Anoka City Forum

Mayor Behaving Badly

Mayor, Bjorn Skogquist, behaving badly:       The following is A letter to the editor taken from abc newspapers and reprinted here, permission was not obtained, as it is of public record,

"View the Council Tape":

To the Editor:

Feedback on front page flap over the finger. . .Mayor Skogquist's of Anoka. 

I took the time to order and view the tape.

It was a meeting where he was defending his far-reaching preservation ordinance.  Yet he actually said, "I just can't stress enough how much this ordinance doesn't do anything."

Well, there it was. Intentional looking and surprisingly prolific.  At least four individuals seemed to be the focus of the featured finger.

Mayor Skogquist's Self-Dealing

The following is a letter to the editor from abc newspapers and reprinted here, permission was not obtained, as it is of public record.

Published May 30, 2008     Self Dealing

Patrick Walker appeared before the Anoka City Council April 21 to object to an obvious ethical conflict of interest concerning Mayor Bjorn Skogquist and the Windego Society.

Later, by coincidence, I presented much the same view about the mayor's conduct regarding not only Windego, but the River Town Community Partnership (RTCP) and the Anoka car show.

We each asked, in essence, that the mayor excuse himself and step down when any item concerning his "babies" is before the council.

Pat Walker and I each cited the informational source of the mayor's self-dealing, as taken from the pages of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits web site.

Mayor Skogquist has a non-profit consulting company, Skogquist Management. His bio on the web site states that Windego and the RTCP are examples of his nonprofit work while he presents himself for a consulting or management job.

Clearly, the success of Windego and RTCP bear on his credentials as a consultant.  A salesman would call them his "reference accounts".  The mayor stands to profit if he can keep Windego and River Town afloat.

Do I want Mayor Skogquist to be fined or barred from office?  That is a matter for the Anoka City Attorney to decide, but I do not.

No, what I am asking is that when issues concerning Windego (which spent most of its net revenue on an administrator last year. . .they are just $1.2 million short of their goal of $1.2 million, give or take) or the RTCP, which spent 80 percent of the Anoka car show revenues it received on an executive director, are before the council, especially concerning the use of city-owned or city-leased property, Mayor Skogquist step aside.

The history has been, if it is one of the mayor's "babies" before the council, all must endure agenda and meeting manipulation.

Consider finding the controversial RTCP farmer's market request hidden on the consent agenda at the April 7 Anoka Council meeting.

Did you see the two-hour "Udder Market" utter fiasco featuring the spouse of the RTCP executive director dressed as a cow at the same meeting?

When Windego is on an agenda, where there might be questions about finances, no matter how many citizens may wish to comment, it will be put at the end of the agenda so it finally comes up at midnight.  Even worse, it just as likely will be off-camera at a workshop.

The mayor has shown no restraint when one of his "reference accounts" is before the council.  In many observers opinions it is most inappropriate to be a presenter and cheerleader and interrogator from the council table.

All I ask is that Mayor Skogquist let Windego Park Society and Anoka car show and River Town requests rise or fall on their own merit, without the taint of interference and unethical participation.

Step down, Mr. Mayor, and spare us the theatrics.  Honor all citizens by removing the appearance of self-dealing and yourself during these considerations.

Steve Schmidt

Anoka

Follow-up information: Anoka Car Show/ River Town Commmunity Partnership's paid director is a Mimi Doran, married to a Tom Durkin. She was paid $1,789 per Saturday night.  It's a true shame she didn't have the opportunity to double that with the expanded farmer's market idea. Of course, the 5-7 actual booths of the farmer's would have been buried in among 45 other booths.  Booths which would compete with our downtown shops.  And the real product she is selling is the public streets of Anoka.

Also, in a normal (read healthy city) it is the function of a city manager's office to set agenda's.  In a normal, healthy city meeting agenda's are not made available for political manipulation.

Real. Classic. Anoka Bully.

Submitted as a letter to the editor, but censored by Peter Bodley, Editor of the Anoka County Union:

ABC Newspapers printed an article 2-29-08 "Union goes public with no confidence vote in ATC president", Anne Weyandt.

The faculty union at Anoka Technical College had called for a change in senior leadership 51-4.

The article described years of concern over hiring practices and unacceptable, classic bully behavior.

On 5-5-08 Anne Weyandt appeared at Anoka City Council Open Forum.

She demonstrated her new policy of staff participation and shared governance.  One of the three staff who accompanied her was scheduled to speak for 10 minutes.  With no explanation she bumped him and spoke for 20 minutes.

Weyandt demonstrated her new policy of Respect by cutting and chiding a vice president of the college for not being able to read her mind as he advanced slides.

Another disparaging dig drew gasps and a clearly audible reaction from the audience.

Weyandt demonstrated her new policy of Openness by not recognizing her newest hire Mayor Bjorn Skogquist.

Skogquist, of course, being the moderator on the council being solicited for endorsement and approvals.

The mayor of "the city that matters most" having recently been placed in a job apparently crafted just for him at ATC.

A new policy of Openness may have revealed and acknowledged this conflict-of-interest-political hire.

Looks like same old, same old for the long-suffering at ATC.

Submitted by Linea Kirchner

5th generation Anokan

Reality Check : Windego

The following is a letter to the editor from abc newspapers and reprinted here, permission was not obtained, as it is of public record.

To the Editor:

Anoka's mayor, Bjorn Skogquist, said in a recent Star Tribune article, "I'd like for someone to give us a dose of reality."

The Windego Park Society has been in place for over 12 years. Twelve years.

During that time it has amassed $8,000 towards the cost of renovation (of Eastman Stadium), currently estimated to be well over $1 million.  $1,000,000.   At this rate the project will never get done.

In the meantime, donations are being spent and people who have donated in good faith will be disappointed to see that the project does not occur.

If one of these (or dozens of these) donors decide to sue, who will they sue?

The Windego Park Society?  I don't think so.

Their lawyers will quickly discover that Anoka's mayor was the founding member and that his brother is the current president. (Mother, Barb Thurston, is the treasurer.)

They will discover that the city of Anoka has leased the land for only a token fee to Windego and that the city knew of their fundraising.

They will also discover that the city of Anoka has much deeper pockets.

This is a recipe for disaster.  And it's too bad. I would liked to have seen Windego succeed.

But the reality is the amphitheater exists in poor condition and as long as Windego exists, the city does not look seriously at other uses for the site.

The property has a great value, based on the fact it is on the Rum River near city hall.

A public debate on the best and most efficient use for the property has never taken place.

Could it be sold to a private developer?  Should the city develop this city owned property?  Would the DNR have need of the property for a special project?

These and many more questions would be asked if the property was brought to a public forum.

Now that's reality.

Patrick J. Walker  Anoka

HRA member, longtime resident

Letter to the Editor, Appeared in the Anoka Union 5-16-08

Mayor's Assistant

The following is a letter to the editor from abc newspapers and reprinted here, permission was not obtained, as it is of public record.

To the Editor:

Anoka needs a city manager, not a $107,577.60 assistant to a $7,800 mayor.  The mayor needs to get out of city hall and stop micro-managing city staff!

Imagine the city staff morale issues resulting from having two bosses with conflicting instructions/agendas.

The city manager needs to take guidance from the city council, not directives from a mayor.

The influence of the mayor over the city manager was never more pronounced than was exhibited during the recent (12-18-06) 1:30 am council meeting regarding the Windego's lease of the amphitheater site.

Never, under any circumstance, would such poor information have been considered had it been presented by any member of the public in an arms-length transaction.

5 Women Unacceptable to Skogquist

The following is a letter to the editor from abc newspapers and reprinted here, permission was not obtained, as it is of public record.

To the Editor:

The Union recently quoted Anoka Mayor Skogquist as saying "the other applicants were not acceptable to me."  He was referring to applicants to the city's Housing Authority.

A little research indicates that among these applicants that were not acceptable to Mr. Skogquist were at least five women.

Their credentials were impressive.

There was a former mayor, former councilwoman, park board commissioner and a housing coordinator.  There were women with experience with Section 8 rent assistance and the federal Community Development Block Grant program.  There were council candidates and a senior housing specialist.  A rental agent for a U of M housing cooperative and two former HRA members.

Everyone talks about what a critical need Anoka has to refurbish our old housing and that the HRA is one tool to assist in doing that.  And yet these people with all their rich experience and qualifications were not acceptable to Mr. Skogquist.

Mr. Skogquist's original reason for expanding the HRA from five to seven was "to have more people to do the work."

And yet one of the men he wanted, the Union noted, had no qualification except being a resident.  The other guy, Aaron Barr, has barely five years experience with our town.

But these five highly qualified women were somehow not acceptable to Mr. Skogquist.

Letter to the Editor May 2007- Published in the Anoka Union

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Comment: This seems like another example of hizzoner's hardheaded hubris.

Or:

Waaay back in the 70's the militant women would say, "Sexism is a learning disability."

Dodged a Bullet: defeated Gundlach

The following is a letter to the editor from abc newspapers and reprinted here, permission was not obtained, as it is of public record.

To the Editor:

November 2005:  Taxpayers in the City of Anoka dodged a bullet last election (2004) by keeping newcomer Mike Gundlach off the city council.

The Pierce/Skogquist council did succeed  in appointing him, a resident of only four months, to the city's HRA (Housing Authority) -consistent with their pattern of installing new and non-residents to make decisions for the city.

Gundlach was also named to the Charter Commission just before the new ethics rules were in place.

At the November 14 meeting Gundlach, a former appraiser, expressed concern about the assessed value of a specific home related to it's possible higher current market value.

Citing this historic residence in zone 4, Gundlach said, "The city is losing tax revenue." Then he directed staff to look into it and report back.

I wonder whose crystal ball you could use to do that. . .to predict and then tax some future highest value of any given property?

Many historic homes could not be preserved under such a punishing and speculative tax scheme.

Letter to Editor November 2005   Anoka County Union

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Comments:  Where and how does Skogquist find these guys? Or do they find him?  This particular tax scheme was one commonly used by the early political bosses to go after political rivals.

The historic residence cited was owned by the Weaver family. Why wasn't Gundlach concerned about property north (Medved's and Corriveau's)?  Or even the Pierce holdings south?  Could it be because these men are political allies of Mr. Skogquist and himself?  Gundlach and Skogquist campaign signs were on these properties.

There's that arbitrary and capricious conflict-of-interest-thingee again.

Comments:  One idea floated out there was to redevelop those old useless concrete ruins (already owned by Anokans and doing no earthly good) aka amphitheater, along with those old crummy sober houses.   With that footbridge already connecting the street to downtown, it would be a nice looking thing, like that nice three-story into the hill across the river and north from city hall.

The Jackal Pup

Letter to Editor, reprinted on the "Anoka City Forum" - Anoka Union -   6-21-07:

"Recently the Anoka newspaper did a piece on a start-up Windego Dinner Theater.

The article said, "Finally, a professional dinner theater has arrived in the Anoka area."

And "people won't have to drive down to Chanhassen to see quality dinner theater."

For the record, the Anoka area has a proven, high quality, professional dinner theater that is, in fact, celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The Seasons Dinner Theater presents family orientated, humorous theater in a very nice setting. see www.theseasonsatbunkerhills.com for more information.

Maybe the Anoka newspaper could do a feature story on The Seasons Dinner Theater. It could serve to review and honor 20 entertaining years of successful dinner theater here in the north metro."

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Comments: It's hard to understand how Anoka newspaper staff could have missed this. They have printed information on the Seasons Dinner theater for twenty years. Somehow they stepped out of reality and joined make-believe-land.

The land where things are so, just because someone says so.

The land where you don't know what you are talking about, you just "give it a shot."  Ala Windego Park Society president Erik Skogquist.

As far as Windego Park Society goes. . .you'd think a legitimate start-up endeavor would do a little research on similar, competing efforts. Who's doing what, how's it going, how is it done successfully, is there a market for this service?

What is the chance for success if you haven't answered these most basic questions?

There's a great African proverb about the impudence of youth: "What is impertinence?  When the jackal is born in August and there is a flood in September and the jackal pup says "Good gracious! I never saw such a high flood!"

Erik Skogquist was a (no doubt adorable) toddler when the Seasons Dinner Theater got started.  Without due diligence or basic research, how could he be expected to know anything?

Now, what's the newspaper's excuse?

Failed Preservation: 302 Fremont

Originally published as a Letter to the Editor.  Anoka Union.  R.H. Anoka resident in 2005:

302 Fremont has been the subject of two and one-half years of political backbiting, infighting, personal vendettas and lies.

Eric Krahnke, the previous owner, purchased the property intending to preserve, restore and incorporate it as the hub of a beautiful residential facility to keep our elderly in our own community.

Former city councilmember Paul Pierce and Mayor Skogquist led an initiative to deny Mr. Krahnke the right to build such a facility. Mr. Pierce personally worked to circulate a petition to block the supposed "demolition" of 302 Fremont.

What he neglected to tell signers was that Mr. Krahnke never intended to demolish 302 Fremont.

As a former antique dealer, I saw many items sell for much less than they should have because their original finish had been stripped, their structure was compromised or their original packaging was missing or damaged.

I think of this each time I drive by 302 Fremont and see what has happened to this historic structure.

It has been lifted off the original foundation and the original windows have been discarded and the openings resized. The inside walls have been stripped to the 2 by 4's and original flooring, woodwork and fixtures have been destroyed or discarded.

It is in no way "original" and certainly will never be able to meet the definition of "preservation".

The Historic Preservation Committee apparently wanted to believe that the buyer of 302 intended to "preserve" the structure as an exmple of early Anoka.

Presumably, that was why the city of Anoka actually financed the purchase and "remodel" of the house, to the tune of $485,000, a fact few residents are aware of.

If the goal was to preserve a structure with historic significance, those responsible have failed miserably - and, at taxpayers expense.

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King Bjorn

The relationship between the mayor,the city council and the many commissions that make up Anoka city government is good.  The commissions make recommendations to the mayor/council, who then vote to follow, ignore or modify those recommendations.

The relationship between the mayor, the council and Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) is different, however, and that's where the "fun" starts.

By law, the mayor appoints new HRA members, but the council votes yes or no on the appointments.  Once in place, the HRA then makes decisions (not recommendations) and those decisions don't require council approval.

This independence makes King Bjorn and the Knights of the Council Table nervous.  While they all have the best interests of the citizens of Anoka at heart (just ask them), the king and the knights apparently have very different ideas of what the HRA should do.

Compromise would appear to be the answer, but that is a skill mastered by some but not all of our elected crusaders.  Meanwhile, the king and his aides wax eloquent on the meaning of shall and other "Important" issues.  Well done, your majesty!?

Even a knave as simple as I can see that this is just politics pure and simple.  The HRA is composed of seven members.  The two vacant seats will give the majority to the side they support.

Let us not forget that in 2003 the king and his council increased the size of the HRA from five members to seven - might one reason that those two members were added to give the king an HRA more to his liking?  Methinks there was no compromise then either.

While the king has only been able to find two people in all the kingdom of Anoka who he thinks are qualified to join the HRA, the knights have a longer list of potential candidates.

Let us hope that KIng Bjorn and Sir Philip of Rice can reach in private (with the council's blessing) the solution that has so far eluded our royalty in front of the cameras.

P.S. Is there a way for Anoka High School students to earn credits for watching city council meetings? This is good stuff!

R. G.  Anoka resident

Printed in Anoka Union as a letter to the editor March 23, 2007

Mayor as Dictator

Anoka needs civic leadership, not a dictatorship.

Renewed citizen participation in local government was welcomed with a big "no" from mayor  bjorn skogquist at the Dec 4 council meeting.

There were a record number of top quality applicants to fill available positions on Anoka's boards and commissions.

Rather than considering any of the new applicants for the HRA, mayor skogquist put forward his previous appointees and refused to consider any other applicants.

The majority of the council did not want to re-appoint these members because they felt there were better choices.

No doubt they were looking forward to the likely loss of $200,000 of Anoka taxpayers' funds in the event of foreclosure on 302 Fremont.

No council member would want to be on record reappointing HRA members with such poor judgment, lack of experience or incompetence.

Censored Letter: Apology and Back Story

The following is a letter to the editor submitted to the Union, but never published by them:

Letter to the Editor

I would like to extend a public apology and backstory to Dale Carter and Gary Sorenson.

They were on the agenda at the Anoka city council meeting. Their presentation was rudely hustled along by Mayor Skogquist to make way for his parade of coached voices. (The parade lasted one hour and was not on the agenda).

There's a joke about Anoka's two theaters.  One takes talent (Lyric Arts). The other one just takes coaching (city council meetings).

The recent Tribune Q & A (3-06) with Bjorn Skogquist explains the procedure.  You see, before he was elected, "people were not trained to come to council meetings."  Now, he "tries to help frame their ideas in the right way."

His little brother, Eric, lives to help his hero with the rabble-rousing (See MySpace.com)

Anoka's mayor has been a "community activist", with much contrived grandstanding.

Dysfunction On Display

This is the short list of titles from Letters to the Editor  to the Anoka newspaper written by concerned citizens:

Anoka needs regime change /  Skogquist is ineffective and clueless

Taking back City of Anoka/  Adversarial special interests team with Skogquist to bully Anoka

Failed preservation/  302 Fremont failure and it's attendant personal vendetta and lies

Anoka taxpayers dodge bullet/  Gundlach wants residential taxes set at future highest value

Was position advertised?/ Erik Skogquist's non-compete internship

Sign looting wholesale/  since Skogquist made the scene six years ago

Campaign sign destruction/  Skogquist opponent's signs face targeted, extensive destruction