Office of Administrative Hearings accepted documents, answered questions
A public hearing to begin Ranier’s proposal for orderly annexation was officially opened Friday, with staff from the Office of Administrative Hearings accepting the initial jurisdictional documents into the record.
Christine Scotillo, executive director of municipal boundary adjustments for the state Office of Administrative Hearings, began her presentation in front of a mixed group of public officials and local residents by explaining the day’s proceedings.
The city of Ranier and Koochiching County both agreed to a joint resolution that would annex nearby unincorporated areas such as the Jameson and French additions into Ranier. After submission of the joint resolution, the matter then transferred to the Office of Administrative Hearings, where an administrative law judge will decide the pact’s fate.
As anticipated, no public comment was entered into the record, as the evidentiary portion of the hearing was previously slated to be continued to a later date.
Scotillo opened the record and entered five documents: the joint resolution between Ranier and Koochiching County, the notice of public hearing, a certificate of mailing the notice to involved parties, an affidavit of publication of the notice of public hearing, and a 2008 estimate of the population of the city of Ranier.
Scotillo explained that opening this hearing started a statutory clock that required the issue to be resolved within one year.
International Falls City Attorney Joe Boyle, who was present, also entered into the record two documents. The first was a resolution adopted by the International Falls City Council Sept. 8 opposing the annexation proposal because of the inclusion of City Beach and the foreign trade zone and property around it. The city of International Falls is a party to the proceedings.
Boyle also entered, and read aloud, a letter signed by Tim “Chopper” McBride, executive director of the North Koochiching Sanitary Sewer District, that questioned who would pay for the cost of collection for the area under consideration for annexation — the city of Ranier or the East Koochiching district as part of the NKSSD. The NKSSD’s letter included that the district wanted to reserve the opportunity to be added as a party to the proceeding.
The hearing was then continued to an indefinite date, and, without being on the hearing’s record, Scotillo answered questions from the audience.
Ranier resident Wayne Kasich asked if the administrative law judge would be able to alter the boundaries of the proposed annexation area, which Scotillo said was possible.
Ranier resident Bernie Woods asked if it was common for an area with a smaller population, such as Ranier, to annex an area with a larger population, such as the Jameson and French additions.
Scotillo said that this was indeed common, and added that the administrative law judge has the authority to call for a new election of the city’s public officials if deemed necessary.
Ranier resident Andy Hedlund asked about the possibility of having two wards in the current Ranier and two in the areas proposed for annexation. Scotillo said this would also be considered by the administrative law judge at the hearing. Boyle noted that the U.S. Constitution requires equal representation based on population.
Ranier resident Lori Hedlund asked if there was a circumstance that could arise that would limit the general public’s ability to speak on their own behalf. Scotillo said that this could be possible, if the matter is settled before the public hearing. She added that the public would be represented by their elected officials in the matter.
“Sometimes we’re not represented by our public officials,” Lori Hedlund replied, asking what provisions those who disagreed with the officials had. Scotillo said that a group of residents could designate a representative and become an official party in the matter, but would then be partially responsible for the costs associated with the public hearing, as are all parties.
Ranier resident Dave Trompeter asked what would happen if no decision was rendered in one year. Scotillo answered that the matter would be deemed as denied or the parties could agree to extend the hearing for a specified amount of time to finish collecting evidence.
Scotillo said that the next step would be for an administrative law judge to be assigned to the case. She said that there was no “typical” time frame for an administrative law judge to be selected and subsequently reconvene the public hearing.
