two topics at tonight's Council meeting that drew the most discussion is the proposed public subsidy for utilities on the SE corner of 5 and 65 and the sewer rates.

The proposed subsidy for the utility improvement would set a costly precedent for future development. Isanti does not pay any public funds for such work. This has always been paid for by the developer. The developer in this situation wants the City to pay 30% of the cost. I like the proposed development but I strongly oppose any tax payer money be spent on the project. Development must pay its own way. If we offer to pay 30% of this project cost then this will be used by other developers to have the City pay portions of their cost. This project would cost Isanti at the very least according to the developers own numbers $31,000. This estimate however does not include the full cost of the project. This may not seem like a lot of money but if you add the 30% of all such projects the cost becomes staggering.

We all want this corner to be developed into a prosperous taxpaying commercial district. We must however do it the right way. This is one of the most desirable sights in Isanti. It will be developed without any type of subsidy.

The other major issue is the sewer rates. I proposed a 20% reduction in the cost but the censuses of the Council was at 12%. We also agreed to a new rate of 5,000 gallons for new home sewer. This goes a long way to ending the subsidy paid by current residents for new residents sewer cost. The request from some builders to reduce their cost for sewer on new homes that have not sold was not acted on. For more information on this please read http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/06/June-20th-2006-council-meeting.html .

We also bonded tonight for the street improvements project. Isanti has a great deal of bonds that have been floated in the last few years. I am concerned with the amount of collective debt we are accumulating as a city. According to Isanti's audit report the debt per resident has gone from roughly $400 to $1,900. This is per resident so even as Isanti's population has double the debt has increased by 5 times. This will start to limit the City's ability to borrow and curtail other future projects. As we enter into the 2007 budget cycle I will be writing more about this.

Campaign Contributions

To donate to my Campaign for Mayor please go to:

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

June 20th 2006 Council Meeting

We have another full agenda for the City Council. The three items I wish to discuss are new land annexed to Isanti, two new Planning Commission appointments and the sewer and water rates information. We will be holding public hearings bringing 116.87 acres into City limits and setting hearings for another 202.05 acres. This equates to hundreds of more homes in the years to come. We must be prepared to answer the transportation and infrastructure questions that will follow another leap in growth.

The second item is to welcome Cherie Sullivan and Jeff Kolb to the Planning Commission. Cherie has a law degree and Jeff is a home mortgage consultant. I did ask Jeff if he currently works with any builders or developers in the area and he said he did not. We had one opening originally but the Dave Peterson resigned. Dave is a former Councilman. When I ran in 2004 he was the only Council Member who wished me luck. He is a true gentleman.

The last item I want to discuss is the sewer/water rate structure. The City is currently collecting roughly 25% more in sewer rate fees than expected from the last rate hike. I proposed that we lower sewer rates to fall back in line with expenses. A government entity should not collect more in fees than is needed to appropriately operate.

I was happy to see agreement on my idea to raise the average sewer rate for new homes. New houses in the past were charged for 4,000 gallons of usages for the first year until a winter average could be established. Winter water usage is used to established yearly sewer rates so residents are not charged sewer cost for lawn sprinkling. This new rate of 5,000 gallons will bring greater fairness to all of Isanti. The reduction in the subsidy paid by current residents to new residents will be greatly reduced.

I will be pushing for a vote on reducing sewer rates by at least 20%. Fair fee prices are essential to a financial healthy community.

I was also surprised that there was a request by some builders to have the rate they pay on empty new homes reduced from roughly $24 to $4 per month. If they are worried about paying for empty new homes they should not build so many causing the housing market to be flooded with new homes at the detriment to existing home sales.

Tough Housing News

More disturbing housing news.......

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=126934

June 8 Greater Twin Cities Land Use Workshop

On June 8th I was a panelist for a discussion on the impact of development in the Collar Counties held in Monticello.

The Developer Representative made two key points. Developers come into a community and use the rules that are in force. This is an important point since it points out one the real problems with poor city development. It is the city's fault. A community must have a comprehensive plan and ordinances that will shape development. This is critically important for Isanti considering we have out grown our Comprehensive Plan.

The second point was in response to a question I asked him after the panel discussion. Does he think it would be appropriate to use a moratorium on development until the City Comprehensive plan is complete. He stated that many Cities do it and that it often helps developers in the long run.


I will be writing more on this topic in the days and weeks to come.

Work Session Update

The Isanti City Council had a work session on Thursday June 8th. We covered 8 issues. There are three topics I wish to discuss.

First topic that I wish to discuss is Ianti's street addressing and naming Issue. There is a 14 county wide grid system that is used. The City of Isanti does not fit in this system. This is of concern for everyone from emergency personnel trying to find an address to UPS trying to deliver packages. It becomes more important each day as the City grows.

The Council heard from several important individuals including Fire Chief Randy Polzin and 911 dispatcher Bob Shogren. All agreed that the current system is severely flawed. There were concerns off 911 calls not properly directing emergency personal to the correct location. Concerns of City liability were also raised if corrections were not made.

There was also an issue that City staff had also made a change within Isanti's system that caused further confusion.

This issue will now go to the Isanti Planning Commission to research and propose a solution to the City Council. The entire Council now sees the need to reform our street naming and addressing system.

It has been a painful process, go to http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/06/June-6th-council-meeting.html for details, but much needed. I would like to thank Fire Chief Polzin for leading the fight on this key safety problem.

The second issue is the realignment of Credit Union Drive. When this street was first put in it should have been to the west of the Credit Union. The City Council at the time directed it to the east. We are now faced with having to fix this past mistake. If Credit Union Drive is moved to the west it will then line up with East Dual Blvd. This will allow for better traffic control and street crossing.

The other problem this can help solve is the access to the property in the SW corner of 5 and 65. This is the location of the planned McDonald's and other development. If Credit Union Drive is moved then another access can be allowed onto this development and remove the access by the current gas station. This is a tremendous safety gain for all drivers. Currently the in and out at the gas station causes traffic issues. When a McDonalds is on this location the traffic will be doubled or tripled. We need to make a realignment of Credit Union Drive a priority for safety and economic development reasons.

The difficulty is in paying for this twice. This is another example of poor past city planning that we need to correct today. If we wait it will cause greater safety concerns and the cost will only escalate.

The last item I want to discuss is the sewer/water rate structure. The City is currently collecting roughly 25% more in sewer rate fees than expected from the last rate hike. I proposed that we lower sewer rates to fall back in line with expenses. A government entity should not collect more in fees than is needed to appropriately operate.

I was happy to see agreement on my idea to raise the average sewer rate for new homes. New houses in the past were charged for 4,000 gallons of usages for the first year until a winter average could be established. Winter water usage is used to established yearly sewer rates so residents are not charged sewer cost for lawn sprinkling. This new rate of 5,000 gallons will bring greater fairness to all of Isanti. The reduction in the subsidy paid by current residents to new residents will be greatly reduced.

I will be pushing for a vote on reducing sewer rates by at least 20%. Fair fee prices are essential to a financial healthy community. The sewer rate reduction and fixing Isanti's addressing system are key reforms we must work to complete.

June 6th Council Meeting

Tonight’s City Council Meeting started with several concerned business owners along Main Street questioning the street improvement project. The main concern is business interruption partial caused by lack of proper signage. I stated the city should have signage stating that the businesses are open. The business owners wanted the no thru traffic signs to be changed to business traffic allowed.

The second major item was the request by two businesses to receive a Public Hearing for business subsidy in the industrial park. I again raised my concern of Isanti providing public subsidy to businesses providing $8 and hour jobs. I was also quite concerned that neither business filled out the forms fully. There was no information on the number of jobs and only after discussion were we able to get some dollar figures of pay rates.

It seems ridiculous that someone would come before Council asking for over $250,000 in subsidy and yet not complete all the paper work. I asked that this should be a requirement of the EDA and Council but received very little support for even filling out the forms properly.

The last item was not on the Council Agenda but I had asked for it to be placed on the Planning Commission Agenda. The item is the street and address number in Isanti. There is a 14 county wide grid system that is used. The City of Isanti does not fit in this system. This is of concern for everyone from emergency personnel trying to find an address to UPS trying to deliver packages. It becomes more important each day as the City grows.

I had proposed that this important City planning issue be on the Planning Commission agenda. Council Member’s Johnson, Larson and Mayor Apitz did not want it to go to the Planning Commission were I serve and none of them do. This was again another clear political power play by these three to halt City progress. Instead they want it discussed at a Council Work Session which would delay any correction of the problem. This has been an issue for years. I am trying to bring reform, and in this case greater public safety, to Isanti and they are playing political football. If they were truly concerned about this issue they could have worked on it the last 8 to 10 years they have served on the Council.

I hope this kind of ridiculous behavior will not stop other needed reforms.

Cambridge Police Chief Dies

Cambridge Police Chief Dies...


http://www.isanticountynews.com/

Milestones

The Blog georgewimmer.blogspot.com has hit the 15,000 page visit milestone.

The Website GeorgeWimmer.com has surpassed the 2000 page visit milestone.

I can not guarantee we will always agree but I do guarantee I will always listen. I listen and respond to all comments either verbal or written. Communication is key to solving any problem.

I would like thank all those who visit each site.

Lost lives on 65

We have lost two more lives on Highway 65 in the last few days. We all need to be careful and remember to be safe. A few extra moments of caution can save a life.

Here are the links to the two stories:

http://www.isanticountynews.com/2006/May/31MemDayCrash.html

http://www.isanticountynews.com/2006/June/265.107accident6.2.html

R1 and R2 Rentals

I have received an idea on a solution for rental properties in any zone. The idea is to have a landlord registration. This would require property landlords to register and pay a small fee. This would allow the City to be aware of the rental property within city limits.

The City could then track any issues with "problem" properties. The balance would be established between those needing or wanting to rent properties and the need of homeowner occupied houses.

The proposed solution is already in place in Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park. The final step in this process is to have vigorous enforcement if a nuisance is found.

I want to thank all those with pro and con arguments. I believe open communication is key to solving any problem.

Please let me know if you have any comments on this solution.

Residential Handbook

There are many ordinances and City requirements that are critical for homeowners to know. I have proposed a Residential Handbook that would include all this information.

Go to http://georgewimmer.com/Residential.html to learn more. Similar handbooks have been made for developers and builders, we should have them for the citizens of Isanti as well.

R1 and R2 Debate

I have been receiving many comments on the R1 and R2 zoning issue. A point has come up that everyone should be aware of. If you are or planning to rent your home in R1 and R2 you need a conditional use permit (CUP) if you take in several boarders or renters. If there are properties currently rented to boarders without a CUP then they are in violation of current City ordinance. This is the obligation of the property owner. I know there are some properties being currently rented with boarders in R1 and R2 and I am not aware of any CUPs.

Highway 5 and 5&23 Traffic Light

Highway 5 and 5&23 traffic light work has been delayed. One of the original contractors went bankrupt. The County is working on closing a deal with a second bidder. The work should begin with a week or two.

This County project is different from the road work being done in Isanti. Any questions please let me know.

The Mosquitoes are Coming

The mosquitoes are coming out in full force. Go to http://georgewimmer.com/Mosquito.html for my mosquito control program.

R1 and R2 Rental Property

I am researching restricting single family homes in R1 and R2 from being turned into rental properties. Current City ordinance allows renters in R1 and R2.

It is my belief that these two residential zones should be owner occupied and not rental properties. Home owners have a strong impetus to maintain their personal property. A home is generally our greatest investment. Its value must be protected.

R3 and R4 allows multi-family dwellings that tend to lead to more rental units. This will provide the necessary homes for those that must or choose to rent.

If R1 and R2 single family homes are to continue to allow renters then nuisance ordinances need to be strongly enforced. Please e-mail me any input you may have on this issue. george.wimmer@genesiswireless.us Thank you.

Memorial Day

I wanted to share a few thoughts about Memorial Day. I however can not do justice to such a momentous occasion. I have included two well known speeches and one poem that has always touched my heart.


The Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg,Pennsylvania
November 19, 1863

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.


Ronald Reagan -- Pointe de Hoc, Normandy, June 6, 1984
(The 40th anniversary of D-Day)

We're here to mark that day in history when the Allied peoples joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. For four long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved, and the world prayed for its rescue. Here in Normandy the rescue began. Here the Allies stood and fought against tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but forty years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs. Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers -- at the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machine-guns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting only ninety could still bear arms.

Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there.

These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.
Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your 'lives fought for life...and left the vivid air signed with your honor'...

Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith, and belief; it was loyalty and love.

The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.



MY LITTLE MAN

Sitting in a foxhole
On a deep dark night
Looking for the enemy
Hearing noises of the night
I don't think of you
My little man

Creeping through the jungle
On a bright moonlit night
Looking for the enemy
Hoping for a fight
I don't think of you
My little man

Now the tour is over
Memories seem like dreams
Reflections of those nights
When I didn't get any sleep
I only think of you
My little man

Now, daddy looks at you in your sleep
And tries to dream a dream
Of a world where you will never lose any sleep.

Written from the heart by William Nick Sr.

Council Contact

I have been able to deliver some good news on several issues residents have brought to my attention. I am saying this only to point out that sometimes going to a Council Member or the Mayor may be needed.

If you do not like me or want me to help you please contact another Council Member or the Mayor. Their contact information can be provided by calling City Hall, 444-5512.

We are here to serve the Citizens and Tax Payers of Isanti.

Poll numbers

Results of the "Do you think George Wimmer will be a good Mayor?"

The final poll numbers are:

175 Yes

8 no

This is not a scientific poll but still a good indication. I thank all those, even the no votes, that participated.

Eminent Domain.

The new Eminent Domain law was sign today. This will make the taking of property much harder for local governments. This is a triumph for the little guy against the over powerful developer.

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=125212

46 Pages

I have reread 46 Pages: Thomas Paine, Common Sense, and the Turning Point to American Independence. I have never given my opinion on reading material but this is a powerful book.

Thomas Paine lays out the argument for changing the relationship with Great Britain. The point that seems most salient to our situation is the idea that a system which has been in place for so long seems right because of its longevity. Paine refutes this idea point by point.

Fundamental change is always the hardest. Paine knew this and described the sacrifice needed to make such change in his next great work The Crisis. Our situation is not so dire nor so desperate but the challenge still needs to be met.

I encourage you to read these works if you have time this summer. They are short and yet encapsulate the basis for our system of government and the sacrifice needed to maintain it. We all often forget the great society we live in because of our busy day to day activities. It is these moments that we must remind ourselves to be ever vigilant. Freedom is taken bit by bit so as not to be noticed.

Remember we get the government we deserve by our votes.

Repost of Meth Town Hall Meeting

Meth-- Townhall Meeting


There will be a Meth Townhall Meeting Monday May 22nd, 7pm to 9pm. This meeting is free. The meeting will be held at the Richard G. Hardy Performing Arts Center at Cambridge-Isanti High School. Please call the Community Education Office at 763-689-6189 to register. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Meth and other drug use is a scourge to all of us, especially in Isanti County. I urge you to attend.

The power of JOBZ

Here is another instance of a City that uses the JOBZ program.

http://www.isanticountynews.com/2006/May/17italianfirm.html

Cambridge has lured MAPE, USA to their city. MAPE stated the JOBZ program will give them a tremendous advantage. Isanti's EDA had refused to use the JOBZ program. After I was elected to the Council I asked the EDA to reconsider. They flatly refused. I asked for an explanation and they said they just did not see its value.

Many of our neighboring Cities use this program. MAPE will have 15 employees and will spend $5.5 million dollars on production lines. These are good paying jobs. While Isanti has to fight over whether or not a company should have 2 or 3 $8 an hour jobs.

Change is needed desperately. We must shift our focus and expectations. We can not continue to subsidize low paying jobs while our neighbors attract strong businesses that pay livable wages.

This issue is important to all Isantians. Isanti needs more business growth to help alleviate residential property taxes. If Isanti continues to attract strip mall and low paying industrial jobs we will not be able to break free of high property taxes.

July 13th Parade

I have an entry for the July 13th Isanti Parade. Anyone interested in walking with us please email me with your t-shirt size. george.wimmer@genesiswireless.us

You will be given a George Wimmer for Mayor t-shirt to wear.

The more the merrier. We will be handing out candy and having fun.

Any questions let me know.

May 16th Council Update

I want to update you on the 3 items I detailed on May 12th.

1. Council compensation was discussed. I stated we are paid more than enough. Council Member Johnson wanted to get paid more because he felt the Council Members are attending more meetings. He bizarrely decided to bring my wife's profession as a Doctor into the debate. I warned him against such out of bound behavior. People may say anything about me, and they have, but my family is off limits.

Then Council Member Larson stated this should be discussed during budget talks. We should not dodge the issue. These Council Members wanted it researched and discussed so we should have made the decision.

There is no good reason to increase Council pay. We are paid above the area average. The ironic part is that Council Member Johnson and Larson were appointed by the Mayor to another committee. I asked if they will want even more money for yet another commitment.

I believe that we as Council Members have a duty to perform our duties regardless of our pay. We should not be looking to increase our pay for every meeting we attend. Our motivation should be to serve.

2. The "weed" field was discussed at Whiskey and Blossom. The varying responsibilities of the different landowners and the City of Isanti was detailed. A plan was discussed to till under the weeds and plant with grass and then enforce the maintenance of this area. I hope this will finally put this issue to rest.

3. Federated had its site plan approved by a 5-0 vote. This project will now move forward. As I have stated many times this is the key to further Main Street Development. The TIF captured from this project will be used to finance further Main Street revitalization.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all those incredible women out there......

May 16th Council Meeting

There is a full agenda for the 16th. There are many rezoning and plat approvals. These include rezone of an area in the Richard Avenue neighborhood asking to rezone to R3 and allow multifamily dwellings. This does not belong in a single family part of town.

There are three other items that I want to highlight.

1. Several Council Members have asked to have our pay research. The Council does not under any circumstance need a pay increase. I will fight any type of pay increase. According to the information provided we should pass a pay decrease. Many of the Cities that are the same size actually pay less than Isanti.

2. The "weed" field growing northwest of Whiskey and Blossom. This has been an issue for the City for over a year. This was planted by Iverson Real Estate. City staff has been unable to get Iverson Real Estate to live up to their commitment. It is time this area is cleaned up. The residents have had to live with this nuisance long enough. The Council needs to take action and stop passing the buck.

3. Federated Co-op site plan is up for approval. This is an exciting project. This is the first of what will be a true revitalization of the Main Street Business District. Once this project moves forward the City will be capturing TIF money to help fund other Main Street business projects. Federated is a business I am proud to have in Isanti.

Rumor Mill in Full Force

The wild rumor mill has swung into action. I have received a few comments and emails from people who have heard that I am going to fire city workers or my personal favorite I will default on City Bonds. These are of course ridiculous rumors. I have laid my agenda out in great detail at www.georgewimmer.com.

If you hear such rumors please let me know. If you are not sure, call or write me. I believe my record speaks for itself. Do not believe these crazy rumors. People do weird things when they are scared of change. This is I am sure only the beginning. In 2004 there were wild rumors spread about me including that I supported the then city Administrator. I of course was the one that made the motion to not renew his contract.

Together we will make Isanti the City we all want it to be. This is just the last gasp of the good'ole boy network.

Planning Commission Issues

My industrial/Business reform request went before the Planning Commission. There was unanimous support for the idea but that is were agreement fell apart. This process is following the same pattern as my Development Impact List. The idea is great but it appears that no one wants me to get credit for it being my idea or doing the work. I had hoped the Planning Commission was not going to be ruled by petty politics but it seems to be following suit with the Council.

The other issue raised was staff time. This excuse is raised every time ordinance enforcement or reform is discussed. Planning Commission Members and City Council Members have never raised the issue when it comes to allowing developers expand the City. The idea that developers come before the residents of Isanti is asinine.

If we as a City can not spend the time correcting our current issues why would we want to compound them by further rapid residential growth.

I will continue to fight to reform Isanti regardless of what petty political obstacles are placed in my way.

Commissioner Duff raised private ownership of storm water ponding. I again stated the reason this was a bad idea as follows:

1. Residents may be able to claim greater ownership of land, they will however have no uses of this land as it is designated as a holding pond. This may give a false feeling of ownership.

2. The resident is to maintain their section of the holding pond. This is an unfunded mandate. Holding ponds gather water from a larger area than just the immediate neighborhood. The cost of its maintenance should not be on those that simple abut the pond. What do we

3. If the land is owned by the resident they will be taxed on the land. These will set-up the owner of the land paying a significantly higher tax bill with no benefit.

4. I am hard pressed to see how the City would lose liability for a structure it is mandating be built. Resident ownership may lead to having liability in case of a lawsuit.

The full discussion is at: http://georgewimmer.blogspot.com/2006/04/response-to-commissioner-duffs-letter.html

Humbled

I am humbled by all the amazing e-mails, phone calls and comments on my blog of support for my Mayoral race. I will work as hard as I can for the Citizens of Isanti.

A common theme centers on how you can best help in the campaign. I have set-up a page on my website to answer this question, http://georgewimmer.com/Involved.html . I will be looking for any and all kinds of help. Those that wish to have a lawn sign, they can not be placed until after August 1st.

Isanti has grown and so has the need for help in spreading information. Anyone who wishes to help please e-mail me george.wimmer@genesiswireles.us. Those that have already signed up I will send you special updates on campaign activities. I can only do this with your support.

Together we will make Isanti a City we can be proud of for generations to come.

Announcement for Mayor of Isanti

I here by announce my candidacy for Mayor of the City of Isanti. The City we know is quickly changing. Land is being acquired in a manner that will double or triple the population of Isanti. Our city needs to make the right decisions today to properly plan for this rapid residential growth and our future.

Our city's infrastructure will quickly be overburdened in the next five years, if we do not take thoughtful, measured, and responsible action today. As Mayor, I will prepare and plan for this growth and ensure we have the tax base to support these changes. While preparing for the future, it is essential to maintain the safety and small-town feel that makes our city great. I have already examined the challenges Isanti faces. The list includes:

Property Taxes & City Fees
Economic Development
Road Construction & Maintenance Costs
Traffic Impact
Sewer & Water Capacity
Police & Fire Protection
City Staff Priorities
Park & Trail Maintenance Cost

We need a clear picture of the impact of Isanti's growth. Whether you plan to live in Isanti the rest of your life or just a few years, we must plan now to control how growth will affect our property values, taxes, and City fees. These are issues for every citizen. Our City will grow tremendously over the next five years. Isanti needs a leader with a plan and ability to implement it. With that in mind, I have laid out an aggressive agenda for 2006. My plan centers around three guiding principles:

Citizen Safety
Economic Reform
Responsible City Government

Now is the time to make a choice for the future of Isanti. I ask for your support in my efforts to lead Isanti. To learn more about my 2006 Agenda, please visit http://www.georgewimmer.com/

Together we must preserve Isanti’s Traditions while planning for the future.

Subsidy Vote

I am going to make a quick follow up to tonight's Council meeting and will write a more detailed account later today.

The Mayor, Council Members' Johnson and Larson voted to approve waiving the subsidy requirement for Lexington Textile. The requirement is one $8/hr employee. The total subsidy paid to this company is $81,000.

It is not fair to all the businesses in Isanti that receive no subsidy to not hold the line. City taxpayers have to pay their tax bill no matter what type of year they are having.

If Lexington had a legitimate reason for not fulfilling their obligation they should present these facts to the Council. The Owner did not even show-up to make the argument. Tonight's 3-2 vote saved Lexington $41,000 in penalties. This should be worth a few moments of their time.

This leads to the greater problem of having bare minimum requirements for tens of thousands of dollars of City subsidies that have no apparent return. If a business ask for taxpayer money we must demand a higher standard than $8 an hour jobs. We owe our current businesses and City Taxpayers nothing less.

Website Attack

I just got through fixing an "attack" on my website, georgewimmer.com. It should be up and running fine now. If you run across any problems please let me know.

May 2nd Council Meeting.

The City Council has a full agenda Tuesday night. We will be discussing the placement of a community compost facility and hearing an update on the Emergency Management Plan.

The 2005 City audit will be presented. The Audit shows a trend that has been troubling to me. The City increased its debt load by 35%. The trend is highlighted by the fact that in 2002 the net debt per capita was $498, today it is $1,904. A 382% increase in debt per person is a trend that must be turned back.

Isanti is looking at further increasing its debt load for more industrial land. Adding land to the Industrial Park could be a good investment so long as the businesses that receive the land are an asset. I do not think that the process to continue to subsidize businesses that pay low wages is right for our future. If a business ask for City Money they have a higher standard than a business that can operate on their own.

Lexington Textile which is receiving a business subsidy is asking for a waiver on its requirement to add one more job. This requirement would bring the total to three employees making $8 to $10 dollars an hour. I can not support waiving this requirement. This is not fair to the majority of business in Isanti that do not receive a City subsidy. If a business is going to receive tens of thousands of dollars from Isanti it needs to fulfill its obligations.

We have a partial victory in the City Fee schedule. There will be no increase in the permit fees that each of us as Citizens pay. The issue is still the dedication fees by developers. I adamantly believe that these must increases to the area standard. It is incredibly cheap to develop in Isanti. We must make sure developers pay their fair share so we are not left holding the bag after they leave town.

We will be discussing the Minnesota Community Capital Fund. If any business desires this fund to be provided I hope you will make this known at the City Council meeting.

The 2006 Street Improvement Project bids are in. The low bid is 4.25% lower than the original estimate. The Council will be granting the bid at Tuesday’s meeting.

The Council will vote on approving a picnic shelter for Blue Bird Park. The shelter will be 20’x40’ with electricity. Park and Recreation fees, paid by developers, fund this project. The labor is being donated by Encomm at a savings of $11,500. This is the third major project for Park and Recreation that has used free labor. Two community parks build and this shelter will have saved the City roughly $100,000 in labor cost. I am very proud of our frugal approach in safe guarding City assets.