BEMIDJI — Lake Bemidji's tale of two cities will likely be hashed out in court, as some lakeshore property owners worry about paying for significant new infrastructure.
Back and forth resolutions, news releases and public meetings between two local governments have laid out two alternatives to one solution, wrapping sewer services to cabins and houses around Lake Bemidji. But whether those properties will remain in Northern Township or become part of Bemidji will likely be decided by a judge.
The township board wants to construct a wastewater treatment facility for an estimated $12 million to first connect properties around the lake, and a total cost of about $19 million.
The board also seeks to incorporate the township into a city, because even with $6 million in federal grants for the project to address aging septic systems around the lake, financing it will require taking out bonds.
To pay off the bonds, the township is proposing assessing those lakeshore properties at $165 per “equivalent benefitted linear foot” — the very same lakeshore properties the city of Bemidji is looking to annex.
Northern’s incorporation or Bemidji’s annexation could be decided before an administrative law judge as soon as this summer, with additional opportunities for public hearings and comment.
The Bemidji City Council unanimously agreed on May 19 to petition the state to annex properties within the shoreline of Lake Bemidji to instead connect those properties to its own wastewater facility. The city will only take that action, however, if Northern Township moves forward with becoming a city.
Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince stopped by the KBXE studios May 23 to discuss the issue.
With Beltrami County planning to complete a significant road project on nearby Birchmont Beach Road in 2026, either entity has limited time to get pipe in the ground in coordination with the project, which would provide at least $1 million in cost savings.
“Somebody would have to act, taking a great deal of risk, if they put pipe in that ground without this being solved,” Prince said. "I sure hope that there can be additional conversation, that there could be some resolution here between us that doesn't involve court, because again, we talked about there being no winners, this is another example of losing.”
The Town Board has voiced opposition to any more annexation, citing resident support. The township completed a decades-long orderly annexation agreement with the city in 2020. Ruttger’s Birchmont Lodge’s septic issues prompted another annexation proposal in 2021.
"When this all started back in 2021, this is part of why one of the options that was being discussed was a flag lot annexation, where we would run pipe down that County Road solely to Ruttger’s and only annex Ruttger’s and no other property,” Prince said.
Jim Aakhus has a lakeshore cabin he has paid off and plans to pass it down to his children. He expressed frustration at the proposed costs, as well as the assumptions about people who own properties around Lake Bemidji.
He estimates that his cost to connect will add another $160 to his monthly bills, between the 20-year assessment on his 100 feet of lakeshore, the utility fees, and at least $5,000 to pay the plumber.
"That may not sound like much money, but to me, that's a lot of money,” Aakhus said. “I only get $1,800 a month on my Social Security, right? So, they're assuming that everyone who lives on the lake is rich. Well, that's not true.”
Laurie Nordquist retired to her Bemidji lakeshore residence a few years ago after summering here for 15 years.
She said she is neutral on Bemidji annexing or Northern incorporating but expressed some frustration with what the real costs of the project are, especially since she just replaced a septic system for around $30,000.
“You hate to go just to what does it cost, but you've really have to at least have that as a consideration, to be able to say, ‘Is it better to have Northern build a whole new wastewater plant and hook up there, or is it better to hook up to the city of Bemidji?’ Nordquist said. “You know, if I were guessing, I'd still think it would be less money to hook up to the city of Bemidji.”
While some properties within city limits don’t yet have city sewer and water services extended to them, Prince said he believes the extension could happen “relatively soon” if the petition to annex is successful
The city’s resolutions to annex around the lake argue another wastewater treatment facility to serve the region would be “duplicative” and wasteful of public spending, given the grants Bemidji has also received to expand its plant’s capacity.
“The total when everything was in was $14 million into expanding our wastewater treatment plant, which is about to come online,” Prince said. “When that does, we'll only be using 60% of that capacity. So, our ability to put in pipe to connect to that isn't going to be a huge deal in terms of our ability to handle it.”
Prince also points out the significant investment the city has made in its drinking water, which would be extended at the same time sewer would be.
"That has the benefit of eliminating all the wells all around the lake, which is also risk reduction," Prince said. "You can always have contamination in a well, you can affect the aquifer, you can have things leach into the lake from a well, just like you can from sewer.”
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