WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2019
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
VOL. 122 NO. 19 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: OHS boys basketball splits two games. PAGE 10
Dresser, Osceola to meet in sewer billing snafu BY MATT ANDERSON EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
MATT ANDERSON | THE SUN
Santa Claus came to town for Light Up Osceola
A long line of boys and girls came to the annual Light Up Osceola event, December 7, to tell Santa Claus what they wanted for Christmas. Residents and visitors enjoyed free cocoa, wagon rides, s’mores stations, Osceola High School Christmas carolers and other fun activities in the snowy weather wrapping it all up with the lighting of the christmas tree in Mill Pond Park.
The Village of Dresser recently discussed the issue of underpaid bills for sewer water treated by the Village of Osceola at their regular monthly meeting in November. Due to misreading at the treatment plant from 2014 to 2016, an estimated $60,000 of underpaid bills went unprocessed. Before moving further, the board sought the legal counsel from village attorney, Tim Laux, who presented his advice in the December 2 meeting. In order to fully understand the circumstances, Laux reviewed the contract between Osceola and Dresser in March 15, 1984. “Basically, this contract agrees that Dresser pay its share of wastewater treatment costs that Osceola bills to it on a quarterly basis,” he said. “This agreement requires that the two governing bodies get together every year to review and adjust the charges for the following year. That would have commenced in 1985, but I don’t know if that’s been happening for the last 30 years, or not, but that’s the requirement in the contract.” The board noted that annual meetings were not taking place between Osceola and Dresser regarding quarterly sewer flow rates that could have potentially caught the billing issue before the point of reaching a $60,000 bill. Despite how the mistake occurred, the issue of paying the bill is the first priority according to Laux. “First, you have to pay the debit, or acknowlSEE DRESSER PAGE 12
Kirk Anderson announces run for St. Croix Falls mayor CONTRIBUTED
Alderperson Kirk Anderson filed campaign papers at the St. Croix Falls City Hall on Wednesday, December 4, to declare his candidacy for mayor. Anderson said, “The citizens of St. Croix Falls want a mayor who will work for the best outcomes for the entire city; someone with a vision and strategy for revital-
Anderson
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ization and growth.” “As a main street business owner, I see the need for revitalization in our city. We need to protect our heritage but upgrade our infrastructure to meet current demands. We need to capitalize on our amazing location and support tourism, and we need to become an attractive city for new businesses and residents to call home.
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I have personally witnessed the rapid decline in our city’s historic downtown and have fought for over two years to convince the city’s leaders to support revitalization by finally completing the renovation of our city’s 102-year-old Civic Auditorium. I have argued that completing this project is essential for our downtown’s economic success and
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growth, and that it will become the motivation for other businesses to invest in their properties, and individuals to enjoy main street. As a business owner, resident, and father of five children, I know the success of St. Croix Falls is in our future, which means moving forward.” Anderson lives in St. Croix Falls with his wife of 21 years, Shara, and
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their five children. He owns and operates a marketing & technology company in downtown St. Croix Falls. He actively serves in the community as a member of the Falls Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, and is a firefighter/first responder on the St. Croix Falls Fire Department. Anderson was appointSEE ANDERSON, PAGE 19
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