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and the potential economic impact of that decision, the commission called a special meeting. Jim <br /> Tralle argued that the economic benefits to ERMU from moving to city hall far outweighed any <br /> objections, and his motion to relocate to this space passed 2-1.121 <br /> In May 2004, ERMU offices moved from 322 King Avenue to the new city hall on Orono <br /> Parkway. In the next year, ERMU's former building was razed to make room for more parking <br /> as a part of a downtown redevelopment effort.122 <br /> ERMU Office at 13069 Orono Parkway <br /> (Elk River Municipal Utilities) <br /> Two years later, ERMU was rocked by a scandal. Office manager Patricia Hemza pled guilty to <br /> four counts of felony theft by swindle that occurred between 1997 and 2005. ERMU was alerted <br /> to the theft when it was fined by the IRS for misfiling W-2 forms. Hemza served a prison <br /> sentence of one year and one day at the Sherburne County Jail and had to repay 107 percent of <br /> the money she had stolen and reimburse the city for attorney fees and audits. As a result of this <br /> experience, ERMU tightened its accounting procedures.123 <br /> 121 Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Minutes,September 12 and December 11,2001. <br /> 122 ERMU,"Fast Facts on the History of Elk River Municipal Utilities,"ERMU website, <br /> http://elkriverutilities.com/pages/history(accessed March 26,2014);Joni Astrup,"Downtown Project Poised to <br /> Begin,"Elk River Star News,March 23,2005;"Council Approves Quote to Demolish Utilities Building,"n.p.,n.d., <br /> at ERMU files;Joni Astrup,"Elk River Municipal Utilities Building Demolished for Lot,"Elk River Star News, <br /> May 4,2005. <br /> les Jake Muonio,"City Utility Refunded Stolen Money,"Elk River Star News,April 12,2006. <br /> 33 <br />