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In just days administrative law hearings will begin in the matter of the boundaries of the new Wyoming city. Administrative Law Judge Steve Mihalchick opens evidentiary hearings Monday morning, March 24 at Wyoming City Hall. These hearings are for the parties' legal counsel and witnesses, and for submitting evidence the judge will consider in deciding the contested boundary.

The public's chance to speak is during a night time hearing-- Wednesday, March 26, starting at 6 p.m.

Christine Scotillo, of the Minnesota Boundary Adjustments Office, said the public hearing format is flexible. The judge will probably declare some basic rules for accepting testimony at the outset. Administrative Law Judge Mihalchick might restrict length of comments if there's hundreds of citizens who expect to say something.

People should attend the March 26 session prepared to state their preferences for inclusion into Stacy, Wyoming or Chisago City and be prepared to offer substantiation or reasoning supporting their preference. Scotillo suggested that people submit written comments if they are uncomfortable speaking in public. Listen to the public remarks and try not to be redundant, she added. If several people have already made your point the judge probably has realized it too.

The whole hearing process is allotted one week on the administrative law division calendar, said Scotillo. The process could be shorter, but it also may be longer, depending on how the evidence, expert testimony, etc is moving along.

The judge should be releasing a recommendation on the disputed boundaries by late June 2008.

Scotillo said Chisago City, Stacy, Wyoming and Wyoming Township agreed months ago to "stay" the statutory timeline while this contested boundary dispute made its way through the courts. On September 26, 2007 the final appeal was exhausted and that ruling started a new annexation petition clock, allowing nine months to complete the process. June 27, 2008 then is when the boundary decisions must be concluded.

Erroneously, Scotillo said, local officials have been announcing that June 26 is also the dissolution date of Wyoming Township. The township won't actually cease to exist until the Office of Boundary Adjustments has approved an amended orderly annexation petition. The Boundary Adjustment Order must released and this may take some time; possibly until July or August, she concluded.

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