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Stacy City Council and Lent Township Supervisors, with Jess Eischens excused, met last week to chip away at bothersome language in the annexation agreement pertaining to employees.  

The personnel aspects of this merger, with the goal of dissolving the township and annexing most of Lent into Stacy,  has proven to be complex.

While discussions continue— Chisago City Council has agreed on the area Chisago will seek to annex in. North Branch also has voted on the parcels designated for annexation into North Branch.  

The plan has been for all  four parties to submit as a package, the merger request to the state Boundary Adjustments Office.

The process calls for a review of the agreed upon terms and a ruling by an Administrative Law Judge whether the proposed annexation meets state law. If nobody comes forward contesting the annexations the new city of Stacy could be approved in a matter of months.

Personnel issues have been delaying submittal of the agreements to the state.

Stacy and Lent have agreed to split the $20,000 cost to hire a professional job consultant. This outside study will generate descriptions and attach government grades (categories of skill) to each position, anticipated to be held by the township and city staffers. It was stated at last week’s meeting this study could take anywhere from six to nine months.

Stacy Council member Mark Ness said the study will be on-going while the agreement wording is finalized so that the annexation process doesn’t get unduly delayed.
Many officials last week already felt this has been taking too long and isn’t coming together as hoped.

Stacy Council member Jennie Carlson said the future of employees’ wages and work structure was already decided in prior meetings.  She asked, “why do we keep arguing the same things over and over and over.” Town Supervisor Troy Nelson expressed his frustrations asking, “is this still a good idea?”

Stacy City Council member Tim Sawatzky added if he was a CEO and this merger was a business proposition, he would look at it as a bad idea.  He said it might be more cost effective to just let Lent Township be picked apart in hostile annexation actions initiated by surrounding urban areas like Chisago City, North Branch and then all this expense involved in dealing with staff would not exist.

Stacy Council member Mark Ness acknowledged he’s “on the fence” now about this merger. He has concerns over how it will be perceived in later years and is uncomfortable with the information he has on which to act. Ness did not file for re-election.

Lent Town Supervisor Brian Seekon also commented he was getting worn out. But he stated if the group will keep trudging-on they can make it work.
Lent Supervisor Carolyn Cagle said she wants to be pro-active and pursue this because she doesn’t want township residents to ask later why didn’t the town board anticipate a merger and act to protect their residents. There will be projects in the future (ie: housing) that Lent, as a township, can’t make happen, Cagle continued.  But, in merging with Stacy urban powers become accessible.

Lent Town Board Chair Rick Keller stated he feels at some point Lent Township is not going to exist, and supervisors need to take ownership and lead on this issue. He believes combining with Stacy is best for the community.

Stacy Mayor Mark Utecht assured those attending that the agreement states the employee wages and duties aren’t going to change until December 31, 2023.  
Arguments over job titles, seniority and job points that have been taking place in town hall and city hall are moot.  Utecht noted it doesn’t matter what employees come in at— they won’t be staying there once the newly-elected combined city council is seated and acts on the finished study.

Once the new payroll matrix is established, Utecht said he’s confident everybody’s compensation will be adjusted upwards and be more equitable.

Job descriptions have been hard to nail down because there are basically four “clerks”  (although under different titles) and it will be up to the study to clarify these roles and where they fit in the compensation formulas.  Somebody may currently be qualified to act as a planning and zoning administrator, but the study might show this to be a new position.  Township and city maintenance crews also need to be fitted into new position levels as well, based on training, certificates and licenses held.  Lent Town supervisors met in August and rejected a maintenance agreement developed by Stacy— and instead voted to create individual work orders for projects on an as-needed basis, to track costs.

Health care plans come due in August, for Stacy, so for the time being employees will come into the merger with what they have or choose from existing city/town options.

Everybody has a job through December 2023 unless they could be let go for cause.

The meeting last week ended with consensus to continue the merger process and have legal counsel draft a new agreement that stipulates the employee considerations agreed on.  Stacy Council was to meet the day after the general election, and expected a new resolution on their council agenda Nov 9 to act on this agreement.

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