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Thursday, September 02, 2010
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| 11/5/2009 7:46:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | City council takes stance supporting LS Power project; hoping action prods others
BY DENISE MARTIN
The LS Power electric station project needs to move forward into detailed planning and environmental review phases, the Wyoming City Council unanimously declared this week in adopting a supporting resolution.
At a rescheduled meeting Monday, held to not conflict with Forest Lake School District balloting Tuesday, the Wyoming council adopted a resolution supporting efforts by all involved parties to finalize a development agreement-- moving this $300 million peaking electric plant forward.
Mayor Sheldon Anderson made the motion and council members expressed strong backing for this strictly symbolic measure. Wyoming City has no jurisdiction over the Lent Township project.
Mayor Anderson said, "If nobody else seems to want to step up (go on the record) to support this thing...I think we as a city should." Anderson said he'll personally ask all surrounding councils to adopt similar resolutions of support, which the county and Lent Township would be presented with.
Benefits to the project, noted in the resolution, are that the project has the potential to revitalize state and local tax revenues with payroll monies, marketplace cash infusion and state tax revenues from purchase of materials. Wyoming officials state in the resolution that natural gas is among the least-polluting fuel sources and "...the Sunrise River Energy Station creates the possibility for local communities to create their own Public Utility departments to generate revenue and help with the budgeting of general services..."
The Wyoming City Council chambers contained tradespeople who came to the meeting in support of the resolution on the agenda. (Exact number related to this topic was hard to estimate because the room was also filled for two assessment hearings.)
Regional Labor Federation President, and a Forest Lake resident, Bobby Kasper, told council during public comment, "Our members are hurting, we need your help. Everybody wants to be patriotic, well let's be patriotic and put people to work. I ask you really get on (this resolution of support) and spread it."
County Commissioner Ben Montzka attended the council meeting as he periodically does to give updates and take questions. Montzka remarked that the county continues to have representatives work with LS Power on the development agreement. He observed for the audience that if a public utility, such as Xcel Energy, would construct a similar project there'd be no property tax relief coming to local jurisdictions because public utilities fall under a different tax code. LS Power, as a private developer and utility provider, is paying property tax.
In other business before the city council: two assessment rolls were accepted and approved by council for two major projects. The Wyoming Avenue-Goodview work is almost done and the new 257th Street construction is complete.
The assessment tabulations were accepted for both, with the majority of assessment on Goodview for extending city sewer and water to former township areas. Residents attending this hearing mostly asked about the process of paying and about hooking up to the city services.
There are 11 parcels included in the 257th assessment roll and three official objections have been submitted to the city.
Landowner Rudy Olson again expressed his opposition to the project assessments at the public hearing. He faces over $400,000 in assessments and stressed what he said is the unfair burden on private landowners, versus the Xccent manufacturing plant under construction, at the end of 257th. Olson asked why Xccent got a $500,000 grant, applied to its bill for the road and the new city services and private landowners got nothing. City Administrator Craig Mattson explained the city used state business incentive program funding designated only for "industrial" parcels. Xccent was the only assessed parcel that qualified to use the grant.
Council unanimously okayed hiring Michael jensen for an open public works post. He starts at $20 an hour and the supervisor said he's shown he has skills, licenses and ability to do needed tasks.
The chief of police reported the staff are getting ready to relocate to the remodeled township hall. Planned move-in date is November 30. Two bills were paid by council for work being done by contractors to prepare the old township property as police headquarters and creating additional public works space for the combined city and township.
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