9.C.2. PRSR 05-09-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Wednesday, April 11, 2001/ Elk River Star News / 7 • Two discuss future g ,..f county a Park commission, county board meet in session by Joni Astrup idents have lost their jobs everybody,not just you." Associate editor and are barely making At the suggestion of What is a county park? ends meet. Others are two- County Commissioner How many should Sher- .parent families with both Arne Engstrom of Elk burne County have? How parents working. River, a map of existing big should they be? "I think parks are beauti- park land and trails in the Those were some of the ful," she said. "I think county, including city questions county commis- there's a lot of our people parks,will be put together. sioners and members of the that can't make use of them Engstrom also urged the park commission consid- as much as they would county to make the most of ered during a joint meeting like." three "canoe trails" on the last Wednesday in Elk She said there are many Mississippi, Elk and St. River. needs facing the county Francis rivers. While there were no deci- and parks are just one of "We don't have to acquire sions on those issues,there them. them. They're there," he did appear to be a consen- said. "They've been there sus that communication How many parks? for thousands of years.The between the two bodies Park Commissioner C. Native Americans used could be improved. Perry Schenk indicated them. There's no reason Park commission that the county should why we couldn't use them." Chairman Dave Anderson make some decisions Debris and trees clogging said they need an under- regarding parks. the river aren't a problem standing of what the coun- "I think we have to decide, on the Mississippi, but can ty board is looking for. personally now, how many be on the Elk and St. Assistant County parks do we want? Where Francis. Engstrom said one Attorney Tim Brausen do we want them?And then option would be to have a attends some park commis- keep our eyes open on how work release crew from the sion meetings and told the we're going to get them,"he jail clear some debris in county, board: "They've got said. those rivers. tremendous energy and Park Commissioner He also suggested the tremendous ideas about a Derald Ewing said his No. county set aside canoe lot of projects they would 1 problem is who is paying access areas. like to do. . . They need to for parks. The two groups also dis- hear from you today, board He opposes the park dedi- cussed a county trail plan. members, what are your cation fee,which is a per-lot Anderson, meanwhile, priorities?" fee paid when land devel- said the parks group has Park commissioners also ops. The fee is $300 per lot been working on park would like to know the rea- on cluster plats and $600 issues since 1992. sons why the county board per lot on standard plats. He cited several accom- turns down certain park Ewing said the first year plishments including: recommendations. of the fee, 55 people paid •the Cox property in Park commissioners, in $340,000, which is equiva- Becker Township, which turn,were asked to present lent to $6,181 per person. includes the 140-acre Oak their recommendations to "That's what gores me,"he Savanna Land Preserve the county board in clear, said. "I think there should *the 30-acre Bridgeview concise, written fashion on be a tax levy. . .Why should Park Reserve across the a Request for Board Action this small group of people river from Monticello form, with an explanation be funding the park sys- *Palmer Township park of the action requested. tem?" *the effort to turn as There also was consensus Meanwhile, County Board much of the former railroad that neither body is inter- Chair Betsy Wergin of bed as possible into a trail ested in using eminent Baldwin Township said the •the establishment of a domain to acquire land for process of developing a park dedication fee park purposes. county parks, trails and "As challenging as we The meeting was a chance open space plan was very seem to be sometimes, our for some to air their views controversial. hearts are as much in on parks as well "We have to strike a bal Sherburne County as County Commissioner ance," she said.". . . I still yours are," Anderson told Rachel Leonard of Zimmer- represent that large num- the county board. ". . As man said she worked for ber of people that said, much as we will disagree 30-some years and raised `Don't even develop a plan, on certain issues, I'd like to three children and had much less buy a county thank the board for what very little time to spend in park.' . . . If I disagree with has happened since 1992." parks. you (park commissioners) She said some county res- it's because I represent