Leader | Jan 20 | 2016

Page 4

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Little public interest in Siren Village caucus

Proclamation affirming “equality and justice for allâ€? only act of new business E. Royal Emerson | Staff writer 9,//$*( 2) 6,5(1 0DJQLI\LQJ D GLVWXUELQJ WUHQG WKURXJKRXW 3RON DQG %XUQHWW FRXQWLHV ZKHUH FLWL]HQ SDUticipation in the democratic process seems waning, little interest was shown at the Siren Village caucus, held on Thursday, Jan. 7, as two existing trustees were nominated to run unopposed in the April elections. $ WKLUG VHDW WR Ă€OO WKH YDFDQF\ OHIW E\ 3K\OOLV .RSHFN\ who is stepping aside from the village board, did not secure a single nomination. Her trustee position will KDYH WR EH Ă€OOHG E\ D ZULWH LQ FDQGLGDWH RU YLOODJH DSSRLQWPHQW ([LVWLQJ YLOODJH 7UXVWHHV 5XG\ 0RWKHV DQG 'DYH 'RW\ 6U ZHUH QRPLQDWHG E\ RWKHU YLOODJH ERDUG

members, as no members of the general public attended the caucus. A citizen participation meeting was held after the vilODJH FDXFXV WR FORVH RXW WKH SXEOLF IDFLOLW\ EORFN grant project that upgraded water lines in the southeast neighborhood. The meeting is a federally mandated requirement for all communities that receive Community 'HYHORSPHQW %ORFN *UDQW IXQGLQJ 1R YLOODJH FLWL]HQV attended the citizen participation meeting. Teresa AnGHUVRQ RI 06$ (QJLQHHULQJ 6HUYLFHV ZKR DGPLQLVWHUHG WKH &'%* IXQGV SURYLGHG D GHWDLOHG DFFRXQW RI expenditures. The $495,000 in funds received were all dispersed on the water line project. As a further condition to receiving federal community GHYHORSPHQW EORFN JUDQW IXQGLQJ WKH YLOODJH LV UHTXLUHG to annually pass “a proclamation endorsing the principles of fair and open housing to all people.� In addition

to the fair housing pledge the village must also have in place a fair housing ordinance. The ordinance “guarantees the village will provide equal housing opportunity to all Americans and help provide access to affordable KRXVLQJ IRU DOO SHRSOH Âľ 7KH UHTXLUHPHQW GDWHV EDFN WR the federal Fair Housing Act of 1967. “Fair housing is consistent with the principle of equality and justice for all, and we all need to share in the effort to ensure that fair housing is a reality for all Americans,â€? the proclamation concludes. A motion was made by village Trustee Janet Hunter DQG VHFRQGHG E\ 7UXVWHH 0RWKHV WR DGRSW WKH IDLU KRXVing proclamation. The motion carried without objection. The Fair Housing Proclamation was the only act of new business before the village board. The village caucus, citizen participation meeting and regular village board meeting all concluded in 20 minutes.

Frederic School District approves safe routes idea 0RUH ORFDO VWDQGDUGV FRQWURO may be coming Gregg Westigard | Staff writer )5('(5,& ² 7KH )UHGHULF 6FKRRO %RDUG HQGRUVHG the Safe Routes to School plan at its monthly meeting :HGQHVGD\ -DQ 'LVWULFW $GPLQLVWUDWRU -RVK 5RELQson delivered a legislative/regulatory update on which included the possibility of more local choices on acaGHPLF VWDQGDUGV DQG OHVV ORFDO FRQWURO RI Ă€QDQFLDO RSWLRQV 2WKHU DJHQGD WRSLFV LQFOXGHG VFKRRO ORFNV DQG more co-op athletic programs. )UHGHULF 9LOODJH VWXGHQWV RQFH ZDONHG WR VFKRRO EDFN in the days when the school buildings were closer to the center of town. Now, with the high school north of town, YLOODJH VWXGHQWV ULGH EXVHV WR VFKRRO $ VWXG\ LV ORRNLQJ DW VDIH ZD\V IRU PRUH VWXGHQWV WR ZDON DQG ELNH WR school, with the goals of healthier children and a cleaner environment. The school board joined the Frederic VilODJH LQ HQGRUVLQJ D VWXG\ ORRNLQJ DW FUHDWLQJ VDIH URXWHV for students to reach the campuses on their own power. Robinson said that at present, a number of K-5 elementary students get on the bus, ride to the high school, wait IRU WKRVH VWXGHQWV WR ERDUG DQG ULGH WKH EXV EDFN WR D VWRS WZR EORFNV ZHVW RI WKH %LUFK 6WUHHW 6FKRRO ZKHUH about 20 students get off. He said those students could be home earlier and with some exercise if there were safe

URXWH RSWLRQV VXFK DV VHFXUH FURVVZDONV RQ +Z\ The 22-page study, which is available on the school GLVWULFW ZHEVLWH LGHQWLĂ€HV LVVXHV VXFK DV WKH ODFN RI VLGHZDONV RQ %HQVRQ 5RDG DQG WKH WUDIĂ€F LVVXHV FURVVLQJ WKH KLJKZD\V WKDW PDNH ZDONLQJ DQG ELF\FOLQJ KD]DUGRXV The school district, the village and the town of West 6ZHGHQ ZLOO FRQWLQXH WR ORRN DW KRZ WKH 6DIH 5RXWHV WR School proposal can become a reality. There are academic standards changes in play at the state and federal level that will affect the Frederic School 'LVWULFW 5RELQVRQ UHSRUWHG 7KH (YHU\ 6WXGHQW 6XFFHHGV Act is replacing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which is a successor to No Child Left Behind. Robinson said the process should give states and local districts more control in choosing standards and testing methods. He said that at some point the Frederic disWULFW ZLOO PDNH D GHFLVLRQ RQ ZKDW VWDQGDUG LW FKRRVHV WR adopt. Robinson said an element in the ongoing changes in standards is a switch to supporting local school as they reach for success and away from punishing schools. While the standards issue would give more control to local districts, Robinson said another issue now under consideration by the state Legislature would lessen local control. The Referendum bill, SB355/AB481, would place restrictions on school district referendums and implement a two-year waiting period following a failed refHUHQGXP 'LVWULFWV FDQ QRZ PRGLI\ D UHIHUHQGXP WKDW LV GHIHDWHG DQG EULQJ LW EDFN IRU QHZ FRQVLGHUDWLRQ DW D IRO-

ORZLQJ HOHFWLRQ LW WRRN WKH )UHGHULF 6FKRRO 'LVWULFW WKUHH referendums to approve replacing its old high school and downtown elementary school). Robinson said the School Administrators Alliance is strongly opposed to the bill. The district is getting closer to upgrading and replacLQJ WKH ORFNV DQG GRRU KDQGOHV LQ WKH EXLOGLQJV RQH RI the items included in its current facilities project. Robinson said the cost for the job could be close to $30,000. 7KDW LV OHVV WKDQ WKH DOORFDWHG IRU WKH WDVN LQ WKH bonding proposal and would free up funds for other parts of the project.

Other business Robinson said a group from local businesses and the VFKRRO ZLOO YLVLW WKH (OHYD 6WUXP 6FKRRO 'LVWULFW WR ORRN at how that district has created an in-school program to prepare students for the opportunities and requirements of local employers. Elementary Principal Kelly Steen said WKLV \HDU¡V DGYHQWXUH WKHPH ZLOO EH $XVWUDOLD ZLWK NDQgaroos and wallabies coming to Frederic in February. The administrators reported that enrollment is holding VWHDG\ ZLWK ORWV RI Ă XFWXDWLRQ LQ DQG RXW EXW WKH WRWDO VWXGHQW FRXQW VWD\LQJ HTXDO 5RELQVRQ VDLG WKH GLVWULFW Ă€QDQFHV DUH RQ WUDFN ZLWK WKH EXGJHW DW WKH PLG\HDU SRLQW in the school year. The board approved an athletic coopHUDWLRQ DJUHHPHQW ZLWK /XFN IRU MRLQW FURVV FRXQWU\ DQG girls golf programs for the coming year.

Polk committee calls for highway facility action /RRNV DW UDQJH RI FRXQW\ involvement in outside bodies Gregg Westigard | Staff writer %$/6$0 /$.( ² 7KH DFWLYLWLHV RI FRXQW\ JRYHUQment do not end with the meetings of the county board and the governing committees. The general government FRPPLWWHH RI WKH 3RON &RXQW\ %RDUG FRQWLQXHG WR ORRN at the scope of broader activities of the county and its supervisors during its meeting Thursday, Jan. 14. The committee also initiated action to start moving the highway facilities study forward. The general government committee, one of four standing committees of the FRXQW\ ERDUG KDV RYHUVLJKW RI FRXQW\ Ă€QDQFHV DQG JHQeral county operating issues. The issue of the broader activities and involvement of the county has been an area of concern for Supervisor Ken Sample for many months. He has led the general government committee in a study and discussion on what groups and boards the county is involved with, the cost of that involvement, who represents the county in those activities, what that involvement costs, how the involvement is decided and how the involvement benHĂ€WV WKH FRXQW\ 6DPSOH ZDV QRW SUHVHQW DW WKH PHHWLQJ on Thursday, but the committee continued it discussion, with a focus on where the county is required to be involved and how the results of that involvement are communicated. Committee Chair Russ Arcand said there should be requirements on reporting information from the groups. He said the county’s website could be a place where the county representatives on the groups present news and communicate activities. Arcand said it is an issue of transparency. Supervisor Patricia Schmidt said that segments of the FRXQW\ DOVR ZDQW WR NQRZ ZKDW WKH FRXQW\ JRYHUQPHQW is involved with. Supervisor Josh Hallberg said reporting is not happening and the supervisors are not seeing the information.

And corporation counsel Jeff Fuge said the county board members need information to set criteria and measure the results of county involvement in the outside groups as it determines which groups the county should DIĂ€OLDWH ZLWK 7KH FRPPLWWHH ZLOO NHHS WKH LVVXH RQ LWV PRQWKO\ DJHQGD DV LW ORRNV DW ZKLFK JURXS LQYROYHPHQW VKRXOG be authorized and the cost of that involvement.

lead to a possible bonding for the project in 2017. $UFDQG VDLG WKH QH[W FRPPLWWHH PHHWLQJ ZLOO ORRN DW who should be on the facilities committee and what the time line should be. He said the general government committee needs to get something to the county board for action.

Lake districts The involvement of the county government with the 15 ODNH GLVWULFWV LV D VSHFLÀF WRSLF WKDW KDV EHHQ GLVFXVVHG /DNH GLVWULFWV DV RSSRVHG WR ODNH DVVRFLDWLRQV DUH RIÀFLDO governing bodies with taxing authority over property RZQHUV ZLWKLQ WKH ODNH GLVWULFW ERXQGDULHV 7KH VWDWXWHV VD\ WKH FRXQW\ DSSRLQWV D PHPEHU WR HDFK ODNH GLVWULFW board. There has been an ongoing discussion on whether that county-appointed member should be the county board supervisor who represents that district or a citizen appointee. The further discussion is whether the county member should be paid a county per diem, currently $100 a meeting, for serving on the district board when some of those boards do not pay their own members. The issue has become timely with the pending authoUL]DWLRQ RI WKH +RUVHVKRH /DNH 'LVWULFW 7KH FRXQW\ ZLOO EH PDNLQJ WKH DSSRLQWPHQW RI IRXU LQLWLDO PHPEHUV RI the commission/board that will establish the new disWULFW DQG VHUYH XQWLO WKH ÀUVW DQQXDO PHHWLQJ RI WKH QHZ district.

What groups Burnett County is involved in $ SRVVLEOH JXLGH IRU 3RON &RXQW\

Gregg Westigard | Staff writer %$/6$0 /$.( ² 3RON &RXQW\ GRHV QRW KDYH D FHQtral list of all its government involvements beyond the county. Burnett County does have such a list. The 2015 %XUQHWW &RXQW\ 'LUHFWRU\ D SXEOLFDWLRQ SUHSDUHG E\ WKH FRXQW\ FOHUN OLVWV FRPPLWWHHV ERDUGV DJHQFLHV FRPmissions and other groups that have county appointees as members. The directory lists the bodies, the names of the appointed members, the length of their terms and when the terms expire. The list includes state-required bodies such as the Board of Adjustment and multicounty agencies such as WKH $JLQJ DQG 'LVDELOLW\ 5HVRXUFH &HQWHU %XW WKH OLVW goes beyond that to include groups dealing with snow WUDLOV LQGXVWULDO GHYHORSPHQW WKH *DQG\ 'DQFHU 7UDLO the community action agency, economic development, tourism, a library, regional trails, regional housing, reCounty highway facility gional planning, recycling and hazardous waste. “We have to get the highway facility committee 7KH OLVWV RI RUJDQL]DWLRQV WKH 3RON &RXQW\ *HQHUDO *RYgoing,â€? Arcand said during the discussion of future HUQPHQW &RPPLWWHH KDV LGHQWLĂ€HG LQFOXGHV VRPH RI WKH agenda items for the general government committee. bodies on the Burnett list but is not as extensive and does ´(YHU\ERG\ ZDQWV VRPHERG\ HOVH WR WDNH WKH Ă€UVW VWHS not list appointment terms and dates. There is informaNothing is happening. We have to start the process.â€? WLRQ RQ FRPSHQVDWLRQ DQG ZKR PDNHV WKH DSSRLQWPHQWV The county has budgeted money to start a study of which is not included in the Burnett list, but the list does when and how to replace or remodel the current county combine in one place information that has not been prehighway building constructed in the1930s. This would VHQWHG GXULQJ WKH 3RON *HQHUDO *RYHUQPHQW VWXG\

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