歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI 鈥� A second joint meeting within a week between the Bemidji City Council and Northern Township allowed for further discussion on annexation of the township as well as public comment on Tuesday.

Following a city council work session a day prior, City Manager Nate Mathews presented six of the council鈥檚 annexation counter-proposals on Jan. 11 to the town hall.

The options included the following:

1. The city extends municipal water and sewer to Ruttger鈥檚 through the Birchmont Beach Court roadway, including immediate annexation of all parcels. The city would be responsible for all professional services, engineering, bidding, construction and maintenance of public infrastructure. A connection fee for property owners excluding Ruttger鈥檚 would be $12,000.
2. The city extends services to Ruttger鈥檚 through Birchmont Beach Court roadway with annexation upon connection. Similar city responsibility of services and maintenance with the same $12,000 connection fee.
3. The city extends services to Ruttger鈥檚 by avoiding Birchmont Beach Court roadway with an immediate 鈥渇lag lot annexation,鈥� meaning the city will annex the County State Aid Highway21 roadway and Ruttger鈥檚 property itself. The city will establish a connection fee for Ruttger鈥檚.
4. Ruttger鈥檚 constructs a private sanitary sewer force main system along County State Aid Highway 21 to the Northwoods Landing. The city allows this connection and requires an immediate 鈥渇lag lot annexation鈥� like in option three.
5. Northern Township constructs its own public water and sewer main system from Northwoods to Ruttger鈥檚 through Birchmont Beach Court. The township would be responsible for all professional services, design, engineering, bidding, financing, construction, ownership and maintenance of the public infrastructure including fire hydrants, lift stations, etc. The city would provide water and sewer and allow connection of the township water/sanitary sewer mains at Northwoods and establish a fee system for township residents鈥� water and sewer.
6. Northern Township contributes $1.5 million to the Greater Bemidji Area JPB to create a grant program providing up to $15,000 to each property owner to upgrade their individual system to current standards.

Option five was seemingly the most favorable of the six to the township board. Most of the meeting's conversation revolved around this option and to a lesser extent, option four.

Daltyn Lofstrom / Bemidji Pioneer

Recognizing each option as mere talking points is part of a larger process, township supervisor Mike Kelly questioned both options in terms of how spot annexation would work for the township.

鈥�(The city of Bemidji鈥檚) thought process isn鈥檛 wrong. It just doesn鈥檛 work for the township,鈥� Kelly said during the meeting. 鈥淪pot annexation opens up the township for further annexation. Just annexing Ruttger鈥檚 is a physical problem for us. You could just as well say we鈥檙e going to annex over to (Northern Elementary) school and just open the rest of the township in theory.鈥�

Ward 2 Councilmember Josh Peterson piggybacked off of Kelly鈥檚 remarks stating he didn鈥檛 know why a sole agreement with Ruttger鈥檚 couldn鈥檛 be made.

鈥淚f we could commit to just Ruttger鈥檚 and make an agreement for no further annexation, I think we could make something work,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want the city to be greedy and start taking up properties just because we can. I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 right.鈥�

City Attorney Alan Felix referenced orderly annexation agreements between the city and surrounding townships from the 1990s that would prevent further annexation without permission from both parties but also emphasized people over governing bodies.

鈥淭he problem is it鈥檚 not what we think about politics. It鈥檚 about what people need,鈥� Felix said. 鈥淪o if someone adjacent to Ruttger鈥檚 has a problem and the most feasible option is for them to hook onto that pipe, what would you do in their shoes? Certainly, you would petition the city to get services because that鈥檚 the most advantageous and feasible thing for them to do.鈥�

A public comment period brought about questions regarding aged septic systems compromising Lake Bemidji鈥檚 water quality along with irregular inspection that may be more streamlined with city annexation.

Nickolaus Phillips, assistant planner for the city鈥檚 , spoke to increased phosphorus pollution in the lake as most recently reported to the Department of Natural Resources in 2017 by , which conducts lake monitoring.

鈥�(The level of pollution) is borderline right now. It鈥檚 not an impaired water, but they worry that if the trend continues, it would be classified as impaired with phosphorus,鈥� Phillips said.

Recognizing a shared vision of protecting Lake Bemidji, Kelly stated his willingness to give a chance to option five despite uncertainties that the proposal doesn鈥檛 yet address.

This includes the fee system that township residents would pay into for services to the city, which would depend on how extensive the township builds their system.

Ruttger鈥檚 owner Karrie Nelson spoke during the comment period in favor of option five, assuming it鈥檚 feasible time-wise and in line with what's best for Bemidji.

鈥淚 know the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency would prefer us to not have our own system, but on a municipal system of course,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淲e just want to do what鈥檚 best for the community, and a lot of people may not be in favor of (any annexation) right now, but in the long term I think it鈥檚 a great idea.鈥�

With many details to iron out, the city council and township board agreed to a tentative joint meeting on Feb. 1 with hopes to bring the Beltrami County Commissioners into the discussion.