Updated at: 10/23/2009 8:33 AM | KSAX.com
By: Megan Brown
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Fergus Falls City Council Passes Hockey Arena; Community Upset

Fergus Falls, Minn. - Members of the community gathered in front of the courthouse Thursday to voice their opinion about the city council's vote to approve an $8.6 million hockey arena for the high school.

"I'm disappointed with the city council," Peter Haugen said, but he's not upset about the arena itself, "That is not my issue.  My issue is with the city council and how they handled this, how they backed their way into it.  They didn't go to the tax payers, because they thought it would fail."

The council voted and passed the project without a referendum at Monday night's meeting.  Some members of the community want a referendum, because the council committed $4 million, which will raise the city's taxes about $66 annually.

"When we're spending $4 million I feel that there should've been a referendum.  Let the people vote on it," Duane Tollefson said.  His opinion was echoed by many.

Another issue was the fact that the topic wasn't listed on the meeting's agenda.

"No decision was to be made.  The paper printed it, barely anyone showed up, because we were thinking it was going to be happening on a later date," Haugen said.

City council member JoEllen Thacker, Ward 4, motioned to vote on the issue Monday night.

"I full expected it to be on the agenda on the 19^th and was surprised it was not," Thacker explained.  She says now is the time for a new arena, and the council is looking to the future of Fergus Falls. 

Six other council members agree with her, including Greg Stumbo, Ward 1.

"A decision had to be made, correct.  We've been dealing with the current council for ten months, receiving a lot of public input.  Unfortunately, sometimes issues don't go as a certain party elected would wish," Stumbo explained.

Some members of the community feel misrepresented.

John Strauch is disappointed with his council member, JoEllen Thacker.  In fact, he's now petitioning to remove her from the council.

"I'm letting the city council know we don't have to wait for the next election to letthem know we're unhappy with the way we're represented," Strauch explained.

The petition doesn't have any signatures yet, but Strauch says plenty of people have called him saying they would sign the petition.  If the petition reaches more than 400 signatures, there will be a recall election.  At that point the city will have the chance to re-elect or remove JoEllen Thacker.

As for the arena, the issue is passed and talks of when construction will start are already in the works.

Written for the web by Megan Matthews

megan@ksax.com