The Blue Earth City Council called a special meeting on Thursday, March 21, to update the public about the ongoing annexation proceedings for the Township of Blue Earth City – the Riverside Heights area – to the city of Blue Earth.

“We’re going to try to answer some of your questions,” mayor Rick Scholtes told the assembled crowd of Riverside Heights residents. “This whole process started in the fall of 2022, and we’re moving forward. Over the last six months we’ve been trying to figure out an agreement for the annexation.”

The council has been discussing pending litigation regarding the annexation agreement in closed session since late 2023.

At a Blue Earth City Council meeting held on Monday, March 18, city attorney David Frundt explained the litigation had concerned a petition which had been brought before the State Board of Municipal Boundaries in response to the proposed annexation.

An agreement had been reached by Monday, at which point the council voted to dismiss the petition and approved a resolution for a new orderly annexation agreement to take the place of the original 1976 agreement.

The Township of Blue Earth City Board adopted the same resolution at a board meeting held the next evening, on Tuesday, March 19.

Frundt estimated the annexation could occur in roughly 40 days. The Blue Earth City Council expects to vote on the annexation at its April 15 meeting, although the Township of Blue Earth City Board has yet to set a date for a meeting where their vote could take place.

Due to the lengthy negotiation process, a project to connect the Riverside Heights area to Blue Earth’s sanitary sewer system, and implement other infrastructure improvements, will need to be delayed.

The poor condition of the Riverside Heights area’s sanitary sewer system was what initially sparked conversations about an annexation. Connecting to Blue Earth’s system proved more financially feasible for the community than fixing or replacing its current system.

The project qualifies for state funding, but delays caused by negotiations meant Bolton & Menk was not able to submit project plans early enough for the project to earn funding in 2025, which was the project’s original intended start date.

“The funding is still going to be there, but it probably isn’t going to be a 2025 project,” Bolton & Menk engineer Wes Brown explained. “Most likely 2026, or even 2027. (The state) has already got too many projects queued up in 2025.”

John Roper, a Faribault County commissioner and Riverside Heights resident, expressed his frustration with the delays caused by negotiations.

“I’m very disappointed in our township and the city not being transparent in what’s going on,” he said. “We couldn’t settle anything.”

“I’m not going to disagree, but it’s the nature of negotiations,” Scholtes replied. “Unfortunately, we can’t tell you what’s going on in a negotiation until the agreement’s done.”

Roper also expressed concern that in the event the community’s sanitary sewer system fails before the project is completed, the financial and logistical burden will fall on its residents.

“The system out there is already failing, and that’s why this has been on the list for funding for some time,” Brown agreed. “Nobody can predict what will happen, but there are probably some band aid repairs that could be done to keep it functioning.”

Scholtes also said Blue Earth may be able to accept sewage from the Riverside Heights area if their sanitary sewer system fails.

“At that point, they would be a part of the city, and we would try to do what we could,” he said.

Scholtes confirmed the financial arrangement for the funding of the project will remain the same despite the delay.

“We’re trying to talk to our representatives at the state level to see if we can get the funding pushed through for 2026,” he added.