by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Former Sartell Mayor Joe Perske has again asked the city council to postpone present plans for a community center until after the May 24 school-bond election.
During the public forum portion of the April 11 city council meeting, Perske said two other cities in the area – Sauk Rapids and St. Joseph – are working with their school districts for projects that will benefit both through the use of sales-tax revenues.
Perske noted St. Joseph has agreed to build a government center in the former Kennedy Elementary School building. Perske said he visited with St. Joseph Mayor Rick Schultz to learn more about the collaboration.
Perske also noted Sauk Rapids plans to use sales-tax money to work in conjunction with the school district to build a fieldhouse for sports and other activities.
The planned Sartell community center will be just two blocks from the St. Cloud border line, outside of the Sartell-St. Stephen School District. If the new Sartell high school is to be built by Oak Ridge Elementary School, the community center would be five miles away from the school.
Perske said it makes sense to postpone community-center plans until after the school-bond issue passes or is rejected by voters, after which time the city and the school district could work together to build a center suitable for shared needs.
The Sartell Planning Commission recently expressed misgivings about the proposed community center site in south Sartell, according to Perske. City council members, he said, should consult with planning commission members and work for a solution that all could embrace.
