Redistricting

The Isanti County Board approved governing principles for redistricting .. if followed the new districts will be fair and equitable. 

New Mayor George Wimmer Facebook Fan Page

Make sure you go and like my Mayor George Wimmer Facebook page  http://www.facebook.com/MayorGeorgeWimmer

you may also fallow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/MayorWimmer

Plunge Pictures

The Before

The During

The After

2012 Spring Isantian Article

This Edition of Isantian looks a little bit different due to my goal of adding greater transparency to our City Government. We have taken each City department and explained how your taxpayer dollars are being used to fund City services. Many duties are self-evident such as police stopping speeders or public works plowing streets. Many other state mandated duties and expenses are not such as our City Planner making sure we do not allow spot zoning which could cost the City significantly in legal and future development cost. Our HR person has to make sure we comply with comparable worth and a litany of other State mandates. Our Police Department is not only busy catching the bad guys but also helps with such things as infant car seat inspections and lockout assistance. I believe it is important each Citizen and Taxpayer has a complete view of what their City government is doing and how their money is being spent.

Another topic we need to discuss is the ever changing landscape of our City. Isanti has gone from 74%  our tax base being owner occupied homes in 2010, to 65% in 2011. This is a significant shift and shows the trend of our housing stock being converted into rental properties. This is a foreseen outcome of the foreclosure crisis our Nation has been plagued with. When I was elected Mayor in 2006 I made a rental and maintenance ordinance a high priority so Isanti would be well positioned to deal with the coming changes. Isanti may very well see 50% of our housing stock converted into rental properties. This will lead to many challenges, which we have seen in other communities where rental property owners try to force communities to lower their standards and increase their profits at the City’s cost. Future Mayors and Councils must not allow an eroding of community standards to profit a few at the expense of families that invested so much in making Isanti a wonderful place to live.

On this same topic there is a trend occurring centering around the theme of ‘times are tough, Isanti should take anything they can get’. This would be disastrous to the long term health and vitality of our community. Residential proposals allowing new tiny cheap homes in established neighborhoods would not only hurt existing property values but would never generate enough future property taxes to help pay for City services thus increasing the burden on existing homeowners. Only the developer would make money on this type of deal. We see it on the commercial property side as well. Proposals to build low value additions along TH 65 that would never provide decent paying jobs, tax base or services our community needs. Times are hard and will continue to be for years to come but we must not allow short term fear to drive long term policy. The approval of any type of ‘growth proposal’ is what got Isanti in such a mess to begin with and has left us paying millions in debt that we have inherited. Long term city planning is like planting trees - we do it for the generations to come.

2012 will see exciting events and changes in Isanti. Redistricting has placed our City in a new State Representative district as well as a new County Commissioner District. These changes highlight the need to have good representation for our community at each level of government. There is not one seat on the School Board or County Board occupied by a City resident.

We are hosting State tournaments for soccer and BMX, along with numerous weekly games and rides this summer. Our State Champion Redbirds will be playing in a tougher division this year and will continue to make us proud. These two groups alone bring in tens of thousands of spectators and participants and highlight the great strengths of our community. Rodeo Jubilee Days along with other numerous events make Isanti such a wonderful community.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments please contact me at 763-442-8749 or email me at George@georgewimmer.com . You may also follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/mayorwimmer Facebook at facebook.com/GeorgeAWimmer or my blog at georgewimmer.blogspot.com

1 Day to the 10th Annual Arctic Plunge

Go to http://arcticplunge.com/ to learn more.... there will be many changes this year due to the weather conditions but the cause of raising money for important local causes is still the same....

Local Papers Coverage of my State of the City

http://www.presspubs.com/isanti/news/article_5aaf021a-63c0-11e1-89c2-001871e3ce6c.html

http://isanticountynews.com/2012/03/01/isanti-mayor-times-are-tough-but-staying-positive/

3 Reasons I am Considering Running for County Commissioner

1. We need a vision for our County's future that provides a Long Term Financial Plan (LTFP), strong economic growth, transparency and shared services. I developed a LTFP for Isanti that has significantly lowered taxes, reduced debt and spending without cutting any City services. This must be repeated at the County level. I chaired the County wide group that brought cities and townships together and developed the County Economic Development Authority. After its development we handed it off to the County Board where it has been languishing for years now. Not one business project has been developed or enhanced by the County in the years since the County EDA's creation. They have not even decided on what type of organization they wish to be. Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent with no positive result. This needs to be turned around immediately. The lack of transparency at the County Board has been glaring for years. The board only recently, after we placed tremendous pressure on them, voted to record their meetings but has yet to appear on the County website. The Board holds meetings of the whole where they all discuss County business and these meetings are not recorded nor are they covered by the press. I have attended several of these over the years and it is clear why they hesitate to record these meetings. Transparency please in all County discussions so Citizens and Taxpayers know how decisions are being made. The County needs to take leadership on pooling services and purchases with the cities, school board and townships to help lower all of our cost. We have done these type of delas wit hthe City of Cambridge and currently working with Isanti Township on others - We know how to make this work even if the County does not. City, Township, School District and County taxes come out of the same wallet. We must streamline all levels of government and eliminate unnecessary redundancies.

2. The County Board and School Board do not have anyone from our Isanti Community on their boards. We pay the 2nd highest amount of County and School District taxes and we have ZERO representation. This is undemocratic and must be addressed. We need strong representation that will fight for our communities needs. We also need strong County leadership in dealing with State Government. We are all to often forgotten and left behind when policy is being developed on the State level.

3. We have a track record of reform, fiscal discipline and leadership. We have cut taxes and cost. We are spending less in 2012 than we did in 2006 in the City of Isanti. We have cut employee cost and improved city services. We must replace the good ole boy/girl style of County Government and usher in a wave of reform that breathes new life into our Community.

I am far from deciding if I will run or not and I hope the County Board does not play politics with redistricting. I love serving my Community as Mayor and hope to continue to do so but if the County continues on its normal course we may have no choice but to knock down the same walls of misgovernment of Isanti County as we did in 2006 in the City of Isanti.

Missing my Parents

Arctic Plunge Medallion Hunt

2012 ARCTIC PLUNGE MEDALLION HUNT

FEBRUARY 16TH - MARCH 2ND
(OR WHEN MEDALLION IS FOUND)

The cost of the button is $2.00

The medallion is a round metal object the size of a hockey puck clearly marked ARCTIC PLUNGE MEDALLION.  The medallion will be hidden within a 10 mile radius of the City of Isanti Police Station.

Daily clues will be posted on the Arctic Plunge website, Captains on Long Lake website, the Chamber of Commerce website and any merchant participating in the sale of buttons.  The Arctic Plunge will run ads in the Isanti County News promoting the medallion hunt and the merchants selling the buttons.

The person who finds the medallion will turn it into the Chamber of Commerce.  If they have a button at the time they will win a $250.00 cash prize.  If they don’t have a button the prize is $100.00.  The merchant who sells the winning button  will receive a $50.00 prize.  If no button is turned in we will enter all merchant names in a drawing for this prize.

BUTTONS & DISCOUNTS OFFERED AT THESE MERCHANTS

Chanticlear Pizza - $3 off an XL pizza, $2 off Large Pizza (regulaIsanti Chamber of Commerce

DAILY CLUES...

Clue #1	Keep your eye on the prize, it's hockey puck sized.
Clue #2	Small and gray, let the songbirds lead the way.
Clue #3	Pack up the napkins, blanket, all odds n' ends. Spend a nice summer day with good food and good friends.
Clue #4	Come one and all, let your imagination soar; this hunt is for all - young or old, rich or poor.

ARCTIC PLUNGE MEDALLION HUNT RULES

• The medallion will be hidden in an actual location in Isanti County.

• Go to  http://arcticplunge.com/medallion-hunted for more informationes, nor the hiding place, require entry on to private prop

Great Lost of Norene Callahan Isanti 2nd Grade Teacher

Superintendent Novak has informed us 2nd grade teacher, Norene Callahan, died in a car accident today. Isanti has suffered a great loss...

Link to story -

http://isanticountynews.com/2012/02/17/isanti-primary-school-teacher-killed-in-car-accident/

Thank You

Thank you everyone for the hundreds of Facebook, Twitter, email, text and phone call birthday wishes.... I am truly blessed at 40

Isanti's Rum River BMX Track 5th Best in Nation

Great Cause

On April 13, 2012, our family will be holding a spaghetti dinner and silent auction benefit to raise travel expenses for the MACS conference in the United Kingdom . The Micro and Anophthlamic Children’s Society was established in 1994. It is a model of excellence in the UK and is supported by professionals and parents. The benefit will be held at Captian’s on Long Lake in Isanti, MN. We are looking for individuals, companies, and organizations to help with donations of money, silent auction items or other services for this event to be successful.

In June of 2007 my newborn son, Ethan, was diagnosed with a very rare genetic disease called Microaphthalmia (small formed eyes). Two years later in May 2009, our 3rd child, Evalyn, was also diagnosed with Microaphthalmia. It was then we learned our children are blind and there is no cure. After several surgeries and all kinds of emotions, we went in search of other families who have gone through the same experience.  Having the support of other families who have already been through what we were going through is invaluable.  The “completely lost” feeling we had been living with has started to disappear.

Last summer we attended the International Children’s Anophthalmia/Microphthalmia Network (ican) conference in Boston, MA. There we met Barry,the chairman for Micro & Anophthalmic Children’s Society based in the United kingdom (MACS).  While in Boston Barry invited our family the the MACS family weekend in the UK. This takes place from May 3rd to the 7th, 2012. MACS are helping with some of the cost in relation to airfare, accommodations and food.

The ICAN Conference was a wonderful experience and we have connected with many families and learned so much medically and genetically. Therefore to be able to give ICAN members a further insight and knowledge of what MACS has achieved in the UK would be an invaluable experience. We are hoping to learn more about the MACS organization and bring home ways to help ICAN grow and reach more families in need of support as they navigate this long and emotional journey.

Not only that but this weekend will also give our children a chance to make friends who are like them and will give us as parents the support and knowledge we need to raise our kids to lead full, productive,  and independent lives. I, as Ethan and Evie’s mom, have volunteered to speak at this conference about our kids and share with other families the challenges and successes we face in raising our children.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give to making this weekend a possibility for our family. The connections we make there will serve many families through out the US.

For more information on MACS and ICAN please visit their websites:
www.macs.org.uk
www.anophthalmia.org

Favorite Commisioners

The poll results are in and for favorite Commissioner:

Duff 60%
Morris 17%
Warring 13%
Sutherland 4%
Larson 4%

County Board Meetings

After asking why the County Board does not record and post their meetings they have put it on their agenda for tomorrow. We have been placing our City Council meetings online since I have been Mayor. Transparency is key to a thriving democracy. I hope they actually do it and do it soon so we may all know what happens in their Board and Committee of the Whole meetings. Anytime the whole County Board meets those meetings should be recorded and made available online.

Isanti County Redistricting

Isanti County Board meeting in a few minutes to discuss redistricting in an unrecorded no newspaper coverage situation. Wonder why???

 The City of Isanti belongs with Isanti Township.... any other formula makes no sense for future growth. The Gerrymandering option of placing the City of Isanti with Athens Township and Oxford Township erases decades of Isanti purposely not growing into Athens. This option also places our total population in this configuration dangerously close to the population limit of a district... this means that once again a person in our district with have less representation than everyone else in the County... this terrible inequality shown towards Isanti must stop.... 

So why would this option even be looked at? Simple - it allows all of the County Commissioners to not have to run for re-election against each other. This self serving reason would be detrimental to the welfare of our County... you may think this is a harsh statement but at the last meeting I attended one of our long serving Commissioners stated he wanted safe district so they did not have to run for office again... now you knoq why they never record their meetings.....

Please do the right thing and go with the option that our Independent County Auditor proposed as the best option .. this places the City of Isanti with Isanti Township. Take the politics out of our elections...

 

State of the City

I am delivering the State of the City Address at the February 22nd Chamber Luncheon. If you are interested in attending please contact the Chamber.

Community Center Task Force

I am appointing a Community Center Task Force to develop a long range plan for the use and funding of the Center. I am looking for 5 business people and 5 citizens to appoint to the Task Force. The issues that to be addressed in no particular order:

1. Short and long term repairs
2. Community Expectations
3. Capital Improvement Plan
4. Community Participation
5. Long range planning

There will many topics of discussion as the group works through these issues. The Task Force will report back to the City Council quarterly with an expected final plan completed by the first week of December.

If you are interested in serving or have questions please contact me at George@georgewimmer.com or 763-442-8749. The Community Centers future depends on the success of this Task Force.

10th Annual Arctic Plunge

10th Annual Arctic Plunge is March 3rd.... I will be sponsoring and jumping for the 7th year in a row and lhope everyone makes it to the Plunge.... click the link for more info

http://arcticplunge.com/ 

Break is Over

I have taken a break from writing but time to get back at it.... we have a lot of work to do at the County level this year and a long list of positives to discuss for our City... redistricting of the County Commissioner map will be quite interesting as I am hoping but not expecting the Commissioners to approve the objective map presented by their own staff instead of political gerrymandering to make a map they can run safely in for re-election this year.

I will also be presenting the State of the City in February as well....