Trust has been shattered in handling of Owatonna’s police station

Sadly, in recent years, we have become used to state and federal government misleading the public and not being transparent on a variety of issues that impact the very residents they represent. Now it appears the same is happening on the local level; in this case, with the City of Owatonna.

A few weeks ago, Lynne and Loel Holthus, of Owatonna, spoke about the proposal to build a police station on the West Hills campus. They are opposed to the concept, mostly because of the historical value of what once was home to the Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children.

Lynne Holthus’s father once stayed at the orphanage. Their other issue, along with many other residents, is the hefty price tag of up to $65 million (with a new fire station included).

What wasn’t shared in that original story were claims from the Holthuses about how the City of Owatonna mishandled this issue with the public.

“We were told that city officials had been working with the National Historical Registry for quite some time,” said Lynne Holthus.

The couple did their own investigating. They reached out to the NHR, which is administered through the Minnesota Department of Administration in St. Paul. What they found out left them appalled.

The state notified them that the city and its architect did not initiate any contact about the proposed police station until March 17 – two weeks after the city initially approved the project to move ahead with the West Hills location – and the same day the city denied an environmental assessment of the property.

The city’s contact with the state also didn’t happen until many residents began questioning the idea of digging into land that is on the National Historic Registry.

“They outright lied to us,” Lynne Holthus said. “There is so much double-talk going on. They talk out of both sides of their mouths,” she said, referring to city leaders.

We refrained from initially reporting on this, mostly because we couldn’t verify the Holthuses’ claims. However, a letter sent to the city by a state historic preservation officer within the past 10 days makes it clear that something is terribly amiss with city officials.

The letter from Amy Spong of the Minnesota Department of Administration validates what the Holthuses are claiming.

In it, the state referenced the resolution that went before the council on March 17, indicating the city had consulted with the State Historic Preservation Office and the State Archaeologist about the project. “This statement does not accurately reflect the status of consultation,” the state wrote in its letter to the city. They went on to say that the state archeologist had not received a request to consult on either the police or fire facilities as of April 10.

The state also acknowledged that the city has consulted with its office in the past on other projects, “so it would seem as though the city is somewhat familiar with its requirements to consult under state preservation laws.”

Based on the claims from the Holthuses, and now the state’s letter, it’s obvious city leaders are not being transparent with the residents of Owatonna.

This is beyond disturbing – it’s downright alarming. Other claims have been brought to our attention over the past year that truly make us question the motives of city officials and attempts to hide important details.

For example, several claims have been made that city leaders have misrepresented the building issues with the current police station located on Pearl Street. In another instance, a top official told at least one resident at a public meeting that she doesn’t want to hear from the public – because the city’s mind has already been made up.

When city leaders are looking to spend $65 million of public funds, they have an obligation for due diligence in making the best decision for the city. Common sense and public engagement seem to be lacking with this project.

What has been lost in this entire process is giving residents the opportunity to share their opinions. Silencing the public is never the right way to do business, especially when public tax dollars are at stake.

This project has become a nightmare for residents fighting to share their opinions about the future of their city. We expect better from local officials – whether they’re elected or appointed. Trust in local leaders has been shattered. Residents feel betrayed by the very people they trust to run the city.

Perhaps it’s time to scrap the entire project and start over, with residents being treated the way they deserve to be. At the very least, city leaders need to offer an apology for how they have mishandled this important issue, though that seems unlikely. City Administrator Jenna Tuma declined to comment for this week’s coverage.

It’s time for city leaders to step up and handle this debacle for the sake of Owatonna’s future. Just because things are running amuck on the state and national levels doesn’t mean it has to be that way locally.