Breezy Point Minnesota

Breezy Point candidates discuss issues at forum – Pine and Lakes Echo Journal

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, 2022-10-14 05:11:32,

BREEZY POINT — Managing growth. Keeping finances in check. Improving communication with the public.

These were some of the top issues for Breezy Point mentioned during a city council candidate forum Thursday, Oct. 6, at Eagle View Elementary School.

The six candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot – Gary Bakken (incumbent), Steve Jensen, Tom Lillehei (appointed), Michael Moroni (incumbent), Brad Scott and Angel Zierden – discussed their stances on various issues the city faces.

Scott, Lillehei, Moroni and Bakken are vying for the two open four-year council terms, while Jensen is the sole candidate for a two-year role on the council and Zierden is the only candidate for the mayor’s seat.

Forum moderator Rebecca Timmins asked the candidates what their top priority will be if elected. Answers varied, but Jensen and Zierden both cited a desire to revise or replace city ordinances they deemed “outdated.”

Lillehei mentioned the Buschmann Road improvement project as a chief concern.

Moroni said he wants to manage the city’s growth and address staffing concerns.

Scott said his priority is engaging the citizens and bringing more public input to a city hall that has at times been “not welcoming” to outside voices.

Bakken called for cooperation among council members in the new term.

“I am talking about the seated members of the council working together,” he said. “No hidden agendas. We work for the people, not ourselves. That has been my goal forever. I do what is right for the masses.”

Timmins, a volunteer with the League of Women Voters, asked candidates about their philosophies on controlling taxes and fees. Consensus from several candidates was that taxes needed to be maintained responsibly, and different revenue streams need to be obtained.

I believe you can’t just keep raising taxes every year to cover expenses. It places burdens on young families and seniors on a fixed income – which I am one of. You need to look at generating alternative revenue sources.

Steve Jensen, Breezy Point City Council candidate (2-year seat)

“I believe you can’t just keep raising taxes every year to cover expenses,” Jensen said. “It places burdens on…

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Breezy Point City Council raises city hall rental rates – Pine and Lakes Echo Journal

Breezy Point City Council raises city hall rental rates – Pine and Lakes Echo Journal

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, 2022-08-08 05:05:21,

BREEZY POINT — In its Monday, Aug. 1, meeting, the Breezy Point City Council voted to raise the rate to rent the back room of city hall after regular business hours.

Because city hall does not have electronic access control, those reserving the room must come in during business hours before their event to receive a key to access the back doors – not the best practice when it comes to security.

City Administrator David Chanski said past renters have, on occasion, either left lights on, doors unlocked or windows open. In fact, on one occasion this year, the windows were left open on a night a storm came through Breezy Point.

The new rental rates for the city hall meeting room are $50 per hour with a minimum of two hours and a deposit of $100. This will apply to everyone renting the room and is effective immediately. Those who had already booked the facility will be grandfathered in.

Previously, the space could be rented for $10 to $50, depending on the organization.

The council also voted to buy a new folding machine for city hall. Chanski said the city’s current machine is “rather old and prone to jamming.” The machine is used for folding items like public notices and utility bills.

The cost of the machine is $4,418, plus $420 per year in maintenance after two years.

“We did have the opportunity to try this new machine … during the last utility billing,” Chanski said. “It normally takes (city staff) the majority of the day, but using this machine, they did it in under two hours.”

Chanski and council member Gary Bakken – as liaison to the park commission – gave an update on the expansion to the disc golf course, saying the project is 75%-80% done.

Resident Bill Toft was the sole speaker at the open forum, opposing the course’s expansion. He cited issues such as marijuana and alcohol use on the city-owned course, a likelihood of no funds brought into the city by the project and the potential for increased criminal activity.

Before the council adjourned, Chanski reminded the public that the election filing period for mayor and city council seats opened Tuesday, Aug. 2, and will run through Tuesday, Aug. 16. Mayor Todd Roggenkamp told the council and public that he will not be seeking re-election to a second term.

In July, the Breezy Point Police Department responded to 374 incidents, an increase of 150 from July 2021. Among the incidents were 191 traffic stops, eight…

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Lake Country Faces: From Brainerd to Breezy – Chanski takes admin role in Breezy Point – Pine and Lakes Echo Journal

Lake Country Faces: From Brainerd to Breezy – Chanski takes admin role in Breezy Point – Pine and Lakes Echo Journal

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, 2022-08-02 05:02:09,

BREEZY POINT — When Breezy Point began its search for a new city administrator, it didn’t have to look too far.

In fact, David Chanski was working just 20 miles away.

However, public service and local government has taken him across the country.

The Maple Grove native began his tenure as Breezy Point’s administrator three months ago. Before that, he served as the community development director for the city of Brainerd. But his career in local government includes jobs in Colorado, Wisconsin and Texas.

Now, he is doing what he has always wanted to do, where he and his family want to be.

“It has always kind of been the goal to be a city administrator,” Chanski said. “When we moved up to Brainerd, my wife and I were kind of thinking maybe we would be here for two to four years, then migrate back to the Cities – closer to family – but then we got here and decided we like being here and this is where we want to be long term.”

Chanski knew from a young age he wanted to serve others. In middle and high school, he served as a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol, which kick-started a passion for service. Coincidentally, the Civil Air Patrol also gave him his first taste of Breezy Point, as conventions took place at Breezy Point Resort.

However, it was not until college when he realized his passion was for local government.

When we moved up to Brainerd, my wife and I were kind of thinking maybe we would be here for two to four years … but then we got here and decided we like being here and this is where we want to be long term.

David Chanski, Breezy Point City Administrator

“I have always had this desire for public service,” he said. “When I was at the University of Minnesota getting my degree in political science, I had this idea that I wanted to go into law – specifically constitutional law – but I started to do more research and decided it wasn’t really what I wanted to do. It was a little too in the weeds for me.

“What I enjoyed about political science wasn’t necessarily ideological politics stuff. I enjoyed researching structures, like how government worked, and that then kind of led me to public administration,” Chanski said.

With roughly 90…

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