---

It’s hard to imagine County Government without Marion Heemsbergen. After 20 years as the administrator of the zoning department; then planning and zoning department, and finally-- planning, zoning and environmental services-- Heemsbergen is hanging it up. A hiring process was set in motion by the County Commissioners at their last meeting to try to replace him.

Describing Heemsbergen as a longtime county employee (27 years) doesn’t begin to do justice to the role he has played, often reluctantly, in the evolution of Chisago County.

It is a fact that over the last two decades county commissioners frequently tabled decisions if Heemsbergen was unavailable to make a zoning recommendation.

Countless stalled-out meetings have been jump-started only after Heemsbergen explained where to go next.

He might complain he would need more time or staff to accomplish an assignment; but he never said it couldn’t be done. On major matters he was not trained to handle, he hired good people or got the public involved.

Examples over the years would be things like the Wetland Conservation Act, which landed in Heemsbergen’s department.

New Solid Waste, Landfilling and Recycling responsibilities, they too were relegated to planning and zoning.

Wastewater and water quality issues, cell towers, and even land conservation debates--they were given to Heemsbergen.

He points out that zoning is listed at the bottom of the government center’s alphabetical directory, “We say if there’s no place else to go, hey, there’s always Zoning.”

Heemsbergen is retiring to the life of gentleman rancher in central Texas.

Dorothy, whom he met, dated and wed working together, in a much smaller government center 15 years ago, is of course coming along too.

Dorothy Person was county coordinator and Heemsbergen, who already had a few years under his belt as a county building inspector, was running the zoning department.

“She tells me she didn’t like me at first,” he winks. “I really don’t recall.”

The youngest two boys in the Heemsbergen-Person brood are now out-of-the-house and Marion and Dorothy are honestly looking forward to life in the hill country.

They’ll move a few of their horses and beef cattle stock with them when they relocate this fall. Heemsbergen plans on several trips to the new place.

Choosing Texas was kismet, Heemsbergen explained. He and Dorothy had planned a car trip down with a quick visit to a relative, and then along the coast, and back last February. Their car, though, had problems and they decided to go into central Texas to stay with Marion’s brother while a major repair was made at a dealership.

There was a rare, beautiful Texas snowfall that night, at his brother’s place. “It was like it was just for us, to say this place isn’t all that foreign,” said Heemsbergen.

The central Texas terrain started to grow on them.

Pretty soon they went touring with a realtor.

Heemsbergen mentioned that the sale of the farm back here was pretty emotional. “This was the place where we were going to live the rest of our lives,” he stated. But, health problems partly triggered by the Minnesota winter make moving a necessity.

And, now, Heemsbergen finds himself in the shoes of hundreds he has served before-- those of a land subdivider.

“The public hearing on our rezone (from farm to residential) was hard,” he admitted. “Seeing the surveyor’s stakes really hit me,” he added.

Yet, who better to suggest the new development layout to the land purchaser? Heemsbergen drew the plat himself to save a full grown windbreak and other land features, and he says the new housing on the farmstead will look good when it’s built.

The reporter asks--not a five-acre chop shop?

Heemsbergen chuckles being reminded of how he once described a low budget development...one of many “Marion-isms” he has uttered.

During hours of public discourse over dog kennels and communications tower permits, Heemsbergen could usually be relied on to help keep things light.

That underlying ability to find humor is an attribute that will make replacing Heemsbergen nearly impossible.

His staff of 11 also has a good time and they are allowed to do their jobs-- even if on the surface it seems somewhat unorthodox. They have pulled practical jokes on each other and on their boss.

But Heemsbergen explained, “At the same time we all realize we are monkeying with people’s biggest investment-- a home, and with their future in some instances.

“I think the key to doing this is being able to admit when you’ve made mistakes and realizing nothing is set in stone,” Heemsbergen offered.

---