Politics & Government
VIDEO: Residents Criticize, Support School Board Over Dog Track Issue
After a report from Financial Services Director Tim Erickson, the Hudson School District Board of Education heard from five community members at its meeting on Tuesday along with tough questions from board member Sandy Gehrke.
Five community members took turns at the microphone Tuesday night at the Board of Education meeting to tell board members how they feel about the 's consideration of rezoning from commercial use to public use. The district on the site.
Three of the speakers — Sharon Norton-Bauman, Jim Schrock and Elizabeth McCormick — spoke against rezoning while two — Barbara Van Loenen and Jamie Johnson — spoke in favor of it.
Van Loenen, the former board president, got her chance to speak, she said that the board had spent a considerable amount of time determining whether the St. Croix Meadows site was the best site for a new secondary school.
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McCormick used a "light at the end of the tunnel" analogy from earlier in the meeting and suggested that board members have "tunnel vision" when it comes to the St. Croix Meadows property.
Board member Mark Kaisersatt responded with assurances that the board has considered every viable site to build a new secondary school and that the St. Croix Meadows property is the best.
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Board member Sandy Gehrke asked whether the board intended to purchase the dog track even if the city rejects the rezoning request. Financial Services Director Tim Erickson said that rezoning was "a contingency that was designed to be met." Board member Lynn Robson said that she believed it was a decision that the board would have to make.
Rezoning Request Update
Just before the public comment portion of the meeting, Financial Services Director Tim Erickson gave an update about the district's rezoning request for the St. Croix Meadows property.
Erickson said that he and board members Tom Holland and Brian Bell are scheduled to appear before the City of Hudson Plan Commission on Thursday, Sept. 6, and before the City of Hudson Common Council on Monday, Sept. 17, to determine whether the city will rezone the dog track property.
The district and its consultants will present answers to the many questions members of the commission had from along with analysis of finances, transportation, market effects and more of the four following sites:
- Property adjacent to the
- Property on County Road F south of
- Property the district previously purchased
- Property known as the
A no vote from the council would effectively kill the the district has in place with the current property owner despite the matter by a 56-44 margin.
The district's information is set to be finalized and distributed to board members on Aug. 23 and forwarded to the city while a copy will be posted on the school district's website on Aug. 27, according to Erickson.
