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Press Publications 4779 Bloom Avenue White Bear Lake, MN 55110 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

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HAT TRICK OF BROTHERS: Zephyr trio continues family hockey dynasty PAGE 22

Efforts for reformation of Metropolitan Council end without plan BY ERIK SUCHY STAFF WRITER

PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Don’t forget presidential primary “Vote Here” signs set up outside the Shoreview Library, one of three Ramsey County early voting locations that also includes the Roseville Library and the Plato building in St. Paul. Residents can cast an early primary vote until Monday, March 4. Residents can vote in person during the presidential primary on Tuesday, March 5 at their usual polling place. For the March 5 primaries only, voting for White Bear Township Precincts 1 and 5 will be located at the Tamarack Nature Center Garden Room, not Otter Lake Elementary School. All Mahtomedi residents will vote at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church. Voting locations in White Bear Lake remain the same as in previous elections – for information go to whitebearlake.org/ administration/page/find-my-polling-place.

School Bus Driver Appreciation Day puts spotlight on local drivers the spotlight is here to bring attention to drivers and give them the credit they deserve Whether rain, shine, or poor for their efforts. road conditions, Minnesota bus Jim Barr, of Hugo Township, drivers have an essential job: to has been a bus driver for First bring kids to and from school Student since November 2019. each day. He initially began driving for Although being a school the White Bear Lake School bus driver requires a solid District as a standard morning/ dedication to upholding safety afternoon driver and as a regulations for all students charter driver for their sports they transport, it is a position teams, bringing them to and that went by for a long time from different matches at other with noticeable unappreciation. schools and arenas. Currently, However, now that School Bus he drives for the Mahtomedi Driver Appreciation Day is District, covering the morning in its seventh year, and was and afternoon high school and officially recognized by former Gov. Mark Dayton in 2017, SEE SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS, PAGE 6 BY ERIK SUCHY STAFF WRITER

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CONTRIBUTED

Jim Barr has been a bus driver with both the White Bear and Mahtomedi school districts since 2019.

Attempts by a special task force to find a new type of governing model for the Metropolitan Council have yet to end as some have hoped. Widespread disagreement and an inability to find common ground among task force members left no unanimous decision on how the reform should proceed, leaving members feeling disheartened that no action was being taken. “This is completely frustrating,” said Washington County Commissioner and task force member Karla Bigham. “People have a right to know what standards the council should be held towards and are being better represented by those we elect.” The task force, consisting of 17 appointed council members, was formed during the 2023 legislative session to reform the current governor-appointment-based model, which members like Bigham have argued puts forth a perception that elected members are brought on only to serve in the interest of Gov. Tim Walz and not as independent representatives of their districts/regions. Additionally, task force members had been seeking ways to pursue better transparency and accountability to the public over the council’s oversight of regional transportation planning. One example of the latter involves the council’s leadership on the ongoing near-$3 billion Southwest Light Rail transit project, which has faced heavy criticism because of delays and poor financial budgeting in recent years. Some on the task force have favored the directly elected model approach, such as Bigham and Democratic Senator Scott Dibble, the latter of whom proposed a bill advocating this council reform. Both have stated that this system would ensure that those elected would be best suited for the job based on qualification and experience and would be more accountable to the public. Other task force members, however, pushed for an opposite approach. One such bill, put forth by Rep. John Koznick, would continue the council’s current governor-appointed-based model, but would stagger members’ terms and expand membership of the nomination committee. One notable proponent of this example came from Karen Schaffer. Schaffer is the current chair of the Council of Metropolitan Area


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