North metro cities cry foul over board appointments to watershed district

Circle Pines and several other north metro cities with long-running frustration over the Anoka County Board's appointments to the Rice Creek Watershed District's Board of Managers have taken their case to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Anoka County is allowed two members on the watershed's five-member board of managers. Both of Anoka's members live in rural Columbus, and that's a problem, said Circle Pines City Manager Patrick Antonen. A majority of the district that works to conserve and restore water resources by managing lakes, streams, groundwater and wetlands falls into the urban areas of the county. And that area has no voice, he said.

"We feel a lack of representation as both members on the Rice Creek Board representing Anoka County are Columbus residents," Antonen said. "The vast majority of Rice Creek's district in Anoka County is found in Lino Lakes, Blaine and Circle Pines, but yet we have no representation."

Circle Pines sued Anoka County two years ago asserting the County Board violated state law when it reappointed Patricia Preiner to the watershed district's board and didn't fill the seat from a list of nominees the city had submitted. A District Court ruling sided with the county. The city appealed the decision, and it is now headed to the state's highest court, which will take up the matter Tuesday.

The city is crying foul again saying a similar pattern happened when the County Board last month reappointed Steve Wagamon, even though Blaine, Centerville, Circle Pines, Lexington, Lino Lakes and Spring Lake Park jointly submitted a list of nominees with hopes of getting somebody on the manager's board.

Officials from several cities attended the Dec. 14 County Board meeting when Wagamon was appointment to a new three-year term but were not allowed to speak.

"The most disappointing thing of this entire ordeal is that six and now seven [Fridley has since joined with support] cities banded together to get some change on the Rice Creek board and the County Board refused to listen," Antonen said.

The Rice Creek Watershed District falls into parts of Anoka, Ramsey, Washington and Hennepin counties. Current managers live in Hugo, White Bear Township, Mounds View and two in Columbus.

The county followed state law by notifying cities of a vacancy when Preiner's term expired at the end of 2019. At that time, Circle Pines was the only city that submitted a list of three names to fill the seat. Columbus sent in only a letter of support for Preiner's reappointment. Circle Pines believed, based on statestatute, that the county was required to appoint one of the candidates on its list, Antonen said.

But the County Board believed it had the discretion to appoint residents from a non-nominating city, and could reappoint Preiner. A District Court ruling upheld the county's viewpoint, and in June the state Court of Appeals agreed.

Circle Pines appealed that ruling and turned to the state Supreme Court.

Aside from appointing managers, the county has little interaction with the Watershed District while cities do on a daily basis, Antonen said.