Bohemian Rhapsody movie times and local cinemas. Find local showtimes & movie tickets for Bohemian Rhapsody. Rated 2016's Best Salon in the CDA and Spokane area. We make you look beautiful and feel great! Come in for a free consultation. Call Today (208) 719-9263.
Front Page
Greg Marsten | Staff writer
Moves to establish special committee for Civic project
ST. CROIX FALLS – The St. Croix Falls Common Council held a special meeting on Monday, Jan. 6. While they had several items on the agenda, it was primarily set as a chance for the council to take up last week’s mayoral veto of council action, intended to nullify a common council vote to dissolve the controversial St. Croix Falls Community Development Authority. By state statute, the mayoral veto was on the agenda for the council to consider. At that special meeting that same council voted 3-1 to override last week’s veto by Mayor Arnie Carlson of the previous council action passing a resolution that dissolved the CDA. The council decision came on the heels of a wild several weeks of meetings, opinions, threats of legal action and ultimate resignation of city Administrator Bob Kazmierski, due to the perceived chaotic actions and alleged roadblocks created by Carlson and the CDA to the revived Civic Auditorium rehabilitation project. The CDA had tried to insert a sort of possible legal roadblock involving the use of tax increment money on the Civic project, which the CDA was created to guide, but instead suggested they were against the project from the get-go of their first meeting six weeks ago. Almost the first action by the CDA group was to seek an outside attorney to support their opinion that it was illegal to use that previously dedicated tax increment money from the city’s highly successful TIF district toward the Civic project, on top of hundreds of thousands of dollars of private and corporate donations and another $500,000 in state grants that recently were reinstated with an extension. With no real surprise, the council overrode the mayoral veto, meaning the CDA is now officially dissolved. There was a controversial action by CDA member Ken Coutier, who gave each alderperson a small string “noose” he crafted as a sort of indicator of their CDA action, although Coutier said it “was a joke,” it did not sit well with many people in the gallery and on the council dais. Many commented that the gesture was tasteless and ignorant and that, regardless of the context, a noose is never an appropriate or humorous symbol of any action. Expect that issue to be addressed at next week’s regular council meeting, as well. The council also later passed a motion to establish a special committee to oversee the Civic Auditorium project on several levels, including obtaining construction bids, project plans, financial issues and more, in effect filling in on what was originally projected to be a basic CDA function, instead of the legal challenges to the Civic project they pursued. The details of the special committee will be finalized in the coming weeks, with committee appointments possible at next week’s regularly scheduled council meeting. The council decided to delay a possible appraisal of the Civic property, which was meant to address some of the CDA concerns about tax payments, payments in lieu of taxes and current versus future property values of the city-owned building and parcel. After the CDA-dissolving decision, special committee establishment and discussion on the Civic appraisal, the council met in closed session later to address the Kazmierski’s resignation, which he finalized, and said was not something he would reconsider, as he already has a new job. There will be a regular common council meeting next Monday, Jan. 13, where some other issues may be clarified. Look to the Leader next week for details on the CDA dissolving, special committee establishment and the ongoing revival and issues involving the Civic Auditorium project. Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2023
Categories |