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County asks why state legislators are getting involved in Solum case
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
Stating the action taken by eight Minnesota legislators as unprecedented, County Environmental Services Officer Rick Frank encouraged the Houston County Board to enlist the help of local state legislators.
“I have never heard of members of the state legislature getting involved in a zoning issue between an individual and a county before. There have already been two courts that have ruled in the county’s favor. And now they are requesting this?” Frank said.
Frank was referring to a request made by eight state legislators for the Minnesota State Supreme Court to consider the appeal made by Matthew and Beth Solum in the zoning dispute between the Spring Grove Township couple and Houston County.
Houston County denied an after the fact conditional use permit for a home the Solums purchased from Matthew’s relative Jared Solum. The county had considered the house out of compliance with current zoning laws before Matthew and Beth purchased the home from Jared, and have not swayed from their original decision after ownership of the home occurred.
So far, two courts, the First District Court, and the District Court of Appeals, have ruled in the county’s favor. The Solums have the right to appeal to the State Supreme Court. But only a very few of the many appeals brought before the State Supreme Court are ever heard.
“I don’t understand why eight legislators that are not even from this part of the state are getting involved in this,” Frank continued. “I feel the county board needs to write letters to the majority and minority leaders of both the state House and Senate asking why these legislators have gotten involved in this,” Frank added.
The eight legislators include four House members, and four Senate members, all Republicans, from the the Twin Cities metro area, or north of there. They are Rep. Sondra Erickson-Princeton, Rep. Terrey Westrom-Elbow Lake, Rep. Mark Olson- Big Lake, Rep. Bruce Anderson-Buffalo, Sen. Warren Limmer-Maple Grove, Sen. Pat Pariseau-Farmington, Sen. Gen Olson-Minnetrista, and Sen. Ray Vandeveer-Forest Lake.
After discussing the issue, the county board decided to have county staff draft a letter to be sent to State Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, and State Rep. Gene Pelowski and State Rep. elect Greg Davids asking them why these legislators have gotten involved in this issue.
In other board action:
Meyer building progressing
The board approved Delta Design, LLC of West Salem, Wis. to serve as the design and construction consultant for the Meyer Furniture Store building remodeling project.
Delta Design will draw up the final plans, review all codes, and handle the bidding process. A committee made up of several county commissioners and county staff will select the winning bidders.
The county and Dale Meyer have closed on a purchase agreement for the furniture store building located on Highway 76 and 44 in Caledonia. Meyer is in the final stages of a going out of business sale, and the county will be taking the building over at the beginning of the year.
The county plans to remodel the building into an office complex that will help alleviate some of the space issues at the county courthouse.
LaX Fabricating issue
County EDA Director Joyce Iverson asked the county board to approve a letter to be sent to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) on behalf of LaX Fabricating in Spring Grove.
According to Iverson, due to all of the federal and state flood relief grant applications her office had to handle following the 2007 floods, some of the paperwork involved in documenting the manufacturing firm was in a JOBZ location was delayed.
Iverson presented the board with an in-depth time line of events, as to when LaX Fabricating applied for the business subsidy agreement, and moved to present location.
“The purpose of the letter and the time line is to show the effective date of the signed business subsidy agreement between LaX Fabricating and the city of Spring Grove was Nov. 1, 2007, and not June 5, 2008,” Iverson told the board.
The date change is important because it would mean a considerable tax impact to LaX Fabricating.
The board agreed to approve the time line and the letter, but wanted Houston County Attorney Sue Biblitz to review both first.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
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