Northern Township packs in to testify before judge in joint hearing

BEMIDJI — An estimated 350 people packed into the 4-H building at the Beltrami County Fairgrounds to testify before a judge in the joint administrative trial between Northern Township and the city of Bemidji.

During the hearing Tuesday, Sept. 30, Judge Jessica Palmer-Denig allowed Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince and the attorney representing Northern Township, Mike Couri, to address the sizeable crowd before the hearing began.

While recording of proceedings was not permitted, Mayor Jorge Prince recapped his speech with press outside.

He said because elected officials couldn’t work out their disagreements, the decision over where municipal boundaries will be set and which local government will provide sewer services around Lake Bemidji lies in the hands of the judge.

"It's a failure. And I own an equal share of that along with, I'd argue, every other elected official that's been involved in this,” Prince said. “I'm not gonna run away from that, I'm not gonna pretend that it isn't a real thing. We have to get beyond it. We have to abide by whatever decision we get.”

Couri said enough of Northern Township’s land has already been annexed into the city of Bemidji, and transforming into a city will firm its boundary and protect its tax base.

"I think it's no coincidence the city is trying to annex a thin little strip of Northern Township all the way around the lake, about 6 miles or so — it's kind of a crazy annexation in that regard,” Couri said. “It's because that's where the tax base is.”

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While the proposed annexed area only represents a small percentage of the township’s population, the lakeshore properties represent around a third of the township’s tax base. Those same properties are the ones that would be assessed for some of the infrastructure costs of Northern Township’s wastewater plant.

The township secured around $6 million in federal grants for the first phase, and leaders are hoping to secure state state bonding dollars for the second phase of the combined $21 million project.

Bemidji city leaders — if the annexation petition is successful — saidthey could plan oninstalling sewer and water at least to Lake Bemidji State Park in 2026. Northern Township is also vying to get pipes under Birchmont Beach Road next summer, to work in conjunction with Beltrami County’s planned road construction.

The city, which already has a wastewater treatment facility and a water treatment plant, also offers a deferred connection program for new utility customers.

When the rest of the lake would gain access to sewer under the city’s plan is unclear, as some homes along Lake Bemidji already within city limits are still not connected to city services.

A similar public hearing with the judge present will be hosted at the Sanford Event Center in Bemidji at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The public can provide written comments through Oct. 24, and Palmer-Denig will review them for several months before she makes her decision.

If she rules in the city’s favor, annexation would likely be immediate. If the township is successful, a special election for a Northern city council could take place as soon as next spring or summer.

Written comments can be emailed to: mbauadministrator.oah@state.mn.us, or mailed to: The Court of Administrative Hearings, Attention: Municipal Boundary Adjustment Unit, P.O. Box 64620, St. Paul, MN 55164-0620.