Annexation opponents devise

counter proposal in Sleepy Eye

Issue comes

before council

on Tuesday

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- Opponents of the Cedar Street N.E. annexation project will present a counter proposal to the Sleepy Eye City Council Tuesday night.

At issue is the annexation of properties currently in Home Township, on the north side of Cedar Street N.E.

New Ulm attorney Hugh Nierengarten, who represents affected property owners, acknowledged that a meeting took place Friday in his office with Sleepy Eye City Attorney Errol E. "Nip" Hauser.

Nierengarten would not elaborate on the details of the counter proposal, saying only that it would be revealed at the Sleepy Eye City Council meeting Tuesday night.

Hauser would not comment on the details of the counter proposal either.

Sleepy Eye mayor Jim Broich said he "knew nothing" about the counter proposal Sunday night.

After a spirited and lengthy discussion at a special meeting Feb. 20, the council heard the first reading of the annexation ordinance.

Property owners that would incur the largest assessments for curb, gutter, water, sewer, street surface, and water and sewer hookups include the Sleepy Eye Farmers Elevator, CAMA Minndak Inc., Sleepy Eye Auction Inc., Arneson Distributing Co., Lloyd and LaDonna Havemeier, Neil "Chuck" Case Jr., the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation.

The State Highway Department would get the largest assessment -- $82,135.59, according to preliminary calculations.

Smaller assessments would be placed on Sleepy Eye Bus Lines and Lewis Abel.

Total cost of the annexation project was estimated at approximately $162,000.

In addition, property owners would face the prospect of paying 33 percent higher property taxes in the City of Sleepy Eye than they are currently paying in Home Township.

Dean Ibberson, representing the auction market, told the council affected property owners "would be assessed for something in our way. It will create more of a snow removal problem for me. I'd rather just see Seventh Avenue improved. I'll even donate money for that," Ibberson said.

At an earlier meeting, Ibberson told the council the auction market would go back to the city and he would set up a scaled-down version of the market in the country if the annexation project took place.

Ibberson also questioned whether his property was worth the $18,000 assessment he would face.

Sleepy Eye City Manager Mark Kober said the project would cost much more money if it were done the next time the city has a "catch-all" project to accommodate it.