City denies BYHA

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Aug. 21, 1996

By Devlyn Brooks

Staff Writer

The Bemidji City Council Monday denied a request from the Bemidji Youth Hockey Association for $250,000 in matching funds to help build a $750,000 indoor hockey arena.

Mayor Doug Peterson said that although the council was sorry it had to cut the request, in a time of tight budgets and property taxes already too high, he could not see the city donating the money.

The city received $835,000 in new requests -- including BYHA's -- for the 1997 budget, he said, and to honor all the requests the council would have to raise property taxes by 100 percent.

Currently, city property taxes pay for less than one-fourth of the total general fund budget, which is about $4.7 million, Peterson said. The tax levy is 4.2 percent less in 1996 than it was 12 years ago.

"I applaud the council for their willingness to make hard choices with taxpayers' money," he said. "Property taxes are too high, and it is the charge of this council to hold them down as much as possible."

Peterson said if the council was to grant the Youth Hockey request taxes would have to be raised 5 percent over five years to pay for the donation. Over five years it would amount to a 25 percent total increase in taxes.

It is obvious the Youth Hockey Association generates a lot of money for the community, Councilor Richard Lehman said. However, with the Beltrami County Board promising to hold the line on taxes for 1997, the council needed to also consider maintaining the status quo on taxes.

Councilor John O'Boyle suggested the leaders of the BYHA seek to put the issue directly to a vote of Bemidji taxpayers. Although the board had to deny the funding, he said, the voters could still vote for the money to be donated in the upcoming elections.

BYHA arena coordinator Nora Shanahan said she understood the concern the council had for keeping the budget balanced without raising taxes but wondered if there was not a bigger concern.

"We have to realize this is a youth facility," she said. "Just like you don't want to cut the budget, we don't want to cut kids. Even without your help, we'll get the money."

"The hockey issue is dear to my heart," Councilor Ralph Zachman said, "but when you sit there and cut requests for three to four hours and you're still not done, it hurts."

In other action, the council:

* Took no action on a request by Headwaters Science Center Director Laddie Elwell's request to allow the center to proceed with required initial planning for construction of a new building on the old candy company site east of the Mississippi River, between Paul Bunyan Drive and Midway Drive, which is owned by the city.

* Heard a presentation from Jeff Hrubes of the Beltrami Soil and Water District about how the city might be affected by the new version of the Wetland Conservation Act.

* Adopted a Transit Management Plan for 1997.

* Adopted a resolution designating polling places and election judges for the Sept. 10 primary election and the Nov. 5 general election.

* Adopted a resolution condemning a structure on Second Street and Mississippi Avenue.

* Approved a housing rehabilitation grant application for the Westside Neighborhood Revitalization Project.

* Acknowledged receipt of the 1995 financial report for the Bemidji Pioneer Firefighters Relief Association.

* Approved the registered land survey involving a plot of land in the Lake Irving area.

* Authorized a contract with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to provide public transportation service.

* Heard the final reading of an ordinance vacating a portion of Clausen Avenue.

* Heard second readings on several ordinances, including one rezoning property for State Farm and North Country Regional Hospital, another rezoning of a piece of property and a third vacating the east portion of a cul-de-sac on Donald Avenue.

* Heard first readings on an ordinance amending Chapter 5 of the Bemidji City Code relating to beer, wine and liquor licensing regulations and an ordinance designating roadways for use by physically handicapped people.

* Granted a plumber's license to Brower Plumbing.

* Acknowledged the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association has filed an application for exemption from a lawful gambling license to conduct a raffle.

* Approved payment of city bills.